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Let Him Have It [1991]


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To encourage the others
Review date: 2008-10-18 Rating: 10 out of 10

To encourage the others


As a fan of old British real life crimes this film is a gem. The story of Derek Bentley has become legend in that he did not fire the shot and did not even have a gun on him when the policeman was killed by Craig.

In fact he was under arrest at the time and made no attempt to escape or encourage Craig to shoot. The only evidence that was brought forward was that before the first shot was fired he was reputed to have said Let him have it Chris. This could have been interpreted as left him have the gun that is give up or let him have it as shoot him. This was irrelevant as we see here that the first shots were at a policeman who survived. Whilst Bentley was under arrest more policeman arrived and it was on them was shot dead.

The story does everything within its power to make you have sympathy for Derek Bentley who was dug out of the rubble during the blitz and suffered from epilepsy. he was also regarded as being backward and easily lead.

It is easy to think that if the same happened today we would have a different outcome. I would hesitate to say with certainty that would be true.

The difference it that now we do not have the death penalty so the outcome would not be irreversible. In the early fifties there was a much harsher regime in the criminal justice system. Youngsters who came out of the war were depicted as tearaways and teddy boys who had access to guns and were not afraid to use them.

Christopher Ecclestone as Bentley did a great job and it was very upsetting seeing him having an epileptic fit. Tom Courtney as his father gave a convincing performance of someone who was trying to save his son but was powerless against the establishment of the time. The mother gave an agonising performance as she realised that the sentence was going to be carried out.

Christopher Craig swung between a young boy who was playing at gangsters and someone who seemed to be driven to revenge what they had done to his brother.

The story is so strong that you do not really take notice of the London backgrounds but it could easily have been filmed in black and white which one of the early directors wanted to do.

Was he sacrificed to encourage the others? The public sentiment was against gang violence and he was just the victim of that sentiment and he paid the ultimate price. The judge said he was sick of hearing excuses for such murderous individuals. The same thing could easily happen today and even in the recent past the public were happy to put away anyone who had IRA sympathies even if they were not guilty as in the recent miscarriages of justice. Once public sentiment is against something then justice goes out of the door.


A moving story and well worth a watch Highly recommended.







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Reviews


The story of a man who helped changed the justice system by dying.
Review date: 2008-08-05 Rating: 8 out of 10

Eccleston is superb as the mentally deficient Derek Bentley, and between his performance and that of Tom Courtenay as his father - the film draws you in and ensures you become emotionally involved in the true story of a young man and his families' fight to prevent him being executed.

I remember watching this film many years ago as part of my GCSE English course - the purpose of which was to demonstrate how a spoken phrase can mean two very different things. In this case "let him have it" is the key utterance and one which led to a (now legally) innocent young man being sentenced to death.

The film recreates the early fifties to show how rationing from the war was still a significant aspect of peoples life, TV was becoming a popular living room fixture, and the new American influenced teens were starting to stamp their identity on society. Amongst all this Derek Bentley is happy to tinker with his radio in the shed and relax with a cigarette in his bedroom, that is until he gets in with a bad crowd.

The focus of the film is Derek's relationship with both his family, and with gang leader and all-round-troubled youth, Craig. Craig's tough-man image seems to be an attempt to rebel from his troubled childhood, the scene where he cries in his bed, placing his gun between toy cars on his bedside table is a stroke of genius by the director.

Although I knew how the film was to end, my stomach was still in knots approaching the final decision on Derek's appeal. I mentioned Tom Courtenay earlier, and the last third of the film is his. The reality of the story hits home when you see Dereks' family clinging together in tears, the final scenes are incredibly moving and they stay with you.


Rest in Peace PC Miles
Review date: 2008-06-20 Rating: 6 out of 10

This is a film based on the infamous Craig and Bentley case from 1952/1953.

