Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Long Good Friday 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 23, 2024

John Mackenzie's "The Long Good Friday" (1980) arrives on 4K Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with cinematographer Phil Meheux; the archival documentary "An Authentic Studio"; an archival program with screenwriter Barrie Keeffe; vintage trailers; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The late Bob Hoskins is Harold Shand, a wealthy British gangster who is dying to change his beloved London. He has a grand plan in his head and is convinced that if he plays his cards right, very soon London will be the most important city in Europe.

Powerful American gangster Charlie (Eddie Constantine, Alphaville, Europa) is interested in Shand’s plan, but wants to hear more from him before he becomes his partner. Shortly after he lands in London with his lawyer, Shand and his mistress, Victoria (Helen Mirren, Excalibur), welcome him on their luxurious yacht.

Meanwhile, someone kills Shand’s trusted assistant, Colin (Paul Freeman, The Sender), who prefers the company of men. Another one of Shand’s associates also dies in a car explosion. Then someone plants a bomb in Shand’s favorite pub and destroys it.

Confused and concerned that the chaos could compromise his business partnership with Charlie and collapse his plan, Shand begins looking for answers, but the deeper he digs, the more confused he becomes. If all of his enemies are dead, who could be stupid enough to challenge him on his own turf?

John Mackenzie’s The Long Good Friday was initially meant to be a TV show, not a feature film. There is a good chance that the show might have been fairly entertaining, but it is difficult to imagine that it would have been as effective as the film is.

The film is gritty and very realistic, a bit like a documentary feature with an attitude. There are explosions and killings, but none of them look or feel flashy. There is a giant puzzle with a lot of missing pieces, but the film does not seem too interested in it. It is the big picture that matters and how Shand fits in it.

The socio-political overtones in the film are very interesting as they actually characterize the two opposing sides – the businessmen vs. the idealists. Shand and Charlie are looking to expand their empires in a world that is rapidly changing. (The film’s observations about united Europe and the lucrative business opportunities it offers are really strikingly modern). On the opposite end, Shand’s enemies are stuck in an ideological conflict that feels terribly dated. So, there is a clash of ideas before there is a conflict of interests.

The film belongs to Hoskins. His massive character transformation rivals some of the very best performances the crime genre has seen. The violent outbursts are so intense that at times it is quite difficult to believe that they could have been preplanned. In the original script, Mirren’s character apparently had different qualities and a secondary role, but her strong presence is one of the film’s biggest strengths. Constantine very much looks like a wise guy who has left his violent past behind. A very young Pierce Brosnan has a short but memorable cameo at the end of the film.

The film was lensed by cinematographer Phil Meheux (Entrapment, Casino Royale), whose preference for earthy and warm colors becomes obvious almost immediately after Shand leaves the airport.

Francis Monkman’s classy soundtrack blends smooth jazz, electonica and funk to give the film a very special retro vibe.

The Long Good Friday 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Criterion's release of The Long Good Friday is a 4K Blu-ray/Blu-ray combo pack. The 4K Blu-ray disc is Region-Free. However, the two Blu-ray discs are Region-A "locked".

Please note that some of the screencaptures that appear with this article are taken from the 4K Blu-ray and downscaled to 1080p. Therefore, they do not accurately reflect the quality of the 4K content on the 4K Blu-ray disc, including the actual color values of this content.

Screencaptures #1-28 are from the Blu-ray.
Screencaptures #32-7 are from the 4K Blu-ray.

The only other release of The Long Good Friday that I have in my library is this Region-B SteelBook, which introduced an excellent 2K restoration completed by Arrow Video. This new combo pack release introduces a recent 4K restoration. In native 4K, the 4K restoration can be viewed with Dolby Vision and HDR grades. I chose to view it with Dolby Vision.

