Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Long Good Friday Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 29, 2015

John Mackenzie's "The Long Good Friday" (1980) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video. The supplemental features on the disc include original trailers; new and archival video interviews with cast and crew members; archival audio commentary by the late British director; and a lot more. The release also arrives with a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic and BFI curator Mark Duguid, illustrated with original production stills. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

"Everything all right while I was away?"

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 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, John Mackenzie's The Long Good Friday arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Arrow Video.

The new 2K restoration of The Long Good Friday is very beautiful. Indeed, there are substantial improvements in terms of detail and clarity and as a result the entire film has a very solid balanced organic appearance. Rather predictably, the most notable improvements are in areas where there is an abundance of natural light. However, even the darker/indoor footage looks far more pleasing now -- shadow definition is a lot better and depth improved. There are a couple of sequences, however, where the blacks levels come dangerously close to collapsing existing detail (see screencaptures #16 and 14). Colors are stable and natural, never showing traces of digital boosting. Grain is present throughout the entire film and is beautifully resolved. Some light fluctuations are noticeable, but they can easily be traced back to the original cinematography. There are no traces of compromising sharpening adjustments. Overall image stability is excellent. There are no large damage marks, cuts, debris, stains, or scratches to report in this review. All in all, the new 2K restoration of The Long Good Friday is very good and I must say that the film unquestionably looks the best it ever has. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free Blu-ray player in order to access its content).

The Long Good Friday 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 have been provided for the main feature.

The improvements in the audio department are even more impressive than those in the video department. Immediately after the opening credits appear, it becomes crystal clear that the audio has been remastered -- the catchy music theme is very well balanced and remarkably crisp. Separation is also excellent, making it very easy to identify the synthesizers and the strings. The dialog is crisp and stable, but North American viewers will more than likely need to use the optional subtitles because quite frequently the accents can be very thick. (There are numerous specific expressions that require subtitles as well). There are no pops, cracks, audio dropouts, or distortions to report in this review.

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

BLU-RAY DISC ONE

• Theatrical Trailers - two original theatrical trailers for The Long Good Friday. In English, not subtitled. (5 min).

• Hands Across the Ocean - this video piece focuses on five brief sections from The Long Good Friday that were redone in order to make them clearer for American viewers. On the new 2K restoration, these sequences have the original Cockney accents. In English, not subtitled. (8 min).

• Interviews - in English, not subtitled.
  
  1. Barry Hanson - in this video interview, the producer of The Long Good Friday recalls some of his early interactions with the late Bob Hoskins and discusses some of the Shakespearean elements in the film. (6 min).
  
  2. Barrie Keeffe - in this video interview, 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). (9 min).
  
  3. Phil Meheux - in this video interview, 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 during the recent 2K restoration. (4 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).

• 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.

BLU-RAY DISC TWO

Note: This disc is included only on Arrow Video's upcoming The Long Good Friday/Mona Lisa Limited Edition Box Set.

• Apaches (1977) - a short film about a group of children playing "Cowboys and Indians" on an English farm and eventually dying there. The film was commissioned by the Central Office of Information on behalf of the Health & Safety Executive and intended to scare rural children into thinking twice about playing on farms. It was directed by John Mackenzie and lensed by Phil Meheux (The Long Good Friday). In English, not subtitled. (28 min, 1080p).

• Introduction - short introduction to Apaches by cinematographer Phil Meheux. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Q&A with Bob Hoskins and John Mackenzie - presented here is an archival Q&A session with Bob Hoskins and John Mackenzie, which was moderated by Richard Jobson. The two gentlemen discuss the shooting of The Long Good Friday, some of the tips they received from real gangsters, Helen Mirren's charter and some of the changes that were made to the script when she joined the project, the political overtones in the film, etc. The Q&A session was filmed at National Film Theater in March, 2000. In English, not subtitled. (28 min).

• Interviews (2014-15) - presented here is a collection of brand new interviews with some of the people that made The Long Good Friday a reality. The interviewees discuss their careers, the production history of the film, the shooting process, the socio-political climate in England before and during the time when the film was shot, its success, some of the changes in the areas where much of the film takes place, the sets/designs, Harold Shand's modern ambitions, etc.
  
  1. Barry Hanson (Producer) - in English, not subtitled. (17 min).
  2. Barrie Keefe (Screenwriter) - in English, not subtitled. (15 min).
  3. Phil Meheux (Cinematographer) - in English, not subtitled. (18 min).
  4. Simon Hinkly (First Assistant Director) - in English, not subtitled. (19 min).
  5. Carlotta Barrow (Assistant Art Director) - in English, not subtitled. (7 min).

• Booklet - collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic and BFI curator Mark Duguid, illustrated with original production stills.

The Long Good Friday 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. British distributors Arrow Video have recently restored the film in 2K and the end result is quite spectacular. The Blu-ray release also comes with an outstanding selection of new and archival supplemental features. Do not miss it! VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.