A Glass of Water (1979): Cast & Plot

Britain is drawn into a long and ruinous conflict with France, the War of the Spanish Succession, a struggle that dominates politics at home and reshapes the royal court. Queen Anne remains largely under the sway of her ally Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough Alla Demidova, who leads the Whig faction and seeks to prolong the war to benefit herself and her husband, John Churchill, the duke and commander-in-chief of the British forces. The other side rallies around the Tories, led by Lord Bolingbroke [Kirill Lavrov], who argues that the bloodshed must end and that peace talks should begin. Anne’s loyalty tilts decisively toward the Whigs because Sarah’s influence reaches every corner of the court, leaving Bolingbroke with limited room to maneuver.