256 reviews
Michael Caine as one tough dude
Michael Caine stars in "Get Carter," a 1971 film co-produced by Caine, who was sick of the parts he was getting. Well, the role of Carter is certainly a terrific part. Ian Hendry and John Osborne also star.
Carter, a London gangster, returns to his home town of Newcastle for his brother's funeral. When he is offered a ticket out of town, his suspicion about his brother's death grows stronger. His investigation leads him to a pornography ring and lots of bad guys.
There's lots of violence in this film as Carter dispenses with anyone who's in his way without even blinking. He's mean as they come. Caine is fantastic, and he's surrounded by effective evil-doers.
There's nudity, too, as well as phone sex. If you like this type of gangster movie, you'll love this. Well-directed by Mike Hodges.
Carter, a London gangster, returns to his home town of Newcastle for his brother's funeral. When he is offered a ticket out of town, his suspicion about his brother's death grows stronger. His investigation leads him to a pornography ring and lots of bad guys.
There's lots of violence in this film as Carter dispenses with anyone who's in his way without even blinking. He's mean as they come. Caine is fantastic, and he's surrounded by effective evil-doers.
There's nudity, too, as well as phone sex. If you like this type of gangster movie, you'll love this. Well-directed by Mike Hodges.
Gritty, Violent & Realistic
- seymourblack-1
- Aug 7, 2017
- Permalink
The Leanest, Meanest British Crime Thriller Ever
This film has a stunning Michael Caine play cold-blooded gangster Jack Carter on a quest for vengeance. Carter never wavers, he never strays from his path, he is like a surgical instrument that cuts down everything in his way with clinical precision without passion or mercy. If the Terminator were a human character, he would be Carter. Alfred he is not (hint: that's a Batman reference) . One of the best British crime flicks ever. 8 stars out of 10.
In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:
imdb.com/list/ls070242495
In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:
imdb.com/list/ls070242495
- gogoschka-1
- Feb 10, 2018
- Permalink
One of the grimmest British films ever
GET CARTER is the anti-Hollywood gangster movie, a film which strips away the glitz and glamour one usually associates with the genre to deliver one of the grimmest-looking movies ever. The north eastern locations are wonderfully used with this being a very visual movie that really brings out the grubby dirtiness of an industrial wasteland.
The characters, too, are grim. Michael Caine is the epitome of the anti-hero, a man just as cold, violent, and ruthless as those he pursues, except the viewer happens to be tagging along with him on his odyssey of revenge. The film's narrative has a mystery storyline as Caine attempts to uncover the circumstances surrounding his brother's death, and the supporting cast - including a memorable Ian Hendry - is exemplary.
Being a film from the 1970s, the sex and violence is ramped up, particularly the former in an arresting phone sex scene with Britt Ekland. Caine is on top form, delivering what I believe to be his most frightening performance, and the script offers up some real corkers in terms of the dialogue. In fact, GET CARTER is a film which it's very difficult to criticise; everything about it gels together perfectly, and it's a real classic for a reason. Mike Hodges should be proud of his accomplishments here.
The characters, too, are grim. Michael Caine is the epitome of the anti-hero, a man just as cold, violent, and ruthless as those he pursues, except the viewer happens to be tagging along with him on his odyssey of revenge. The film's narrative has a mystery storyline as Caine attempts to uncover the circumstances surrounding his brother's death, and the supporting cast - including a memorable Ian Hendry - is exemplary.
Being a film from the 1970s, the sex and violence is ramped up, particularly the former in an arresting phone sex scene with Britt Ekland. Caine is on top form, delivering what I believe to be his most frightening performance, and the script offers up some real corkers in terms of the dialogue. In fact, GET CARTER is a film which it's very difficult to criticise; everything about it gels together perfectly, and it's a real classic for a reason. Mike Hodges should be proud of his accomplishments here.
- Leofwine_draca
- Jan 7, 2016
- Permalink
Mike Hodges and Michael Caine have made a timeless film.
