Get Carter (1971)

Not to be Missed!

*Get Carter* is a five-star written, acted, produced, directed example of Filmic Art, without doubt. It is a film that couldn't come out of America, so that encourages a certain fascination as well. It is also a source of self-examination for people, such as myself, who have roots in Newcastle.

Newcastle (-upon-Tyne) was a place of coal and iron extraction for centuries. Arguably it gave birth to the Industrial Revolution. It's inhabitants, Geordies they're called, when they weren't mining coal or pounding metal, bore the brunt of warfare with Scotland. The town and hinterland bred people known for two things: hard work and high disease resistance (as my father told it). My grandfather hailed from there.

Watching *Get Carter* reminds me of how reasonable it was that a young man, having survived years of trench warfare in WW1, would take off to London and never look back. And how a generation later, one of his sons would light out across an ocean after WW2 and laugh softly at the thought of buying a return ticket. It also makes it clear to me how fitting it is that a character like Carter was a Geordie.

Newcastle was a great place to find the sort of men who understood violence as Work and sex as visceral Redemption. Much has been made of how unstoppable, relentless, even 'robotic' Carter becomes when certain information comes to light regarding his brothers death. Partly that's bred-in-the-bone *work ethic* operating at full, and partly that's something peculiar to the British Isles.

There's a deep streak of socially condoned violence in the cause of 'justice' in British Cinema. Certain violations of the social code sanction the most thorough-going and brutal response - that's not peculiar to British filmaking. What is (so far as I've ascertained) peculiar to British film is an expectation of *acquiescence* from the offender. The avenger is expected to destroy and the offender is expected to know that they need to be destroyed. Every shooting, stabbing, scrotum-scrunching, 'accident' arrangement and cranium-crushing from that point is vigorously executed and weakly fended-off. This theme pops up in other movies of ilk nature (The Limey and The General, for example).

Once Carter realizes the full extent of the wrong that's been dealt, he feels no pity for the objects of his wrath. To him, and to themselves, they are needful of destruction. Problem is, Carter himself lives on ethically shaky ground. When he rejects the better judgement of his gangster boss and peers to "think again" (in the so-named first chapter of the dvd) about 'nosing about' in Newcastle, and when he refuses to turn aside in his pursuit of personal justice, his moorings are cast aside completely. Carter himself becomes needful of destruction.

There are scenes in this movie that strike with unexpected force.

Chapter "With Eric at the races" defines the distance between the way younger hoods interract and the way it is between 'lifers'.

During the chapter called "Country House Call" the character Glenda (Geraldine Moffatt) stabs the viewer in the face with the sort of smoking-hot look of challenge that never fails to bring out 'the caveman' in a fully functional male. It was heartwarming to see that recorded on film for posterity. This scene also contains an exchange that sums up race relations at that juncture.

Carter puts paid to the notion that phone-sex was solely a thing of the 1980's in the chapter called "Long Distance Sexy" (with actresses Brett Ekland and Rosemary Carter). This marks the first and only time I've seen a man conduct a simultaneous double-pleasuring/seduction in film. Utilization of the rocking chair was a small stroke of creative genius as well. Very effective in a warmly understated way.

"Drink up and Die" and scenes subsequent to that chapter use the novocastrian landscape with brutal eloquence.

Michael Caines 'Carter' is not an 'ultimate-fighter' bad-boy. He handles firearms awkwardly and his close-quarters-combat techniques are of the 'brawler' variety, but it is the '70's and it is Great Britain, so that's to be expected. He's only "comparatively" more clever than his prey. He is however a superior gangster for any era and considerably more focused that Stallones 'Carter' (of the Y2K remake).

This is a film not to be missed, easily dismissed or forgotten. Enjoy!

August 13, 2008

Great thriller for those who like character over techno eye candy

This is an old fashioned movie about a man in the 'trade' who finds that his brothers accident is no accident. Winding through the maze of characters to find his brother's killer, you are exposed to the dark, ugly side of people. Caine is terrific as the anti hero, and his flaws are just as great as the flaws of the people he is tracking. A word of caution. I hate the blockbuster ...spiderman, the mummy, and the like. So if you like them you probably won't like this. There is absolutely no eye candy. August 2, 2008

Great thriller/drama film with hidden depth.

