The Krays (film)

1990 British film by Peter Medak

  • Billie Whitelaw
  • Tom Bell
  • Gary Kemp
  • Martin Kemp
CinematographyAlex ThomsonEdited byMartin WalshMusic byMichael Kamen
Production
companies
Fugitive Features
Parkfield Entertainment
Distributed byRank Film Distributors
Release date
  • 27 April 1990 (1990-04-27)
Running time
119 minutesCountryUnited KingdomLanguageEnglishBox office$9 million

The Krays is a 1990 British biographical crime drama film directed by Peter Medak. The film is based on the lives and crimes of the British gangster twins Ronald and Reginald Kray, often referred to as The Krays.[1] The film stars Billie Whitelaw, Tom Bell, and real life brothers (although not twins) Gary and Martin Kemp, both of whom were members of the band Spandau Ballet.[1]

Plot

The film charts the lives of the Kray twins from childhood to adult life. The plot focuses on the relationship between the twins and their doting mother (Whitelaw). Ronald (Gary Kemp) is the dominant one, influencing his brother Reginald (Martin Kemp) to perform several acts of violence as they rise to power as the leaders of a powerful organised gang in 1960s London. The movie focuses more on the personal life of the brothers, including Reg's marriage and then alienation from his wife, culminating in her suicide. The movie omits the police investigation going against the Krays and ends with a jump-cut to them attending their mother's funeral in 1982, already serving time in prison by then.

Cast

Reception

The Krays holds a rating of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 reviews.

Box office

The film opened at the top of the UK box office with a gross of £1,036,117 for the week.[2] It remained at number one for a second week[3] and went on to gross £3,707,649 ($7 million) at the UK box office.[4] In the United States and Canada, it grossed $2,060,847.[5]

Awards

See also

  • Legend, a 2015 film about the Krays with Tom Hardy playing both brothers

References

  1. ^ a b Maslin, Janet (9 November 1990). "The Krays (1990) Review/Film; Twin Thugs With a Mother Complex". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "U.K. Top 10 Films". Variety. 9 May 1990. p. 40.
  3. ^ Pitman, Jack (16 May 1990). "Good weather bad for biz; Scandi, Paris fall sharply". Variety. p. 34.
  4. ^ "Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s – An Information Briefing" (PDF). British Film Institute. 2005. p. 25.
  5. ^ The Krays at Box Office Mojo

External links

  • v
  • t
  • e
Films directed by Peter Medak
  • v
  • t
  • e
Films by Philip Ridley
Written and Directed
Short Films
  • Visiting Mr Beak (1987)
  • The Universe of Dermot Finn (1988)
Feature Films
Written only
Feature Film
  • The Krays (1990)