Gangster movies are an industry onto themselves in Britain, with everything from Brighton Rock in 1948 to today’s Rise of the Footsoldier franchise. But while Guy Ritchie’s films are still being coveted and covered, for one of the best you have to go back to 1980 and The Long Good Friday. A gritty and brutal picture about a day in the life of a crime boss in London, the film has been long acclaimed and is now here from Arrow Video in a new restored 4K edition.
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London gangster Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins) is on the verge of a huge business deal that would cement his reputation as the king of the capital’s underworld. Trouble is, it’s all going pear-shaped, with one of his closest friends being murdered in a swimming baths while his elderly mum’s car explodes, thankfully with her far away from it. Something is going on and Harold and girlfriend Victoria (Helen Mirren) are keen to root it out and stop it as quickly as possible to save face from Mafia member Charlie (Eddie Constantine), who has come across the pond to entertain Harold’s plan. But will Harold save his empire before it burns down?
The Long Good Friday is intelligently written and brilliantly directed, with a swerving, unnerving narrative full of an intensity matched only by the visceral brutality of the film. Hoskins is dominant as Harold and is a force of nature throughout, attempting to keep a lid on everything going on and his own combustible temper under wraps, which he occasionally – and spectacularly – fails to do. Mirren is equally good as what could easily be a one-dimensional gangster’s moll, but instead is a lover and a partner on equal footing to Harold, and in many ways smarter than him. As observers, it’s easy to see where it’s all heading, and it’s fascinating to see Harold descend as he approaches the end – and again, Hoskins is brilliant.
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The picture also has a large ensemble of “it’s that guy!” actors, from Karl Howman of the ‘80s comedy Brush Strokes to Paul Freeman of Raiders of the Lost Ark to Pierce Brosnan in his first role as an IRA hitman. There’s also a notable performance by Derek Thompson, aka Charlie Fairhead from the BBC soap Casualty, and the largely British cast adds a strong level of authenticity. The camerawork by Phil Méheux, who shot Bond films GoldenEye and Casino Royale, is superb, with a number of complicated camera movements that never come across as anything less than natural, and the film is driven by a propulsive synth’n’sax score by Francis Monkman, formerly of fusion rock band Sky.
Arrow has brought The Long Good Friday to 4K with a new UHD disc, although it doesn’t mention any details about the source of the image – they had previously undertaken a 2K scan of the 35mm negative. The image matches the film, really. It’s gritty and grainy but it’s very clear, and the colour is very natural. There’s also the choice of two audio tracks: the original mono or a Dolby Atmos, although the mono is absolutely fine.
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Several special features are present coming from the older Blu-ray, including a director’s commentary, a nearly hour-long documentary with comments from Hoskins, Mirren, and many others, a featurette on the dubbing for the US market, some extra interview pieces, and the original UK and US trailers, with the latter making it feel like a horror movie. There are no new features.
The Long Good Friday is a classic of British cinema, let alone British crime films, and Arrow have done a great job. Picture and audio are great, and special features are plentiful. Highly recommended.
The Long Good Friday is out on 4K UHD on 27th May from Arrow Video.