I really like the previous 2K restoration, so before I sat down to view the 4K restoration, I spent approximately twenty minutes with it. The 4K restoration produces slightly darker visuals, and I tend to prefer how the same visuals look on the 2K restoration. However, I do not think that there is an obvious discrepancy in the overall quality of the visuals. In native 4K, some parts of the film, and usually the ones that have plenty of natural light, some of which are also darker, look tighter, but on the 2K and 4K restoration the density levels of the visuals are already excellent. I would describe color reproduction is very good. I did notice minor changes that affect primary blue and gray, but I would describe them as insignificant. The color temperature of all visuals remains the same. I compared different parts in native 4K and 1080p to see how Dolby Vision handles darker areas. A few spots, like the car explosion during the 0:20.00 mark, I think look better in native 4K. However, elsewhere the overall quality of the visuals is very, very similar. Image stability is excellent. The entire film is spotless, too.

The Long Good Friday 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

There isn't anything to report. If you have seen the previous 2K restoration of The Long Good Friday, you will know what to expect from the lossless track. It is very healthy and stable. Where the music is prominent, it produces good dynamic contrasts as well. The dialog is always clear. However, I suspect that North American viewers will use the optional English SDH subtitles because some of the accents are quite thick, and it is not always easy to get everything that is said. I did not notice any encoding anomalies to report.

The Long Good Friday 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

4K BLU-RAY DISC

• Commentary by John Mackenzie - in this audio commentary, director John Mackenzie explains how multiple sequences from The Long Good Friday were shot and edited, and discusses the manner in which the various characters are introduced, Bob Hoskins' magnificent performance, the script and the different changes that were made to it, Francis Monkman's soundtrack, etc. The commentary was recorded in 2002.

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Introduction - Ashley Clark, curatorial director at Criterion, introduces The Long Good Friday. In English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Commentary by John Mackenzie - in this audio commentary, director John Mackenzie explains how multiple sequences from The Long Good Friday were shot and edited, and discusses the manner in which the various characters are introduced, Bob Hoskins' magnificent performance, the script and the different changes that were made to it, Francis Monkman's soundtrack, etc. The commentary was recorded in 2002.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

• An Accidental Studio - this archival documentary takes a closer look at the history and cinematic legacy of Handmade Films, one of the most influential independent producers and distributors of British films during the 1980s. Included in it are clips from interviews with its founder, former Beatle George Harrison, Bob Hoskins, Neil Jordan, Terry Gilliam, Eric, Idle, and Richard E. Grant, among others. The documentary was produced in 2019. In English, not subtitled. (98 min).

• Bloody Business: The Making of The Long Good Friday - this archival documentary focuses on the production history and success of The Long Good Friday. Included in it are clips from interviews with director John Mackenzie, producer Barry Hanson, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, and Pierce Brosnan, amongst others. The documentary was produced by Anchor Bay Entertainment and initially appeared on the label's Special Edition DVD release of the film. In English, not subtitled. (55 min).

• Phil Meheux - in this archival program, the cinematographer of The Long Good Friday recalls how he was approached by director John Mackenzie and asked to join the project -- The Long Good Friday was initially meant to be a TV show, not a feature film -- and discusses the film's framing, as well as an important correction that was made when the previous 2K restoration was completed. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Barrie Keeffe - in this archival program, the screenwriter of The Long Good Friday explains how the idea for the film emerged and how the main characters were profiled (their strengths and weaknesses, their goals, their beliefs, etc). The program was produced in 2015. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Hands Across the Ocean - this archival program focuses on five brief sections from The Long Good Friday that were redone in order to make them clearer for American viewers. On the 4K restoration, these sequences have the original Cockney accents. The program was produced in 2015. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Theatrical Trailers - two original theatrical trailers for The Long Good Friday. In English, not subtitled.
  
  1. UK Trailer (3 min).
  2. U.S. Trailer (2 min).

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring an essay by critic Ryan Gilbey, as well as technical credits.

The Long Good Friday 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A visionary gangster, played with an incredible intensity by the late Bob Hoskins, tries to transform London but faces a powerful enemy in director John Mackenzie's classic film The Long Good Friday. Nearly a decade ago, The Long Good Friday was beautifully restored in 2K, but this combo pack introduces a recent 4K restoration, which is also fantastic. I really, really like this film and could not be happier that it has been treated with such great care and attention so that it looks as it should. A standard Blu-ray release is available for purchase as well. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.