THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY: Why it's a CLASSIC - WFP Review 

I was lucky enough to be taking my first trip over to London from Canada when this one was released - saw it along with Chariots of Fire too - before either film was known. So, so much better when you enter a film with no expectations

Even though it is a very different situation, TLGF's ending reminds me of The Third Man - a very long shot where the woman walks a long way - and then defies usual movie expectations by simply ignoring Joseph Cotten, walks off screen, and the film ends in a downbeat but believable way. Thanks for your comment!

The first scene actually shot apparently.

Poor Bob, more powerful forces at work that he imagined. At the end the expression on his face oh dear I'm a dead man.

Very true. Impossible to have a good movie without good music.

I love that ending!

Thor, thanks a lot. If you are thinking about Long Good Friday out of the blue, you've obviously got great taste in films! Glad you are enjoying the reviews - my goal is to offer just enough info to whet the appetite, and flag why the movie is still worth seeing - but not spelling out the whole story and how things wrap up. That was doubly important with LGF as the ending is so powerful when you don't know it is coming.

Yes, the ending really comes out of nowhere and the first time you see it it is quite the shocker. Fond memories of seeing it during my first trip over to London. Thanks for watching!

Thank you for you very interesting comments. I have some knowledge of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union and I agree with your comparisons. I think of all the money that was spent on the stadium and other facilities in Sochi that are now rotting - a tremendous waste. Also, I visited part of the former Soviet Union after the collapse and there wasn't much difference between the criminals and the police. Everybody wanted money. And of course, in London the kind of river-side developments that Harold was talking about really did happen. If you liked Long Good Friday you should try the original Get Carter with Michael Caine, which is even darker - I will probably review that one in the future. thanks again

Thanks. Great seeing this one again. I can see others rediscovering LGF again. My biggest challenge was avoiding any real spoilers - that meant skipping some images and details, but it's better for viewers to experience it for themselves.

@@Vlad65WFPReviews You have succeed to this point ! Have a great sunday , Robert

Yes, I saw that video too. LGF is very nostalgic for me as I saw it during my first of two visits to England - I also saw The Cure, Japan and XTC all at the Hammersmith Odeon on the same trip - what a grand time it was! I wondered if some fans with take exception to me saying that Get Carter is "tougher" than LGF but I believe it is as GC breaks the usual movie "contract" of giving audiences a somewhat sympathetic character. Also, I recently watched "Last Orders" again with Caine, Hoskins, Mirren and others - I'm sure you've seen it but, if not, I'd strongly recommend it.

Thanks. Yes, Get Carter is on my list. That's not just dark but complicated in terms of spoilers as the film hints at key things but never spells them out. I'm just a few months into this project and its fascinating as the channel evolves. I am targeting about 2 videos a month to properly do them justice.

@@Vlad65WFPReviews it’s a film that it pays to rewatch, you pick up more with every viewing. There are elements in the book which the film hints at but doesn’t expand, but that doesn’t take anything away from the film.

Was that a TV special or do you recall the name? I miss Bob H - I remember his wink just before the onslaught in Zulu Dawn.

@@Vlad65WFPReviews it was on BBC 1 in 1994...ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3YnweIZmDBQ.html

Great actor. One of my favourites.

Thanks for not "spoiling". I know it might be a strange link, but I do compare TLGF's ending with the long final shot in Third Man - you're not exactly sure what is happening when each starts but you know the whole hard truth when each ends.

Yes, it is tricky as the whole story doesn't make sense until Shand discovers who is behind all the grief. Now, one of the things I like about many Brit spy and crime productions is they don't spoon feed you and you have to pay attention (like the filmmakers respect your intelligence) and that's certainly the case here. Also, the ending is so abrupt - Harold is at the top of his game and then "poof".

@@Vlad65WFPReviews I was 5 minutes from the same fate back in the day! Still homicide is easier to combat than suicide.😊

Yes, I read about George's concerns and they were not surprising given the kind of ideals he supported. Also reminds me that the original producer walked away after he belatedly learned the secret of what Harold was dealing with - and decided it was too sensitive (no names or info here as I try to avoid spoilers). In both cases it shows how busy guys with clout and cash can okay projects without knowing all pertinent information - luckily for us otherwise this film would not have been made. Thanks for the comment.

Excellent! Did my review encourage you to try the movie or did you find my review after seeing the film?

@@Vlad65WFPReviews Absolutely

Yes. loved it. As I noted, seeing it without any preconception of the movie while on my first trip to London made it even more special. Thanks for posting!

Updating my reply, I did cover Get Carter early in 2022.

I will always treasure seeing it on my first trip to far-away England (along with Chariots of Fire) so many years ago. I love British gang flicks because they are good and tough - and it's like watching a foreign-language movie that you can understand.

I’ll never forget Harold’s speech on board the boat with Tower Bridge in the background. I’m not sure if Bob Hoskins delivered it in one take or if it’s a miracle of several takes and a bloody good editor but it’s highly impressive.

@@royfernley3153 Yes, that's a wonderful scene - Harold at the top of his game and power, like a lofty Shakespearean tragic hero just before his fall begins.

thanks for the "blinding" review...the original "get carter" (starring my favourite actor michael caine) is my favourite film followed a close second by "the long good friday"...you said in your review the krays "ran" london...well sorry no they didn't ..they controlled the east end of london and part of the london red light district "soho"...as a 60 year old londoner from peckham in s.e. london the richardsons (brothers charlie and eddie and their old man) controlled south london and parts of soho,and in the mid sixties it was leading to gang warfare between the 2 gangs but the two "firms" got arrested and put away for a long time avoiding a certain bloodbath! the krays were known as "celebrity gangsters" who were very powerful and the richardsons were known as the "torture gang" for obvious reasons with their fingers in a load of pies...connections with the american mafia,owning diamond and copper mines in rhodesia and south africa etc and when they were told they couldn"t believe how much money the richardsons were making...i first saw the long good friday at a cinema in londons leicester square in 1980...many similarities between get carter and T.L.G.F...both excellent performances from both leading actors,excellent theme and incidental music,excellent support cast,excellent scripts,direction production and lighting,great outside location filming in london and newcastle,both films brilliantly capture the realistic tough gritty way of life in these areas back then (i remember working class areas in london in the sixties and seventies) and both films brilliantly capture our unique british sense of humour...sorry for droning on a bit but these really are two all time british classic films in my opinion...watch and enjoy.

@@piersgrowcott8179 Thanks. I guess I had that perception as the Krays are so well covered - even going back to the Python's Piranha Brothers.

@@Vlad65WFPReviews thanks for replying...its an easy mistake to make...there are a few british people who've never heard of the richardson gang...like your taste fella=british gangster films,monty python etc...sounds to me your a bit of an anglophile? if so,excellent!

Thanks for the comment and information. I'm getting great feedback and learning new facts from viewers and subscribers. Looking at photos of Mr Foreman I can see why Bob Hoskins was cast in his part.