| Let Him Have It | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Medak |
| Written by | Neal Purvis Robert Wade |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Oliver Stapleton |
| Edited by | Ray Lovejoy |
| Music by | Michael Kamen |
Production companies |
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| Distributed by | First Independent Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 115 min |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £2 million[1] |
| Box office | $88,686 (US) £292,525 (UK)[1] |
Let Him Have It is a 1991 Britishdrama film directed byPeter Medak and starringChristopher Eccleston,Paul Reynolds,Tom Courtenay andTom Bell. The film is based on the true story ofDerek Bentley,[2] who was convicted of the murder of a police officer byjoint enterprise and was hanged in 1953 under controversial circumstances.[3]
Derek Bentley is an illiterate, epileptic young adult with developmental disabilities who falls into a gang led by a younger teenager named Christopher Craig. During the course of the robbery of a warehouse inCroydon, in which Bentley is encouraged to participate by Craig, the two become trapped by the police. Officers order Craig to put down his gun. Bentley, who by this time has already been arrested, shouts "Let him have it, Chris" – whether he means the phrase literally ("Let him have the gun") or figuratively ("Open fire!") is unclear. Craig fires, killing one officer and wounding another. Because Craig is a minor, he cannot be executed and is given a prison sentence. Meanwhile, Bentley is sentenced to death under the Englishcommon law principle ofjoint enterprise, on the basis that his statement to Craig was an instigation to shoot. Bentley's family makes an effort for clemency which reaches Parliament. However, theHome Secretary (who has the power to commute the death sentence) ultimately declines to intervene. Despite his family's efforts and public support, Bentley is executed in 1953 within a month of being convicted, before Parliament takes any official action.
Paul Bergman and Michael Asimow call attention to the cross examination scene, where "the camera closes in on [Bentley's] bruised face as the prosecutor and judge bombard him with questions he can barely comprehend."[2]
The film's end titles state that Bentley's sister, Iris, was still fighting for his pardon. Seven years after the film was made and after numerous unsuccessful campaigns to get Bentley a full pardon, his conviction was eventually overturned by theCourt of Appeal on 30 July 1998, one year after Iris's death.[4]
The film opened at theOdeon Leicester Square in London on 4 October 1991 before expanding to 120 screens the following week.[5]
The film gained positive reviews from critics. It holds an 84% approval rating from the review aggregation siteRotten Tomatoes based on 37 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Led by a gripping performance from Christopher Eccleston,Let Him Have It sounds a compelling call for justice on behalf of its real-life protagonist."[6]
Tom Wiener said that the film displayed the writersNeal Purvis and Robert Wade's "outrage toward a system hell-bent on vengeance"[7] and John Ivan Simon called the script "first rate, no nonsense".[8]