Jack Carter, the reserved London gangster, travels north to Newcastle, his home town, to find the cause of his brother's death. He's warned by his bosses not to go, but refuses to obey them. We, and he, discover the reasons for the warning, which are intertwined with the details of his brother's fate, and watch Carter's quest for revenge reach its logical conclusion. The underworld life sets a kitschy vision of glamour - music-box decanter sets, flashy bespoke suits, and garishly decorated villas - against the grotty reality of arcade slot machines, pornographic 8mm films, and the claustrophobic grubbiness of Newcastle's industrial tenements. Carter, who prides himself on a style of detached shrewdness, navigates both worlds, until he discovers that they're intertwined, sickeningly. The corruption which provides him his living has tainted his own family. I think the centre of the film is the brilliant moment when Carter sits in bed in the flickering light of a projector, discovering the truth about his world. He weeps, silently, knowing what he must now do. But vengeance is all he knows, and it consumes him.
This story captures with great subtlety the coarse truths about poverty, and crime, which are as true today in Canada and the US as they were forty years ago in England. There's no heroism, no loyalty, no glamour. We feel a kind of sorrowful revulsion at the squalid reality of Carter's world, even as we fear the intensity of his quest for his brother's killers. And we realise we've seen a perfect film of its kind - exceptionally skillful acting, cinematography and editing, bringing to life a taut script. Never again will we fall for the false romanticism of crime.
This story captures with great subtlety the coarse truths about poverty, and crime, which are as true today in Canada and the US as they were forty years ago in England. There's no heroism, no loyalty, no glamour. We feel a kind of sorrowful revulsion at the squalid reality of Carter's world, even as we fear the intensity of his quest for his brother's killers. And we realise we've seen a perfect film of its kind - exceptionally skillful acting, cinematography and editing, bringing to life a taut script. Never again will we fall for the false romanticism of crime.
Cold, Hard, and Glistening
The movie's an ice-cold exercise in revenge, with a no-nonsense script and a first-rate turn by Caine as the heck-bent avenger. Someone killed his brother and, by golly, they're going to pay along with anyone else who gets in his way. The idea's not new; what's different is that Carter (Caine) has almost no redeeming qualities. He's about as cold blooded as the worst of the gangsters he confronts. Rooting for him is like rooting for a stomach pain over a headache.
Then too, Caine's ice-blue eyes are put to good use in sizing up his targets. And catch that gear shifting in the fast car timed to coincide with Carter's fast action on the bed. At last the subtext of all those sleek auto advertisements is revealed, this time in high octane. I just wish we saw more of Ms. Ekland, both literally and especially figuratively. And if that's not enough, catch that great ending. It's a marvel of imaginative staging and a perfect cap to what's gone before. Anyway, the movie reminds me of a polished piece of glass-- just about as cold and shiny and needing no depth. I couldn't stop looking at it.
Then too, Caine's ice-blue eyes are put to good use in sizing up his targets. And catch that gear shifting in the fast car timed to coincide with Carter's fast action on the bed. At last the subtext of all those sleek auto advertisements is revealed, this time in high octane. I just wish we saw more of Ms. Ekland, both literally and especially figuratively. And if that's not enough, catch that great ending. It's a marvel of imaginative staging and a perfect cap to what's gone before. Anyway, the movie reminds me of a polished piece of glass-- just about as cold and shiny and needing no depth. I couldn't stop looking at it.
