'Longford': How forgiving should we be?
So why in the world would anyone try to get Myra paroled from prison?
The answer is the subject of HBO's new movie "Longford." It first aired on British TV, which means it's not a gruesome, American re-creation of Myra and Ian's trail of blood. It's a throwback to the traditional literary movie based on a true story.
These early 1960s "Moors Murders" remain infamous in England, partly because Lord Frank Longford led a long campaign to get Myra paroled. He helped all prisoners who asked for help. She seemed no different -- in theory.
From the start, Longford (Jim Broadbent) is confronted by his novelist wife Elizabeth (Lindsay Duncan) as to why he's helping Myra. No person is beyond forgiveness, he says, then grips his hands together tight, on his knees at the bed, and prays.
Much of the film has to do with Longford's visits to Myra (Samantha Morton) in prison, and his discussing the case with his wife. Occasionally, he must deal with Ian (Andy Serkis), who tries to cast doubt on Myra's claims of contrition.
I said this is an old-school literary movie because it is a gallery of objective portraits, leaving the viewer to absorb narrative while pondering various parallels and themes.
The central theme is not redemption but conversion. Longford converted from conservativism to socialism, and from Protestant to Catholic. So, he must think, it's possible Myra has converted from evildoer to repentant ex-con.
And Longford's wife -- couldn't she convert from suspicious of Myra to supportive of her case?
It becomes clear fast that Longford, heading for retirement, is dependent on both his wife and the murderess -- just as Myra is dependent on both Longford and her memories of Ian. This causes an obvious friction that will come to a head.
Peter Morgan's script and Tom Hooper's direction finely focus on telling this narrow yet human story. Morton makes Myra mysterious. Serkis gives Ian the manipulative creeps. Duncan's Elizabeth is a justifiably open-minded Englishwoman.
And Broadbent takes Longford on a voyage from chipper helper to confused old man. When Longford reflects on the case near the end, Broadbent's delivery in one scene in particular (he's giving an interview at a radio station) is a lovely example of how an actor can purposely leave a viewer unable to read a character's true feelings.
Most instructive, at another point, Longford says, "Only dead fish swim with the stream." Longford swam against the stream to support one of England's biggest villains. Myra swam against the current to become that villain. Swimming upstream together, they seem fated for each other.