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Longford on HBO; Totally different take on HMPs
Topic Started: Feb 18 2007, 11:54 PM (639 Views)
abzug
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In love with a prisoner
I'm halfway through the film Longford which is being broadcast on HBO in the US. I can't figure out if it was broadcast in the UK. It says it's a co-production of Channel 4 and Granada TV, so that implies it was broadcast in the UK as well, right? Anyway, I thought it was worth of it's own thread because it's a depiction of women in prison in the UK, and so might be of more than average interest to people on this board.

The thing that I am finding so fascinating about it is the subtle ways they portray Lord Longford as a naif, as at least potentially delusional about the potential redemption for prisoners. No one supports his point of view or his work--not his wife, not his boss, not the community. In fact, his activities seem in some way slightly ridiculous or pathetic. This is so striking to me because of how HUGE the contrast is to Bad Girls, where the potential for redemption and rehabilitation for female prisoners is a given, and the characters who see that potential are portrayed as the ones who see the truth, the ones who are worth rooting for. And any work they do to help the prisoners is seen as effective and positive.

Anyway, I'm only halfway through, so we'll see how the story concludes, and perhaps the movie's subtext will start to be more positive, but I'm doubtful about it. Has anyone else been watching? I think it should be broadcast many more times on HBO over the next few weeks, and it's available on demand.
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abzug
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OK, I guess I'm the only one who has seen this movie, but now that I've watched the rest of the movie, I figured I'd complete my thoughts. It's interesting because the area of my concern, the portrayal of Longford as a naive and delusioned character, thinking he could help prisoners, is actually somewhat resolved in the second half of the film. They use the character of his wife to be a surrogate for the audience. She is converted, in a sense, to agree with Longford's point of view that Hindley is not being treated with fairness or humanity, primarily because Hindley was a female child murderer. She has a whole speech which kind of outlines the argument for Myra Hindley receiving parole, and is quite clear and articulate and convincing about it. There's also a great scene where she and Longford together visit Hindley in Durham prison (I guess that's one of the worst women's prisons?) and the wife is HORRIFIED at how Myra is being treated.

Of course, then the film reverts a bit on this progressive perspective, because Hindley in a way betrays Longford. She reveals that she lied to him about the 4th and 5th murder, and she rejects his offers of continuing to help her. In the end, it seems this is what Longford struggles to forgive--not that she murdered children, but that she lied to him about some of the murders, and then rejected his help/interest.

In the end, the film winds up having a more nuanced complex point of view than Bad Girls, when it comes to the potential for rehabilitation, I think. But still an overall sympathetic and progressive point of view.
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Texex
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abzug
Feb 19 2007, 11:12 PM
She has a whole speech which kind of outlines the argument for Myra Hindley receiving parole, and is quite clear and articulate and convincing about it. There's also a great scene where she and Longford together visit Hindley in Durham prison (I guess that's one of the worst women's prisons?) and the wife is HORRIFIED at how Myra is being treated.


Okay, I get HBO, I'll check this out. So the mysterious Lord Longford and Myra Hindley appear. I've never understood that reference from BG and have been too lazy to google it.

However, since it is on TV, I'm all about it. :D
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ekny
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Hi Abzug, I don't get TV in my area w/o cable: did you record it by any chance? --e
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abzug
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This is going to sound crazy, but I don't have the ability to record off my tv onto something which another person can watch. I have Tivo, so I did record it, but then I can't record from the Tivo onto anything else, not even a VHS. I wonder if maybe someone put it online on some of those video file sharing sites?
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ekny
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Odd. Ok, I'll look around when I get x, thx. --e
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abzug
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It's not so odd--I just don't own a vcr because my old one broke and I never used it anyway so I didn't replace it, and I don't own a dvd recorder (yet)....

I suspect they'll release it eventually on dvd--HBO usually does.
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Texex
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abzug
Feb 18 2007, 11:54 PM

The thing that I am finding so fascinating about it is the subtle ways they portray Lord Longford as a naif, as at least potentially delusional about the potential redemption for prisoners. No one supports his point of view or his work--This is so striking to me because of how HUGE the contrast is to Bad Girls, where the potential for redemption and rehabilitation for female prisoners is a given, and the characters who see that potential are portrayed as the ones who see the truth, the ones who are worth rooting for. And any work they do to help the prisoners is seen as effective and positive.


Okay, I watched this last night (sort of, I was multitasking). Agree he is seen as a fool for his belief in prisoner rehabilitation.

If I understand you, Helen (BG) is first and foremost the one that is interested in prisoner rehabilitation. Karen expresses similar feelings. But we know Stubblefied, Fenner, Bodybag have no interest in prisoner rehabilitation.

Are you thinking viewers are cheering on Helen/Karen and not the others? And this is different than how you (and other viewers) feel about Lord Longford? You are right, the writer(s)/director make it difficult to like him until his wife takes his side. And the bomb MH drops is heartbreaking.

Expand on your pov if I'm misreading you.

I kept thinking about how Fenner/Stubby/Bodybag get their digs into Helen because she is the prisoner's friend. And was wondering if Shed was thinking about Longford when writing Helen. (I know she is based on real person, but seems like Longford is in there somewhere too)
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abzug
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Feb 21 2007, 02:42 PM
Are you thinking viewers are cheering on Helen/Karen and not the others? And this is different than how you (and other viewers) feel about Lord Longford? You are right, the writer(s)/director make it difficult to like him until his wife takes his side.

That's exactly right. It's in the subtleties of the writing and direction that we're supposed to think Longford is a fool. Reaction shots of other characters rolling their eyes, Myra's boyfriend insisting she's a sociopath in such a convincing way that we're not really sure whether to believe the boyfriend or Longford. Meanwhile Helen and Karen are generally portrayed as heroic. The only ones who react negatively to their crusading are the villainous characters (Fenner, Stubberfield etc), so we know which is the "right" side to be on--the side which values treating prisoners as human beings and helping them rehabilitate and be released to live productive lives.

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And was wondering if Shed was thinking about Longford when writing Helen. (I know she is based on real person, but seems like Longford is in there somewhere too)

Interesting idea. We'd probably need to learn more about prison reform activists in the UK before we could know for sure. But it does seem (in absence of any deeper knowledge) that Longford could have been the most prominent and high-ranking prison reform activist in the UK.
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abzug
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Longford was nominated for three Emmy Awards:
Best TV Movie
Best Actor in a Mini-Series or TV Movie (Jim Broadbent)
Best Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series or TV Movie (Samantha Morton)

I think that's pretty cool, given that the film didn't get much promotion.
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solitasolano
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The Muppets!
"Well, you never know what's going to happen," to quote from a fav character.
Last year another obscure, low profile Bristish HBO movie won the Emmy: "The Girl in the Cafe" with Bill Nighy and Kelly MacDonald. Also not promoted much. I watched "Langford" back in June and commented on it in the Stuff About Prison thread...liked it, top notch quality of script, acting and directing.
http://z4.invisionfree.com/Nikki_and_Helen...topic=344&st=45

However, "Langford" faces tough competition this year from another HBO movie, "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee." This movie alone garnered the most emmy nominations, 17 total. I will watch it within the next month, but this number of nominations means people REALLY liked it. The other competition in this category are: "Twin Towers" (been seeing this movie for the past 3 years); The Ron Clark Story A(feel good teacher in Harlem routine); and "Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy (breast cancer comedy..???...gets some kudos from me for pulling that off).

Still, thought "Langford" was well done and compelling, definitely Best TV Movie worthy. So far it's got my vote. :clap
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