- dougdoepke
- Apr 29, 2012
- Permalink
Violent film about a killer who returns home to investigate a familiar crime and meets sleazy character after another
An excellent noir cinema produced by Michael Caine and very well directed by Mike Hodges ; an extremely tough movie burdened by cruel murders and seedy characters , based on a novel titled 'Get Carter' by Ted Lewis from 1970 . This brutal , austere crime-thriller focuses a cheerless enforcer Jack Carter (Michael Caine) , a tough , amoral gangster who works as a killer at the town . Magnificent Michael Caine in the title role , he's a hit-man who returns home to investigate his brother's death by some mobsters . Two-fisted Jack in order to revenge his sibling , vows vengeance and spontaneously meets sleazy characters (Ian Hendry, Mosley) in the middle of sinister bands war and running afoul into underworld . When his brother dies under mysterious circumstances in a car accident , London gangster Jack Carter travels to Newcastle to investigate and meets nasty characters who may have been involved . Carter aware the murder of his brother at the hands of a "gang" opponent led by a mobster (John Osborne) . As he decides to travel his natal Newcastle to investigate who is responsible . This city in northern England is portrayed as a cool place , foggy , sordid , rainy , dirty , gray and industrial aspect . Carter starts moving in this ambient , full of sad pubs , horse races , buildings almost in ruins , piers of black water and ravaged aspect postindustrial , which had almost erased from his memory . While we see as his facade of sophisticated and elegant Londoner gentleman with exquisite manners , educated pose, and expensive costumes , begins collapsing , leaving see the lascivious, malleability and cold killer . All of this ends up in the discovery of X film involving his niece what angry Jack Carter enormously . This triggers a wave of violence that sweeps the the underworld lumpen in northern England . Carter keeps the things moving along until ending vendetta. The end of the film is like a summary of the entire story for the scenarios that uses austere bleak and cold environment.
This interesting film features thrills , raw energy ,adult subject matter with abundant nudism , lots of violence and enlivened by high-powered performances . Plenty of intrigue, atmospheric music , kinky sex ,noisy action and grisly killings until impressive finale vengeance . It is a movie very violent , depressing charismatic , magnificently set , but always strong , with a perfect abstraction of a climate of moral misery to game with the cold environment and ramshackle scenarios well photographed by cameraman Wolfgang Suschitzky . Adequate musical score by Roy Budd with a rare mixture , the dark psychedelia of the movement "Northen Soul" , so fashionable in the proletarian clubs from the north of England of the 70s .
This British 1971 film "GET CARTER¨ is an original movie and is far superior subsequent 1972 remake , a Black Gangster version titled ¨The hit-man¨, a Blaxploitiation movie regularly directed by George Armitage with Bernie Casie , Pam Grier , Roger E Mosley and Paul Gleason . And remade again (2000) by Stephen Kay , in which Las Vegas avenger goes home to Seattle to learn his brother's death , starred by Silvester Stallone in the title role , Miranda Richardson , Alan Cummings , Mickey Rourke and again Michael Caine at a special appearance .
This interesting film features thrills , raw energy ,adult subject matter with abundant nudism , lots of violence and enlivened by high-powered performances . Plenty of intrigue, atmospheric music , kinky sex ,noisy action and grisly killings until impressive finale vengeance . It is a movie very violent , depressing charismatic , magnificently set , but always strong , with a perfect abstraction of a climate of moral misery to game with the cold environment and ramshackle scenarios well photographed by cameraman Wolfgang Suschitzky . Adequate musical score by Roy Budd with a rare mixture , the dark psychedelia of the movement "Northen Soul" , so fashionable in the proletarian clubs from the north of England of the 70s .
This British 1971 film "GET CARTER¨ is an original movie and is far superior subsequent 1972 remake , a Black Gangster version titled ¨The hit-man¨, a Blaxploitiation movie regularly directed by George Armitage with Bernie Casie , Pam Grier , Roger E Mosley and Paul Gleason . And remade again (2000) by Stephen Kay , in which Las Vegas avenger goes home to Seattle to learn his brother's death , starred by Silvester Stallone in the title role , Miranda Richardson , Alan Cummings , Mickey Rourke and again Michael Caine at a special appearance .
a nasty bastard of a movie with a steel-eyed, cold but brilliant performance in the lead
Jack Carter is not someone you'd usually want to take home to your mother. He's a career criminal, a gangster in London whose brother was in Newcastle (his hometown) when he found out that he died under mysterious circumstances. Already we're on his side, since it was obviously not a typical drunk-driving accident that caused Frank Carter's death, and we want to see revenge and/or justice. But Jack Carter, that man with a near-permanent dour look on his face and a tendency to get violent, isn't a typical protagonist. He's something of an anti-hero, a nasty one at that, who is a perpetual womanizer (in one oddly hot scene he talks with a direct tone on the phone with a gangster's moll to take off her clothes and masturbate), and will hurt anyone he needs to, sometimes to extreme lengths, to get what he needs to know.
