Review of Krays: The Final Word, The

Introduction

The Kray twins are two of the most notorious and infamous criminals the UK has ever seen. Despite having been imprisoned in 1967, Ronnie and Reggie retained an almost unbelievable level of public interest, which continues unabated despite the pair now being dead.

This DVD contains a documentary about the life of the twins, which was originally broadcast on television last year, told through interviews with Reg Kray (whilst on his death-bed in hospital), accomplices, friends and foes. The main feature runs for just under two hours and covers all aspects of the Kray`s life, but concentrates on the events that led up to their arrest and with detailed coverage of their trial - one of the highest profile this country has ever seen.

Video

The video is presented in 16x9 anamorphic widescreen and consists almost entirely of interview footage, all of which shot for this program last year and therefore of a good standard. There is no sign of dirt or grain, and the image remains stable at all times.

Audio

The soundtrack comes in Dolby Digital 2.0 and consists almost entirely of dialogue, which is always clear and understandable.

Features

Extras consist of textual biographies of the various accomplices and foes interviewed in the program, each of which is preceded by a small interview snippet; a look at "The Kray`s Manor" - which is a scrolling street map of the East End showing where some key events took place and finally, a look at the order of Reg Kray`s funeral service.

Conclusion

I watched this program when it was originally broadcast on television and found it to be just as interesting the second time around. None of those interviewed beat around the bush, and the information provided is at times very graphic as the notorious life of the twins in documented, including the infamous murders and mutilations.

This program provides an interesting historical look at the twins, but also acts as a reminder why the government chose to keep them imprisoned until their deaths as it will leave the viewer in no doubt about just how brutal and cold-blooded they were - confirmed on numerous occasions by Reg Kray in his interview.

Overall, this is a gripping program, which is well presented on this DVD.