''The Krays'' is a 1990 British
biographical
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
crime
In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definitions of", in C ...
drama film
In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...
directed by
Peter Medak
Peter Medak (born Medák Péter, 23 December 1937) is a Hungarian-born film director and television director of British and American productions.
Early life
Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was the son of Elisabeth (née Diamounstein) and Gyula Med ...
. The film is based on the lives and crimes of the British gangster twins Ronald and Reginald Kray, often referred to as
The Krays.
The film stars
Billie Whitelaw
Billie Honor Whitelaw (6 June 1932 – 21 December 2014) was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was a ...
,
Tom Bell, and real life brothers
Gary and
Martin Kemp
Martin John Kemp (born 10 October 1961) is an English musician and actor, best known as the bassist in the new wave band Spandau Ballet and for his role as Steve Owen in ''EastEnders''.
He is the younger brother of Gary Kemp, who is also ...
, both of whom were members of the band
Spandau Ballet
Spandau Ballet () were an English new wave band formed in Islington, London, in 1979. Inspired by the capital's post-punk underground dance scene, they emerged at the start of the 1980s as the house band for the Blitz Kids, playing "European D ...
.
[
]
Plot
The film charts the lives of the Kray twins
Ronald Kray (24 October 193317 March 1995) and Reginald Kray (24 October 19331 October 2000) were identical twin brothers, gangsters and convicted criminals. They were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in the East End of London, Engl ...
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
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...
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. It remained at number one for a second week and went on to gross £3,707,649 ($7 million) at the UK box office. In the United States and Canada, it grossed $2,060,847.
Awards
*Nominee Best Supporting Actress – BAFTA (Billie Whitelaw
Billie Honor Whitelaw (6 June 1932 – 21 December 2014) was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was a ...
)
*Winner Best Film – Evening Standard British Film Awards
The Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by London's ''Evening Standard'' newspaper. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony ...
(Peter Medak
Peter Medak (born Medák Péter, 23 December 1937) is a Hungarian-born film director and television director of British and American productions.
Early life
Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was the son of Elisabeth (née Diamounstein) and Gyula Med ...
)
*Winner Most Promising Newcomer – Evening Standard British Film Awards
The Evening Standard British Film Awards were established in 1973 by London's ''Evening Standard'' newspaper. The Standard Awards is the only ceremony "dedicated to British and Irish talent," judged by a panel of "top UK critics." Each ceremony ...
( Philip Ridley)
*Winner Best Actress – International Fantasy Film Awards ( Fantasporto) (Billie Whitelaw
Billie Honor Whitelaw (6 June 1932 – 21 December 2014) was an English actress. She worked in close collaboration with Irish playwright Samuel Beckett for 25 years and was regarded as one of the foremost interpreters of his works. She was a ...
)
*Nominee Best Film – International Fantasy Film Awards ( Fantasporto) (Peter Medak
Peter Medak (born Medák Péter, 23 December 1937) is a Hungarian-born film director and television director of British and American productions.
Early life
Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was the son of Elisabeth (née Diamounstein) and Gyula Med ...
)
*Winner George Delerue Prize for Music – Ghent International Film Festival
Film Fest Ghent, spelt Film Fest Gent in Flemish and also known as International Film Fest Gent, is an annual international film festival in Ghent, Belgium. The festival held its first edition in 1974, under the name Internationaal Filmgebeure ...
(Michael Kamen
Michael Arnold Kamen (April 15, 1948 – November 18, 2003) was an American composer (especially of film scores), orchestral arranger, orchestral conductor, songwriter, and session musician.
Biography Early life
Michael Arnold Kamen was bor ...
)
See also
* ''Legend
A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...
,'' a 2015 film about the Krays with Tom Hardy playing both brothers
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Krays, The
1990 films
1990s biographical drama films
1990 crime drama films
1990s gang films
British biographical drama films
British crime drama films
British gangster films
Crime films based on actual events
Drama films based on actual events
1980s English-language films
Hood films
Films scored by Michael Kamen
Films about dysfunctional families
Films about murderers
Films about twin brothers
Films directed by Peter Medak
Films set in the 1930s
Films set in the 1940s
Films set in 1951
Films set in the 1960s
Films set in 1982
Films set in London
Georges Delerue Award winners
Works about the Kray twins
Films about organised crime in the United Kingdom
1990s English-language films
1990s American films
1990s British films