Rent Get Carter (1971)

Drink Up, Eric... - Get Carter review by JJ

Great and prescient film from almost 50 years ago now. It wouldn't have passed the censors in previous decades; Michael Caine said the reason he liked the script was that it didn't treat villians in the traditional British cinematic way, i.e. as a kind of joke. He knew from his background that they were very far from that.

What else was new in the film was its matter-of-fact depiction of a society whare corruption is endemic. Nowadays we take that for granted, but back then Dixon Of Dock Green was on TV and people's blinkers were firmly in place.

Yet I never really bought the ending and that is why 4*, not 5.

As to the Blu-ray, it gets rid of the absurd Dick van Dyke Cockney voices in the opening scene and pictorially it's some improvement on the DVD for sure but I wonder if a 4k restoration is in the offing? In a couple of years I'd be interested in that.

But still the best British crime drama ever.

Northern Realism. - Get Carter review by Steve

This landmark British gangster film is Mike Hodges' debut as director and he says he was inspired by how Raymond Chandler used the crime story to make satirical observations about society. Which probably explains why Michael Caine is reading Farewell My Lovely while he travels up to Newcastle to investigate the death of his brother.

And it's the impression of Britain in decline which is the most penetrating aspect of the film. Newcastle is a filthy corpse, fed on by gangsters, pimps and worse. Its coal industry is a black stain on the land. If Britain boomed during the sixties, the wealth hasn't trickled down to these mean streets. And the culture has surrendered to a tawdry, joyless Americanism.

The weakness of the film is the uninspired plot. Basically, Caine's antihero knocks around from one hoodlum to the next until he stumbles upon the truth by chance. And then he kills everyone involved. It's a signature role for the star, playing a relentless, cold hearted loner set on revenge; a laconic, incredibly violent sociopath.

There's a large supporting cast, though only Caine gets much screen time. Britt Ekland is barely in it. Which is a pun. Carter famously tells Bryan Mosley that he is in bad shape. But Caine is also plainly overweight. And it's this shabby realism which is the visual style. It's a grim gangster film with a large body count and a famously bleak last shot.

Caine is the King of Cool in this gritty & shocking icon of 70's cinema - Get Carter review by Timmy B

If you live in the UK and are a fan of film, it is almost impossible not to have seen something either related to or influenced by Get Carter at some stage. The iconic image of Michael Caine in his immaculate suit holding a shotgun will forever be a part of our culture & history. I had never seen Get Carter before, but was waiting until the 4K remaster was released (which given its status, was always going to be commissioned.) And this remaster is excellent, really fleshing out the picture without making it look fake or cloying.

Jack Carter is a Newcastle-born gangster who is based in London. He is informed that his brother has died, but the circumstances are highly questionable & Jack suspects foul play. He returns up North to attend his funeral, then goes on a one-man crusade to expose the truth of what happened, unleashing hell on the criminal underworld.

Whilst the story today would be the most clichéd movie imaginable, in 1971 this was a highly shocking & controversial film. The violence, relatively tame by today's standards, had never been seen in this context before, especially when coupled with sex, nudity & the pornographic industry. Jack Carter himself is also a highly immoral & vicious man, who is as violent towards women as he is men. But what the film makes clear is that there are no heroes or decent people in the world Jack inhabits. If you came looking for a hero, then you're out of luck.

This film is a template for hundreds of others that came after it, many of them poor imitations. I deliberately tried to watch it as if I'd never seen any of these types of films, which only enhanced my viewing pleasure. It is a gripping & shocking film, with Caine it's sensational center.

One of the best British films ever