The Long Good Friday (1980)
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A London gangster's ambition to go legitimate is threatened by a violent collision with the IRA and internal betrayal.
The story
Set in London during the late 1970s, the film follows Harold Shand, a gangster seeking to establish himself as a legitimate businessman. While attempting to curry favor with city officials and impress American investors with his redevelopment plans for the London Docklands, Harold finds himself caught in a web of mid-level political and police corruption. His operations are further complicated by the activities of the IRA. When a series of bombings and assassinations strike his organization, Harold must navigate a treacherous landscape of internal betrayals and external threats to protect his interests and his life.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
London gangster's delivery man Colin travels to Belfast with a suitcase of money, keeping some for himself before the rest is ambushed. Back in London, Harold Shand, a gangster aspiring to legitimacy, is in business with corrupt Councillor Harris. While Harold hosts a party for American investors to discuss the Docklands redevelopment, his enforcer Razors takes his mother to church. A series of bombings occurs, including one at Harold's casino. Harold learns his friend Colin was killed and his driver was killed by a car bomb. He discovers that his right-hand man, Jeff, betrayed him by sending Colin and Phil to deliver money to the IRA on Harris's behalf. After Harold glasses Jeff to death, he is warned by Victoria that he may have been betrayed by someone in his inner circle. Harold eventually forces Harris to arrange a meeting with the IRA's London chief, where he guns down both Harris and the IRA leadership. However, as he leaves the Savoy Hotel, he finds his car commandeered by IRA assassins who hold Victoria captive. The assassin who killed Colin trains his gun on Harold as they are driven away through London.
- Original title
- The Paddy Factor
- First release year
- 1980
- Runtime (minutes)
- 114
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John Mackenzie
- Writers
- Barrie Keeffe · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Bob Hoskins · Harold Shand; Helen Mirren · Victoria; Dave King · Parky; Bryan Marshall · Councillor George Harris; Derek Thompson · Jeff; Eddie Constantine · Charlie; Paul Freeman · Colin; P. H. Moriarty · Razors
- Genres
- gangster; crime; drama; mystery
- Themes
- corruption; betrayal; legitimacy; organized crime
- Tone and mood
- sinister; stylish; melodramatic
- Premise and plot tags
- gangster; crime; political corruption; IRA
- Reception
- The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and is recognized as an all-time cinema classic. It was highly ranked on various 'best British films' lists and received a glowing review from Roger Ebert.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 97% · review count: 31
- Awards and nominations
- BAFTA Award · Best Actor in a Leading Role · Nomination; Evening Standard Film Award · Best Actor · Win
- Production trivia
- The original title was 'The Paddy Factor'.; The film was the debut of Pierce Brosnan and the final role of George Coulouris.; The plot about American financiers was based on attempts by the Kray brothers to get the Mafia to invest in Britain.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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