Longford is one of the AFI’s 10 best TV shows for 2007. (It’s a TV movie.)
It’s based on a true story. There were a series of murders in England and Ian Brady and Myra Hindley were later arrested and charged with the deaths of three children. It was a shocking case and people had very strong opinions about Brady and Hindley (all negative).
Meanwhile, Lord Longford had dedicated years of his life to visiting prisoners. He received a request to visit Myra Hindley and decided to do it. He worked to get her a chance at parole despite the nature of her crimes because he believed that while she had done awful things, she did them because she had been abused as a child and because she was desperately in love with Ian Brady.
(Note: he wanted her to get a chance at parole. He didn’t want her freed; he only wanted her treated as fairly as any other prisoner.)
I was so fascinated by this movie and the whole idea of redemption. Lord Langford believed that no one was beyond redemption and that everyone deserves to be treated fairly. I’m not entirely sure where I fall on that (could Hitler redeem himself? I doubt it) but I do believe that my faith demands that I try and forgive as often as I can and even when I don’t want to. Probably especially when I don’t want to.
This is an amazing, inspiring movie.
