THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY

You wouldn't want to meet Harold Shand in a dark alley. Despite his stocky build, this London gangster has such a mixture of ambition and anger that he is capable of destroying everything in his path.

When we meet Harold, he is toasting a wonderful transatlantic investment, sailing on the calm waters of the Thames alongside his beautiful fiancée (played by Helen Mirren). Unfortunately, Harold's peace will soon be disturbed, blood will be shed, and gang warfare will seem inevitable...

The iconic Bob Hoskins, in his most important early role, stole the hearts of audiences around the world by playing Harold with bravado, empathy, and unerring instinct. The screenplay for The Long Good Friday was written by Barrie Keefe, who not only created a suspenseful dramatic structure, but also wove into the gangster story a penetrating commentary on the emergence of neoliberalism and the decades-long tensions between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The result is one of the most meaty gangster dramas in the history of cinema, with Bob Hoskins joining the ranks of such actors as Edward G. Robinson, James Cagney, and Al Pacino. Phil Méheux's cinematography gives the whole thing a journalistic flair, and the omnipresent camera performs a memorable stunt in at least one scene that you will never forget. Francis Monkman's electronic music completes the effect, which undoubtedly deserves to be called a masterpiece of 1980s cinema.

[Michał Oleszczyk]