The Long Good Friday (2024)

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Synopsis

A combustible performance from Bob Hoskins is the fuse that lights this underworld saga, a landmark of British crime cinema. Hoskins plays Harold Shand, an ambitious London mobster who, just as he attempts to close a major real-estate deal with the American Mafia, finds his crime empire rocked by a string of attacks, sending him on a ruthless quest to find out who’s responsible. Abetted by an ice-cool performance from Helen Mirren as Shand’s in-command moll,The Long Good Fridayis not only a gripping gangster thriller but also a vivid portrait of late-1970s Britain—a powder keg of cultural and political tensions on the verge of explosion.

Picture 9/10

The Criterion Collection finally updates their 1998 DVD release of John Mackenzie’s The Long Good Friday, presenting the film in 4K ultra high-definition with Dolby Vision, in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, on the first triple-layer disc of this three-disc set. The presentation is sourced from a new 4K restoration, handled by Arrow Films and Criterion, taken from a scan of the 35mm original camera negative. The release also includes a standard Blu-ray with a 1080p version of the film.

Unsurprisingly, it’s a terrific-looking presentation and a huge leap from Criterion’s non-anamorphic DVD. I can’t compare it to Arrow’s own 4K release (I ordered it but had to cancel due to shipping issues, despite no problems with the companion title in said order,Withnail & I). However, since both are sourced from the same restoration (according to the included notes), I’d be surprised if there’s a significant difference, aside from the possible variation in encoding. On that front, I think Criterion has done a solid job with their presentation, and I really couldn’t find much to complain about. Grain is beautifully captured and rendered naturally throughout, retaining a consistent texture. Outside of a few intentionally softer-looking shots, the level of detail and clarity is outstanding—easily the best I’ve ever seen this film look.

The expanded dynamic range also makes a big difference, particularly in nighttime scenes or darker interiors with minimal light sources, which always had a muddier appearance in previous presentations. Though a few moments still lean murky, black levels are generally rich and inky. Colors skew slightly greener than I’m used to, but it’s a definite improvement over previous releases, where skin tones tended to look overly pink. Overall, the colors are better saturated, and there’s a noticeable improvement in the range of reds.

The restoration is thorough, with no issues of note standing out. If it weren’t for the dated elements in the film itself, you might think it was made yesterday. It’s a fantastic presentation.

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Audio 7/10

While Criterion’s DVD used the altered American soundtrack, which redubbed some dialogue for clarity, this release features the original British soundtrack, presented in lossless PCM monaural. It’s far sharper and clearer than what I’ve been used to, though still somewhat limited in range when it comes to dialogue. That said, the film’s few explosions, car crashes, and swelling score manage to showcase decent range without sounding distorted or muffled.

Extras 10/10

Criterion packs in a substantial amount of material for this release, porting over features from other editions while assembling an incredibly thorough and well-rounded package of their own. The wealth of content is spread across two Blu-ray discs, a significant upgrade from their barebones DVD edition.

The supplements start with a 6-minute introduction by curator Ashley Clark (on the first standard Blu-ray), offering a brief appreciation of the film’s structure and how it tapped into the political anxieties of its time. This is followed by director John Mackenzie’s audio commentary, recorded in 2002 for the UK Anchor Bay edition. Now considered one of the greatest British gangster films ever made, The Long Good Friday almost never saw the light of day due to post-production chaos and concerns over its content, particularly its depiction of the IRA. Mackenzie dives into all of this, explaining how George Harrison and Handmade Films eventually stepped in to save the film, seemingly by chance. In between, he shares insights into his decision-making process, like why the opening is intentionally confusing and how they handled difficult sequences—such as the abattoir scene, where actors were hung upside down for extended periods. He also offers fun anecdotes, like how real gangsters were used as extras, and discusses technical aspects of certain shots and letting scenes play out to see what would happen. It’s a fascinating track for those who haven’t heard it, especially when learning just how close the film came to being shelved. The optional commentary plays alongside the film on both the 4K and standard Blu-ray discs.

Since Handmade Films was instrumental in bringing The Long Good Friday to life, as Mackenzie frequently mentions in the commentary, Criterion includes the 2019 documentary An Accidental Studio as a fitting addition. The documentary chronicles the rise and eventual fall of Handmade Films, which was started by George Harrison to finance Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Handmade would go on to back or release other films that might have otherwise struggled to find funding, leading to a number of surprise hits, including The Long Good Friday, Time Bandits, A Private Function, Mona Lisa, Withnail & I, and more. Through interviews with cast and crew members (some pulled from other documentaries and featurettes), the documentary paints a portrait of a studio committed to preserving filmmakers' creative visions. Well, at least in the early days until things started to shift thanks to co-founder Denis O’Brien. The documentary eventually delves into the turbulent relationship between Harrison and O’Brien, who the latter of whom would eventually push for bigger mainstream projects that strained the studio financially. While smaller, quirkier films like The Missionary struggled, it was the costly failures of movies like Shanghai Surprise and Water, as well as the mishandling of smaller films like Powwow Highway, that ultimately led to Handmade's downfall. Running a brisk 97 minutes, it’s an engaging and well-assembled documentary, offering valuable context for Handmade's role in British cinema.

It, along with the remaining supplements, are found on the third disc in the set, starting with the 54-minute making-of documentary Bloody Business. It includes interviews with director John Mackenzie, Bob Hoskins, Helen Mirren, producer Barry Hanson, director of photography Phil Meheux, and even Pierce Brosnan. This documentary expands on Mackenzie’s commentary, offering additional perspectives on the film’s production and diving deeper into the development of characters—such as how Victoria’s character evolved once Helen Mirren was cast (initially described as a "tart" in the original script). Hoskins also shares insights into his performance, including his thoughts on the final shot, which he questioned while filming. Made in 2006, it’s typical of DVD-era documentaries but does an excellent job covering the film’s production, release, and legacy. Definitely worth watching.

Criterion has also licensed a few features from Arrow’s release, including an 8-minute interview with screenwriter Barry Keefe and a 3-minute interview with Meheux. These segments cover the screenplay’s unique twist on the gangster genre and the film’s cinematography, which was composed for both 1.33:1 and widescreen formats, as the film was at one point intended to premiere on television. There are also some comments about the restoration and color grading, though this appears to refer to Arrow’s earlier restoration, which Meheux was clearly thrilled with. Criterion adds Michael Brooke’s 7-minute visual essay Hands Across the Ocean, which compares the British and American soundtracks side by side, highlighting changes like slang replacements.

Unfortunately, some of Arrow’s exclusives didn’t make it over to this release, but Criterion has included the American and UK trailers from their original DVD. Additionally, the set comes with an insert featuring an insightful essay on the film’s significance by Ryan Gilbey.

While it doesn’t include everything from Arrow’s edition, Criterion has still put together an incredibly comprehensive release. The inclusion of the Handmade Films documentary is a particularly noteworthy addition.

Closing

The Long Good Friday returns to the Criterion Collection with a stellar edition, packed with excellent supplements and a knockout presentation.

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The Long Good Friday (2024)

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