Extraordinary fear destroys ordinary lives in Legend

It's a controversial story that most people know, but if this is your first encounter with the devilish Krays, be prepared for a story proving that truth is stranger than fiction.

The enigmatic and iconic Kray brothers didn't just rule the East End, they owned London.

Ruling over London in the middle of the Swinging Sixties and with Ronnie fresh out of prison, the brothers set about consolidating their power in the East End of London, taking on the ruthless South London gangster Charlie Richardson and his gang, and working with the American Mafia, who were keen to move from Havana into London. Hailed as celebrities, the Krays are courted by the rich and famous, and their influence extends to the higher levels of the British establishment. They were unstoppable.

Subculture

While the Krays were imprisoned, a subculture grew around them, including dozens of books about their lives. One of the first, The Profession Of Violence, was written by John Pearson, a journalist who had first-hand experience of the Krays. Their lives were captured in several documentaries and, in 1990, Peter Medak's film featured Spandau Ballet's Gary and Martin Kemp as the twins.

Now Tom Hardy delivers the feat of a lifetime playing both roles, which will definitely earn him an Oscar nomination. Wouldn't it be interesting is he was nominated in both the lead and supporting actor categories, for both performances in Legend deserve a nomination.

Hardy succeeds admirably. He crawls under the skin of both brothers and immerses himself heart and soul into their diverse personas, revealing the souls of monsters.

The sinister and creepy Ronnie has a twisted dark side that is destructive and when he loses it, his aggression is volatile and unsavoury.

A monster who instilled fear

As Ronnie, Hardy perfectly captures a man who was openly gay and ruled his gang of cocky lads, and a monster who instilled fear, even in his twin brother. Hardy is suave and dynamic as the Capone-like Reggie, and allows us to understand his power trip, but also the puppy-dog romantic that ruled his sensibility.

Without spoiling too much, there is a violent clash between the brothers in the film that says it all, capturing the physical power and emotional weakness of two men who desperately tried to dominate and love each other without destroying their undying bond of friendship and loyalty.

These two extreme opposites and layered nuances result in captivating viewing, a gentle portrait of a time when fear ruled the lives of many people and the men who advocated the rules.

An intense human drama

Legend is not a gangster film or a film about violence, but an intense human drama told from a woman's point of view.

Australian actress Emily Browning, who has established herself as one of the industry's most versatile and exciting young talents and was great in the musical film God Help the Girl, is superb as Reggie's ill-fated wife, who tells the story of the Kray brothers.

It is interesting how both The Krays and Legend are told from a woman's point of view: The Krays is told from their mother's viewpoint as she mourns the birth of her 'two monsters', and Legend is told from a young and vulnerable woman's perspective, showing us how she was seduced into the world of these two monsters.

It is this view of an outsider in Legend that allows us access into an intimate world of male dominance, where brutality and swagger stripped them of their humanity.

Writer-director Brian Helgeland is no stranger to the underworld of crime and corruption in film and explored it strongly as a screenwriter in LA Confidential, Man on Fire, Green Zone and Mystic River, and a writer and director of A Knight's Tale and Payback.

He paints a vivid portrait of a world tainted by corruption and violence and allows the tragic characters who are imprisoned by glory to shine.

Legend is a film for discerning audiences or anyone looking for meaningful escapism.

As with many films based on true events and lives, try and see Legend without knowing too much about the story.

This is your chance to take a journey into the past that strongly informed our world today where gang warfare, corruption and violence is still as glamorous and prevalent as it was in the 60s when the Kray brothers ruled.

The names and faces might have changed, but it still tells the same tragic story that continues to destroy families and communities.

Legend is showing from 30 October.

For more information on the latest film releases, go to www.writingstudio.co.za