For those that dont know the story, its the true story of events in London where a 16 year boy killed a policeman in his line of duty but as he was too young to hang his accomplice was sent to the gallows for apparently encouraging the shooting by shouting "Let Him Have It"

It is probably true that Derek Bentley never uttered these words so its very fitting he received a posthumous pardon for a crime he probably never commited.

Both Christopher Ecclestone and Paul Reynolds were good as Bentley and Craig with brilliant supporting cast.

The case in this film is not a true reflection on most events and to get a better understanding you will probably have to read the books on the events. Certainly the family of Derek were not present at the trial but waited outside to be called in.

I hope the production "To encourage the others" which was a BBC dramatization of the events is released. From memory it was better than this film.

Its sad that the hanging has totally overshadowed the tragic loss of a policeman who was doing his duty.

This dvd is probably a poor release however. The picture is pretty grainy with no extras. Not even subtitles. What a disgrace given the amount of potential dvds have for extras.




Powerful, issues-led film
Review date: 2007-01-30 Rating: 8 out of 10

Powerful film about one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in modern British history - the hanging of Derek Bentley. It's 1952 and the easily-led 19-year-old Bentley has fallen in with 16 year old Christopher Craig and his south London hoodlums. The pair rather haphazardly decide to rob a local butchers but are apprehended by the police. Bentley immediately gives himself up but Craig, full of anger after his brother's recent imprisonment, pulls out a gun and starts firing at the officers. The captured Bentley screams "let him have it Chris" but is he imploring Craig to hand over his gun or continue shooting? Craig fires the gun seriously wounding one officer and half-an-hour later kills another policeman before his capture.

Cue to the trial, Christopher Craig is found guilty of murder but is too young to hang whereas Bentley is astonishingly found guilty for his "let him have it" plea and a capital sentence is passed. Despite the jury's recommendation for leniency and a massive public outcry, the 19 year old with the IQ of a boy of 11 is sent to the gallows just one month later at Wandsworth prison.

Let Him Have It powerfully tells the story of this terrible travesty with a young Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Some of the acting is a bit hammy but this doesn't really matter when the main purpose of the film is its message. The film also presents an interesting historical picture of life in urban Britain in the rationing years after the Second World War.

Derek Bentley's parents campaigned for his official pardon till their deaths in the 70s and, at the time of the movie's release in 1991, this still wasn't forthcoming. Finally Derek's beloved sister Iris received the state's acceptance of the mistake which she had fought all her life for in the 2000s, at last bringing to a close one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in the UK in the 20th Century.

Let Him Have It is a strong, well-produced, issues-led narrative and is well worth seeing.


A Thought Provoking Film
Review date: 2006-11-07 Rating: 10 out of 10

Christopher Eccleston makes his film debut here portraying Derek Bentley, a retarded teenager who somehow became involved in a break in and attempted robbery at a warehouse with his friend Christopher Craig (played by Paul Reynolds)resulting in the death of a policeman (PC Miles) and another who is wounded (played by the late Tom Bell). The Derek Bentley case shocked a nation since Christopher Craig who actually fired the shots which killed the policeman and wounded another, was too young to hang. Therefore since the Establishment wanted its revenge, hanged Derek Bentley instead, despite the fact that he was already in police custody when the fatal shots were fired and that he had a mental age of 11 years. It is extremely difficult not to become emotionally involved watching this film since it was indeed one of those rare occasions in British Law that the law itself succeeded in making two wrongs make a right which of course should not have been so.

The film is also a tribute to Iris Bentley, Derek's sister (played by the lovely Claire Holman) who campaigned for many years to secure a pardon for Derek. The fact that she eventually succeeded before her own death from cancer should never be forgotten.

A thought provoking film, wonderfully acted and directed which needs to be seen.

Product Details/Specifications


Recording label: 4digital Media
Manufacturer: 4digital Media
EAN: 5034741254014
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2004-06-28
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Theatrical release date: 1991
Language: English (Original Language)

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