engl 4860: special topics in film studies the gangster film spring 2011 room: ph 322

ENGL 4860: Special Topics in Film Studies

The Gangster Film

Spring 2011Room: PH 322

Day/Time: Monday, 430-730 pm

Gangster FilmGangster Film


2/28/11 | Meeting 6 The Long Good Friday (John Mackenzie, 1981; 114)Reading: Williams (GFR, 237)

Spring Break, March 7-13

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0081070


Brighton Rock (John Boulting,

1947)

Important British Gangster Films



Performance (Donald Cammell &

Nicholas Roeg, 1970)




Get Carter (Mike Hodges, 1971)




The Long Good Friday (John

Mackenzie, 1981)




The Krays (Peter Medak, 1990)




Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels (Guy Ritchie, 1998)




The General (John Boorman, 1998)




Snatch (Guy Ritchie, 2000)




Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer,

2000)




Layer Cake (Matthew Vaughan,

2004)




The Film


Long Good Friday

Cast


Bob Hoskins—Harold Shand


Helen Mirren—Victoria


Eddie Constantine—Charlie


Paul Freeman—Colin

Belloq in Raidersof the Last Ark


Pierce Brosnan—IRA Hit Man


Notes from the Mackenzie DVD Commentary

The music by Francis Monkman—a classical composer who did rock to cut loseOpening—was originally more mysterious, a tracking of the suitcaseThe original title was The Paddy FactorThe Troubles—always Mackenzie’s wish to include; wanted the film to be Terrorist vs. CapitalistNo Ireland reveal in the opening sequenceLong Good Friday—working title only, but it stuck



The Concorde


Notes from the Mackenzie DVD CommentaryWanting to avoid traditional London icons—no buses, cabs



How can you blow up a Rolls Royce?—he was repeatedly asked this questionHarold’s patriotism; his speech on the river, his kiss-off to the MafiaMackenzie estimates he has seen the film 400 times



On location or built sets, but not one scene in a studio.


Long Good Friday

Locations


http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/l/longgood_1.html


Heathrow Airport—Sarah Lavery arrives (photo by David Lavery, Spring 2007)


The New London—The London Eye on the Thames (photo by David Lavery, Summer 2007)


Tower Bridge—from the Thames (photo by David Lavery, Summer 2007)[Harold Shand talks before this same image at 21:19.]


The Thames from a Tour Boat (photo by David Lavery, Summer 2007)


The New London—from a Thames Tour Boat (photo by David Lavery, Summer 2007)


The Docklands Today (photo by David Lavery, Summer 2007)



The Humo[u]r of Harold Shand:

“You don’t go around crucifying someone outside a church on Good Friday.”

“Colin would never hurt a fly except when it was necessary.”

“Apart from his asshole being fifty feet away from his brains.”

“Helllo Parky. I’m afraid the dinner has got a little bit burned.”

“Shut up you long streak of paralyzed piss. What I am looking for is someone who can contribute to what England has given to the world. Culture. Sophistication. Genius. A little bit more than a hot dog, know what I mean?”



The boy Harold gives money to in Brixton—Dexter Fletcher—would later have a role in Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.The pub that blew up, a built set, began attracting customers.The gang gathering—mostly actual gangsters.Illuminating St. Paul’s—Jeff and Victoria in the car.Difficulty of hanging people upside down in the abattoir.There was supposed to be a love scene after the abattoir.The distributors did not like that Harold lost to the IRA; they wanted to bury the film.Jeff was not originally killed on the boat. Mackenzie replaced anaction scene—a car chase—with real drama.The bottle was an afterthought. The fake bottles were madeovernight.Mackenzie hates blood and looks away when he watchesJeff’s killing.Sold to Handmade Films (George Harrison’s film company) for800,000 pounds (about a $1,000,000)

engl 4860: special topics in film studies the gangster film spring 2011 room: ph 322

Documents

gangster filmthe thames

gangster filmthe docklands

gangster filmspring

cabs gangster filmnotes

david lavery

gangster filmtower bridgefrom

thames photo

john mackenzie