LET HIM HAVE IT-Review

Hello all,
I was luky to recieve a preview copy of the finally release british classic"Let him have it"here is the synopsis:-

"From the director of The Krays comes a horrifying true story of injustice and murder.....
A policeman is shot dead and two South London boys stand accused of his murder. The verdict and the sentence passed upon the young Derek Bentley (Christopher Eccleston) proved to be as controversial as the crime. Both the verdict and the sentence were subsequently quashed. This is the case that shocked the nation."
THE TRUE STORY OF AN UNBELIEVABLE MISCARRIAGE OF JUSTICE
STARRING:
CHRISTOPHER ECCLESTON
(Shallow Grave, Elizabeth, eXistenZ, The Others)
TOM COURTENAY
(Doctor Zhivago, Nicholas Nickleby, The Golden Compass)
DIRECTED BY:
PETER MEDAK
(The Krays, Romeo is Bleeding)

Well i have to see i did this this a few years back and i'm glad to say that its finally getting a dvd/blu-ray release.
It tells the story of"Derek Bentley"played brilliantly by"Christoper Eccleston".
The story starts during the blitz in london where we see the young derek being plucked lucky to be alive from a pile of bricks,then goes onto his teenage years where he is caught with a group of friends trying to steal tools from an old mans shed,when the old man confronts him Derek collapses and has his first of very many epeleptic fits,we then forward on seeing him released in his teenage years from a reform school,wich during the film he insisits it's not"prison".
Following derek through his teenage years its obvious that he's not reaaly all there,and during the trial of Derek it was quite astonishing that the fact of that he only had a mental age of 11 never came out.
His sister finally gives him the confidence to leave the house after not going out for nearly a year and takes a trip to the local record shop,this builds his confidence and his soon taking out his beloved dogs for walks when he comes across a local young villain/ganster wanna be.
Derek gets slowly sucked into the fantasy world of the young thugs comparing and distorting the real world from the glitz and glamour of hollywood gangster's(James Cagneys"White Heat"can be seen playing at the local cinema)
Dereks mother and father can see the way its going with the gangsters when one day Derek's father gets a birthday gift from him,stolen cigarettes.
In an attempt to finally get him away from the local thugs Derek's dad tries to conscript him into national service but this fails when(in a harrowing scene)the army test his statement that he has"epilepsy"by testing him with electrodes on his head wich in turn does enduce another fit.
So derek returns home and decides to say in again forever,in the meantime the young thug who was his best friend finds out that his brother has been caught for armed robbery and gets 12 years in prison,in what i can only think was sympathy for his friend Derek steals the keys from a local butcher's and in an attemp to impress his freinds he tells them he has the keys and one night the are going to"do the place"so it's on.
Derek meets up with his 3 friends and they take a trip to the butchers only to find that he is cleaning down for the day so 2 of the friends decide it's a waiste if time and decide to go elswhere whilst derek and his friend decide to hang around on the roof to awiat the butchers departure,but whilst climbing on the roof they are spotted by a local who in turn phones the police.
This is where it all really turns on its head.The police arrive,turn up on the roof and derek's friend points a gun at one of the policemen,derek shout"Let him have it"and his friend shoots..........................
We then see the scene play out with derek so distraught,it really is a brilliant scene where you really do feel for derek.The film then switch's to the trial where all the evidence is given and to say this is a true story you really cannot believe the verdict when Derek is found guilty and sentenced to hang,unbelievable indeed.
This is one of the biggest misscarage's of justice ever seen in the uk justice system and is indeed a fascinating case worth reading up on once or before you've seen this film.
Brilliant performances all round,great locations,historically acurate in every way this is in my eyes a rarely mentioned british classic,i would put it up there with"10 Rillington Place"also i noticed in the closing credits that"iris bentley"dereks sister was a consultant on the film and it shows.
brilliant stuff.
9/10.
"Let Him Have it" is released on 4 digital media dvd on August 9th and is a worthy collection to your dvd shelf!
http://www.4digitalmedia.com/