The Long Good Friday (1980)

An up-and-coming gangster is tested by the insurgence of an unknown, very powerful threat.

Director:

John Mackenzie

Writer:

Barrie Keeffe

Stars:

Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, Paul Freeman

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Paul Freeman	...	Colin
Leo Dolan	...	Phil
Kevin McNally	...	Irish Youth
Patti Love	...	Carol
P.H. Moriarty	...	Razors
Derek Thompson	...	Jeff
Bryan Marshall	...	Harris
Bob Hoskins	...	Harold
Helen Mirren	...	Victoria
Ruby Head	...	Harold's Mother
Charles Cork	...	Eric
Olivier Pierre	...	Chef
Pierce Brosnan	...	1st Irishman
Daragh O'Malley	...	2nd Irishman
Dave King	...	Parky

Storyline

Harold, a prosperous English gangster, is about to close a lucrative new deal when bombs start showing up in very inconvenient places. A mysterious syndicate is trying to muscle in on his action, and Harold wants to know who they are. He finds out soon enough, and bloody mayhem ensues.

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Plot Keywords:

bomb | gangster | elevator | slaughterhouse | male rear nudity | 

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Taglines:

Who lit the fuse that tore Harold's world apart?

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Official Sites:

Handmade Films Website

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

2 April 1982 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crni petak za gangstere

Filming Locations:

The Salisbury Hotel, Green Lanes, Haringey, London, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Black Lion Films, Calendar Productions, HandMade Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

A version made for American audiences begins with the screen showing a glossary of Cockney and London mobster terms, along with their definitions, that are employed throughout the film. It has been suggested that this inspired Quentin Tarantino to begin Pulp Fiction with a written definition of "pulp fiction".

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Goofs

Blood on Harold's shirt after his final "altercation" with Jeff. In the cabin the blood only comes to 2 or 3 buttons down from the top, when he leaves the boat it's up to his top button.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Colin: Two large Bushmills, please, darlin'.

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Connections

Featured in London: The Modern Babylon (2012)

User Reviews

Awesome!

This is the quintessential British gangster film, without a doubt. Bob Hoskins plays Harold Shand, a ruthless gangland boss whose empire suddenly starts crumbling before his eyes, over one Easter weekend. Shand goes to extraordinary lengths to find out just who's behind the slaughter, and why. Standout performances from all involved, especially Hoskins as Shand.

What makes the film so special is that it's played straight – not for laughs; there are no ‘mockney' accents or wide-boy routines here, just the serious business of bloody revenge.

Utterly compelling, I cannot really praise this enough; if you want to see a truly great British gangster film, watch this. Forgot Lock, Stock and the other pretenders, this is still very much the one to watch.