Michael Caine stars in this very gritty and classic 1971 British gangster film as Jack Carter a London based gangster traveling to Newcastle to find the truth about his brother's death. This was definetely one of Michael Caine's best roles and the film has a great mix of violent thugs and ruthless killers, it was realistic since writer/director Mike Hodges made Michael Caine's character into a ruthless and bloddthirsty killer that is not sympathetic but still likable and the pacing of the film was brilliant using some fantastic cinematography (check out the great scene in the train) where we see the decaying streets of Newcastle which is like a metaphor for decaying values and morals. We get to see Jack Carter kill innocent people, beat up women and torture some villains cause he is surrounded by this madness and these other evil characters and its basically the only way to survive. Once in Newcastle Carter discovers that his brother apparently drove his car into the river while drunk on whiskey, the problem with this explanation is that his brother Frank never drank whiskey. Beginning with an old colleague, the foul Eric Paice (played brilliantly by Ian Hendry) he begins to suspect that Frank may have been killed by of one of the local gang members and theres also the local crime boss and sleazy porn baron Cyril Kinnear who Carter likes to call "a hairy faced git!". Off course Jack is not satisfied with the answer and he has been given so many lies by these underground criminals so he has no choice but to go on a self-righteous trail of destruction. It seems like Newcastle has turned into a place consumed by corruption and violence and it looks very bleak while some of the outdated 70's fashion does look a bit funny still I didn't mind this I also liked the great music done by Roy Budd it was a very cool theme tune and its the type that gets stuck in your head. This was a great film that happens to be one of the greatest British films ever made and the film was filled with great and memorable performances especially from Caine as the cool and ruthless gangster with a cockney accent he also has a few funny lines, theres also a great cameo role by Britt Eckland as a prostitute. If you're a Michael Caine fan then you should definetely check it out, I highly recommend this drama gangster film. June 17, 2008

Revenge Consumes Everything In Its Path

A good friend gave me this movie as a present. It was definitely not as a feelgood gesture. His constant comment was, "I have not been able to find a single redeeming quality in Michael Caine's character."

Well, he was almost right. Michael Caine is, honestly, outstanding in the lead role here, playing a mob operative who heads home to Newcastle upon the death of his brother. As a gang figure, he understands the ethos. As a brother, he shows just about the only redemptive emotion when he first sees his brother's dressed corpse, laid out for cremation. He touches his brothers hands.

After that, if he touches anybody, it's either to satisfy his sexual appetite, to advance his relentless campaign for revenge, or to inflict pain for information-gathering or payback.

The violence is simple, continual and at times a little showy. The message of the film is simple: a compulsive desire for revenge is honorable as a pursuit of the truth, maybe, but destroys everything, especially the owner of the need for revenge.

When the movie was over, the lights came up and we tried to decide who left this film unscathed. We decided even the guy who gets hired to kill Carter won't get paid for the job, since his employer is under arrest. Carter's neice won't be able to go to South America with Carter, as Carter proposed, because...

Well, that would be telling. Good movie, but, for sure, don't expect to feel good. May 7, 2008

Carter Got His Gun

When his brother dies under the suspicious circumstances, tough and ruthless London gangster, Jack Carter (Michael Caine) goes to Newcastle to investigate his death. He finds a web of lies, silence, deceit, and danger from the local criminal world. By searching for truth and justice, Carter puts his own life in jeopardy since he becomes dangerous and unwanted intruder who may uncover some dirty secrets that better stay uncovered. Michael Caine plays a cold, unlikable character, a killer who does have one weakness - love for his estranged brother and niece but has difficulties to express his feelings other than through violence. Yes, Jack Carter is unsympathetic character but the people he deals with are so much more despicable that we can't help but root for Carter and wish him to get every one of his enemies. Director Mike Hodges and Michael Caine are best friends and maybe that's why Caine's work in the movie is one of his finest. Bleak and disturbing, tight and gripping, "Get Carter" has achieved a cult status and became a classic of the British Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller genre. It has influenced the directors as different as Guy Ritchie and Neil Jordan. January 19, 2008

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