the long good friday be about a gangster name harold shand who have eliminate all rival and hob knob with a portion of london society and and have big vision about deal that will make london great again . however and just mistake this a just a gangster film and and not about much more and be a huge mistake . on one level and shand represent the state of england . like england and he be tire of the american always have the upper hand . he be arrogant and brash and and at the same time tire of be put down and treated a second class ( like the united kingdom at the time ) . he know that there be the lure of an united europe and the potential profit be tremendous . . on the next level of interpretation and the irish issue always somehow shove it face into the picture . that be the iceberg that shand have unwittingly hit . his loyal friend ( paul freeman ) from long ago ( the frenchman in raider of the lose ark ) have accidentally have a deal with some wing of the ira in belfast that cost him his life . the audience gasp at the word ira and because now he have to confront a powerful and well organize rival . a one of shand associate say when shand attempt to confront a group of ira in london and they be political . these be fanatic . on another level and the reality of the movie be that shand gang be slowly bump off and his prized pub blow up and shand slowly start to find out what really be the cause of the vendetta against him . the movie be also a detective mystery . shand become poirot for most of the movie try to figure out who really be out to get him . he be as clueless a the audience be . on the next level and this movie be call the long good friday and because it be also a religiously symbolic movie . it take place on religious holiday . it be about a man who think that he be righteous and accidentally kill perhaps his most loyal lieutenant and and then think he can cover it up and redeem himself by commit himself to focus on revenge . but and he can not redeem himself . he have doom himself by his own sin . it be too late . so and the movie be really about a man who lose his soul in his lust for power and and now delude himself that he can hold on and justify his power for eternity . however and the unknown be seal his fate . isn not the the heart of what christianity be all about . lastly and the end . in the end a young pierce brosnan be hold a silencer to him a he get into a car . the look on shand face be the last minute of the film . he say nothing and but you can see every thought and emotion on his face . the only thing that we know about the young assassin play by brosnan be the credit say he be an irishman . but that all we really know . he be probably a member of a rogue element of the ira that shand could not possibly account for . however and i think that this be part of the mystery of the movie . all the viewer know be that some irish be out to get him . you never really learn their true motif and and who they really be . this movie have a lot of mystery and depth to it . we do not know what it be all about . all we know be that somebody want to get the most powerful mob bos in london . a i have say and there be a reason the film be entitle good friday . it be about a man who confront his own soul and lose . his bitterness and rage and and ambition cause him to kill lieutenant accidentally with the broken glass of a wine bottle . i do not think that shand intend to kill his lieutenant name colin . i think he want to teach him a lesson and but he be horrify to see that the bottle he wield broke and slash up his lieutenant . you can tell by the look of horror in shand face that he be even in disbelief of what rage can do to him . instead of walk away from his life of crime and shand be too proud and arrogant . he think that he can make up for his brutal accidental murder of colin by be righteous in revenge himself on his enemy . in this gruesome scene and life fragility be show . and even the cold blood shand be horrify by his sin and his lack of control of his anger . and then and like a delusional sinner and he think that he can redeem himself by find out exactly who be out to get him . he think that by get his enemy he will finally find true peace . however and he delude himself and and in the end he be doom to die at the hand of the young assassin ( brosnan ) . in the end and he be undone by his own ambition and foolish pride . and only then do shand see the full extent of his life of greed and lust . shand see that all along he deceive himself into be great than he really be and and that he could actually escape his own fate in the end . a the film draw to a close you can see that shand be now resign to be punish for his sin .