The Krays - I corvi

I was fortunate enough to have seen "The Krays" on cable a number of years ago and I never forgot it..

I consider myself a stone cold film buff especially for the action drama genre. To later find out that the film was based on real people just drove the point home even further how awesome this film was.

I only wish that the DVD version would be released in the US as well. I rank this film right up there with "Once upon a time in America" and "Miller's Crossing" as films I love and would watch again and again.

The violence, loyalty, fear, blood and traditions are all present and correct. The Kemp bros., especially Gary, give superbly sinister and dangerous portrayals of the twins. You can't fault it's accuracy on who the twins were or how they grew up. However, the events shown are lacking in relevance to how they really happened and are taken from the point of view of Gang members who so obviously lied during their trial. The film also lacks on the other gang members, no member is named as being Tony Lambrianou or Freddie Foreman, for example. Although this is secondary to the twins themselves, for people who know the real story it does make it a little less enjoyable.

Before this one, speaking of British gangster epic, there was THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY, and before there was GET CARTER.... Period. Don't look further. Plus, this terrific film is the best ever made about the Krays brothers real life. The most gripping, accurate, brutal, far better than LEGEND starring Tom Hardy - who will later play AlCapone - or even better than the two other films made in the meantime, since LEGEND. Everything is flawless for me here; it remains very British whilst using the American rise and fall scheme for gangsters, in the pure Scorcese's way. I guess Peter Medak the director - usually a bland, lame film maker - was himself inspired by THE GOOD FELLAS story telling. I am sure. And why not?

Not bad entertainment but not good enough for a classic. Some people have mentioned that the Krays gave their approval to the script. This was a bad thing. Now they are both dead. The Kray story should be done again, probably on TV as a mini series of about 6 hours to give the whole thing justice. We could then include more details of their life of crime, their arrests and trial. The Kemp brothers do not look alike at all but the Krays also looked different as they got older. Martin Kemp would pass for Reggie if he was a bit stockier but Gary Kemp is nothing like Big Ronnie. The overall impression of the film was that they were the leaders of a gang of teddy boys rather than the biggest gangsters in London. If the story is retold we need better casting for the twins and they need not necessarily be brothers.

I watched the film in the context of a historical study into London and its underworld from the 18th to 20th centuries, so I apologise in advance if this review seems overly academic.

The Krays were a fascinating pair, and this film shows the continuing interest in their lives and crimes, which has continued past their deaths. The film accurately shows the individual quirks and fascinations of the brothers while remaining a drama, rather than a documentary (and there are quite a few about).

The enormous presence of the Krays in London history is proven by the Monty Python sketch on the Pirhana Brothers, Doug and Dinsdale - made a single year after the Krays were imprisoned. If you don't know it, it's worth a look-see.

Martin and Gary Kemp, seasoned performers themselves were chillingly well-cast as the twins, who used the media themselves to promote their place as "Diamond Geezers" in East End London. The Krays themselves served as advisors on the film, with the Kemps visiting them in prison to meet and learn about their role from them.

From what I've read about them, I think the Krays would have liked this film about them, especially that proper brothers - twins, in fact - were playing them.

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By the way, the copy of the film I borrowed had a special cover which had a pocket over the name "The Krays" with 'blood' (red fluid) in it. It suited the film and subject matter well - one up for the designers.