It has been a quarter of a century since New Romantic
guitar brothers Martin and Gary Kemp starred in The Krays, about the infamous Cockney gangster twins. In that time, both have died (the Krays, that is, not the Kemps; they’re very much alive and enjoying a Spandau Ballet comeback), and someone has decided that a new blockbuster about their exploits is needed. So 2015 sees Tom Hardy star in Legend, a film which follows Reggie and Ronnie (both played by Hardy) from moderately successful criminals to gangster overlords to their inevitable downfall. It also focuses heavily on Reggie’s attempts to control the mentally unstable, psychopathic Ronnie, as well as the former’s doomed marriage to Frances Shea.
As with most films starring Tom Hardy, it is the actor who is of greatest interest. His presence makes bad films worth watching and good films great. He is talented of course, and able to play characters in a convincing fashion, like any successful actor, but that is not what makes him such a standout performer. Generally, top actors are stars; they are magnetic personalities that draw viewers to them. These are the Valentinos, Garbos, Bogarts, Taylors, Grants and Caines. Because they must get crowds into cinemas simply by appearing in a production, and because of their personal magnetism, they often play similar types or display the same mannerisms. Hence why DiCaprio is frequently, and idiotically, accused of playing the same role. But such critics miss the point - the stars are not there to disappear into new humans every film, they are there to add their own inimitable personal touch to characters.
At the level below, you have character actors. These guys are consummate professionals, and able to morph into any distinct and unique subject. But it is precisely because of their mercurial abilities that they rarely reach the heights of a true star: the audience is never captivated in the same way. What is so interesting about Hardy is that he is able to do both, the perfect blend of charisma and on-screen presence with physically diverse personality changes. He runs the whole gamut of emotions, sizes, nationalities and morality in his career, and it is for this reason that I believe he will be remembered as one of the finest acting talents of his generation.
Tom Hardy demonstrates all of this skill in Legend. He presents the charm and the utter ruthless thuggery of the two gangsters, the threat of violence always lurking under the Savile Row suits and brylcreemed hair. It is a tense watch, as we wait for one of the twins to snap and nail a grass to the floor. One poor schmuck is hit in every scene in which he appears, but always at the end of a protracted conversation. It is Hardy’s ability to tap into the gangsters’ overbearing menace that is Legend’s greatest asset. Not to mention the fact that he is playing the two protagonists. How it is possible to act in scenes opposite yourself I don’t know.
There is a surprising dosage of humour in this film, which never threatens to nullify the horror of it all or underplay the violent story, but it does introduce a farcical undertone to a number of scenes. It helps to show the insanity of the world that we are watching, how extreme violence was always present, and how ridiculous it was that a pair of psychopathic hoodlums were able to fool so many into worshipping them.
One of the problems inherent in cinema is the fact that, due to filming techniques and identification, the viewer is naturally drawn to sympathise with the protagonist. This may be a serious problem when the protagonist is a bad chap, as we see happen with popular gangster films. Different directors have different ways of dealing with this - Scorsese shows, in no uncertain terms, the brutality and the awful realities of organised criminal life. In Legend, an incredibly effective solution has been played in the shape of Frances narrating. Emily Browning captures the fragility of Reggie’s wife, and the horror as she realises that the life of glamour has descended into a nightmare of self-medication and lonely depression. Cutting the dashing exploits of the twins on-screen, Browning’s voice helps to put their bullying thuggery into context.
While not exactly GoodFellas, Legend does all it needs to to dispel myths of the Krays’ old-school appeal. As mentioned earlier, it’s worth seeing simply for the performance of Mr Hardy.
