Gangster No. 1

Plot Summary

Set primarily in late 1960's London, Gangster No. 1 is the brutal, mesmerizing story of a deadly battle of wills between a gangland leader and his apprentice, a young man who emulates him to the point of psychosis and beyond. Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis, Paul Bettany and Saffron Burrows head the cast of this dark psychological portrait of ruthless ambition and betrayal set among the vivid characters of London's criminal underworld. Told in a sometimes shocking, confrontational style, Gangster No. 1 is the indie feature film debut of young director Paul McGuigan, who first came to attention with his award-winning trilogy, The Acid House. This drama from IFC Films was scored by jazz giant John Dankworth, whose film scores include such 1960's milestones as Darling, Morgan and Modesty Blaise.