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The Long Good Friday

The Long Good Friday
LongGoodFridayPoster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Mackenzie
Produced by Barry Hanson
Written by Barrie Keeffe
Starring Bob Hoskins
Helen Mirren
Music by Francis Monkman
Cinematography Phil Meheux
Production
company
Black Lion Films
HandMade Films
Calendar Productions
Distributed by Paramount British Pictures
Release date
Running time
114 minutes
Language English
Budget £930,000

The Long Good Friday is a British gangster film starring Bob Hoskins and Helen Mirren. It was completed in 1979, but because of release delays, it is generally credited as a 1980 film. The storyline weaves together events and concerns of the late 1970s, including low-level political and police corruption, IRA fundraising, displacement of traditional British industry by property development, UK membership of the EEC, and the free-market economy. It was voted at number 21 in the British Film Institute's list of the top 100 British films of the 20th century, and provided Bob Hoskins with his breakthrough film role.

Harold Shand is the kingpin of the London organised crime underworld and is trying to convince the American mafia to go into partnership with him, with plans to redevelop the London Docklands, including building a casino. However, his world is suddenly destabilised by a series of unexplained murders (including Harold's best friend, Colin) and exploding bombs from an unknown foe. He and his henchmen try to uncover his attackers' identity while trying not to worry their American visitors, who Harold believes will not go into business with him if they think he's not in full control of his affairs. The situation worsens when a pub in which they are about to have dinner at is blown up and Harold's partner, Victoria, tells the Americans that they are under attack from an unknown enemy. She suspects that Harold's right hand man, Jeff, knows more than he has been letting on about the attacks, while Jeff simultaneously starts to fear that Harold might be onto him and tries to prevent people from talking through intimidation.

After some detective work, Harold confronts Jeff, who confesses that he sent Harold's friend Colin on a job to Belfast to deliver money raised by Irish Navvies (construction workers) to the IRA. When Harold discovers Jeff accepted a job to deliver funds to the IRA, he becomes extremely angry and vows to destroy the IRA in London. Jeff advises against this and explains that the IRA aren't just annoyed about some of the money which had gone missing, but also wrongly hold Harold responsible for the murder of three IRA men. Under intense questioning, Jeff confesses that the IRA threatened to kill him and he was so scared that he "put the finger" on Harold, who loses his temper and kills him with a broken whisky bottle. Harold forces Councillor Harris to organise a meeting with the IRA, and appears to offer them £60,000 in return for a ceasefire but double-crosses them by having them shot and killed along with Harris.


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