The movie White Mischief begins with lines introducing the movie-goers to the situation of November 1940. At the peak of the Blitz . Every night wave after wave of Nazi bombers brought death and destruction. But the British people stood firm, determined to hold out at any cost. In Contrast to this heroic introduction, the first images of White Mischief are supposed to show the decadence of the British upper class.
Fighter aircraft fly over the roof of a manor house.
He tells his tax advisor that he wants to sell the estate and move to Africa. His consultant advises him against it since landed property is the best investment in war times. With a few words and scenes, Michael Radford explains the story's context, introduces the protagonists and their motivations. The following scenes taking place in Kenya are in the same style. British are playing polo in 1940 - the year Europe is ravaged by war.