The Long Good Friday (1979)

The Criterion Channel continues to justify its meagre price tag by opening a world of heretofore unseen and unexplored cinema to me.

Most recently I found John Mackenzie's Brit gangster opus, The Long Good Friday.

I. What Is It?

This is the story of Harold (Bob Hoskins). Harold rules London's underground with an iron fist. But, on the eve of a life-changing deal, someone starts killing Harold's friends. Which threatens Harold's power. Which threatens Harold's big deal. He has 24 hours to figure out who is gunning for his crown.

II. Powerhouse Performance

Bob Hoskins delivers an incredible performance as Harold. He's a real nasty bulldog of a man, with a growling cockney affect. He is at peace with what he does, and perfectly willing to go to any length to hold on to his power. But Hoskins imbues him with a certain compelling humanity, that strikes an interesting contradiction: like the time he bemoans losing his best friend to violence. Harold shares a story of how the man saved his life and fights off tears at his passing. Then, later, he brutally murders someone with a broken whiskey bottle and ends up sprayed with arterial blood.

And then there's the final shot of the film, where Harold is held at gunpoint, and Mackenzie lets the camera linger on Hoskins' face as the entirety of the film, and its consequences, wash over him. He looks desperate, scared, angry, then resigned.

Dame Helen Mirren plays Victoria, Harold's moll and go-to gal. She is striking for her intense beauty as well as her shrewdness. She calms Harold when he falls prey to his worst instincts; she looks to his interests with foreign investors with cool calculation. She is no mere side-chick. One gets the impression that she is just as powerful as Harold is. She is his equal and opposite in many ways.

The movie is also chockablock with British character actors. You'll spend a great deal of time saying, "Oh, it's that guy!" Which is a great deal of fun.

III. Great Suits

One of the strangest things about watching movies from distant time periods is dealing with the shock of fashion. It is hard, sometimes, to believe that people wore what they wore, once upon a time. But this movie features a cavalcade of excellent suits and wardrobe: they are tailored, and character driven, and fun. It is very much of its time, but it isn't a joke. Tudor George's costume designs are sleek and visually interesting without falling prey to the bombastic failings of late-seventies fashion.

I always love a good suit. And this movie has quite a few.

IV. Ridiculous Soundtrack

Francis Monkman's score is a real joy to listen to. It is part disco and part synth-heavy 80s action movie. But it works. It adds stakes and intensity to the proceedings. It almost becomes gangster Shakespeare. And that's a great deal of fun.

V. A Bit Hard to Follow

The movie isn't overlong, at 114 minutes, but the mystery is stretched out a bit too thinly and never fully explained. I'm still a little dodgy on the details of what exactly happened to kick off the IRA's anger at Harold. This thing could have been leaner and nastier, and that's a bit of a shame.

VI. The Gangster Movie Turned on its Head

Most gangster films follow a low-level hood on their ascension to the top of their organization. In this movie, Harold is at the top of the game from the get. There is peace in London's underground, thanks to previous years of Harold's rise and stewardship. It is fun, then, to see how heavy lies the crown. Harold's story is not one of escalating corruption and power-grabbing. It's about the illusion of control, and how hard it is to keep the throne once you've got it. Harold isn't concerned about murder or double-dealing: his conscious is long-gone. It is interesting, then, to see the lengths he is fully willing to go to keep his power: killing a friend, harassing his underlings, flaunting his power to the American mafia, and, foolishly, thinking that he is above reproach when it comes to stabbing his enemies in the back.

That last shot of Harold in the car, contemplating the whole mess, is not just a wonderful bit of acting. It's a wonderful bit of storytelling. He knows. He knows that he was wrong. He knows that he fucked up. And he knows he's going to pay for it. And nary a word is spoken. Wonderful.

Why You Should See It

- This movie features star-making performances from Bob Hoskins and Dame Helen Mirren; He's a cockney mad dog and she's a shrewd gangster-moll Lady Macbeth. And it's littered with awesome British character actors.
- The score is a lot of fun. It's the perfect blend of late 70s and early 80s disco synth madness.
- If you're a fan of cleverly-crafted British gangster drama, this will scratch your itch.

Why You Shouldn't See It

- The movie is a bit hard to follow, and the central mystery sprawls a bit too loosely.

In Conclusion

I always love me a good British gangster flick, and John Mackenzie's The Long Good Friday is a wonderful stalwart of the genre. I had never actually heard of it before I went diving through The Criterion Channel's deep reservoirs, and I am glad I found it. Give it a whirl.

Miscellany

- Pierce Brosnan plays one of the IRA assassins. This is his first credited film role.
- Helen Mirren insisted that Victoria be rewritten to add complexity and make the character less "one-note." The film is stronger for this.
- Hoskins reportedly received a letter of praise for his performance from infamous British gangster Ronald Kray.
- A sequel was planned, that had Harold escaping his IRA captors and retiring, only to return to the fold to help fight off the Yardies, Jamaican gangsters. The film was never made.
- There was a print made for American audiences that included a glossary of cockney slang terms and their definitions that ran before the main titles of the movie. That's hilarious.