Certainly he's surrounded in a murky enough criminal environment. The Newcastle of 'Get Carter' is a place with sleazy gangsters betting big bucks and nightclubs with of-the-period music, and women running hotels with weathered looks on their faces. It's here that Carter goes on his investigation, like a hard-boiled detective without mercy. And as he digs deeper into what is at the heart of the mystery- that Frank Carter wasn't a saint, but got duped by the criminal elements and in a pornographic film that brings Jack to tears of rage- it becomes clear he'll have to knock a few heads, and shoot when he must... which is a lot.
Carter might be more unlikable if not for the star in the role. Michael Caine has a look to him in this film that recalls Alain Delon in the Jean-Pierre Melville pictures, specifically Le Samourai. Nothing can really flinch this guy, unless it's something that he actually cares about. But Caine gives humanity to a character that is on the move, almost always, and has to be on his toes when around unsavory characters. I loved seeing how Caine can just be great at looking around a room or a situation or looking over a person, and how when he gets angry, boy you better get out (even if, or sometimes especially because, you're a woman not dishing on what needs to be told). Caine helps a film that needs that star quality- other actors like John Osbourne as the Big Gangster Kinnear and Ian Hendry as Eric do well enough if only good performances- and where the film digs into some subversive, dark terrain, we have to keep watching it to see how Caine can pull it off.
Another perk for Hodges is how he deals with the action. Often his film will feel a little slow-going (never too boring, but of a time period, the 70's, when a story could take a little more time in establishing mood), but when action and violence come up it's genuinely shocking and thrilling. We expect to get some satisfaction seeing Carter getting his payback at the criminals, but here there's a dastardly twist as to how just rotten Carter can be with these figures. He goes to their level, and Hodges lets us go along for the wicked neo-noir ride. Some may find it too dark, or just a little too unrelentingly bleak with what Carter finds and how he gets his revenge. But there's the bittersweet part to it as well, especially in the last act, that makes it worthwhile.
Certainly he's surrounded in a murky enough criminal environment. The Newcastle of 'Get Carter' is a place with sleazy gangsters betting big bucks and nightclubs with of-the-period music, and women running hotels with weathered looks on their faces. It's here that Carter goes on his investigation, like a hard-boiled detective without mercy. And as he digs deeper into what is at the heart of the mystery- that Frank Carter wasn't a saint, but got duped by the criminal elements and in a pornographic film that brings Jack to tears of rage- it becomes clear he'll have to knock a few heads, and shoot when he must... which is a lot.
Carter might be more unlikable if not for the star in the role. Michael Caine has a look to him in this film that recalls Alain Delon in the Jean-Pierre Melville pictures, specifically Le Samourai. Nothing can really flinch this guy, unless it's something that he actually cares about. But Caine gives humanity to a character that is on the move, almost always, and has to be on his toes when around unsavory characters. I loved seeing how Caine can just be great at looking around a room or a situation or looking over a person, and how when he gets angry, boy you better get out (even if, or sometimes especially because, you're a woman not dishing on what needs to be told). Caine helps a film that needs that star quality- other actors like John Osbourne as the Big Gangster Kinnear and Ian Hendry as Eric do well enough if only good performances- and where the film digs into some subversive, dark terrain, we have to keep watching it to see how Caine can pull it off.
Another perk for Hodges is how he deals with the action. Often his film will feel a little slow-going (never too boring, but of a time period, the 70's, when a story could take a little more time in establishing mood), but when action and violence come up it's genuinely shocking and thrilling. We expect to get some satisfaction seeing Carter getting his payback at the criminals, but here there's a dastardly twist as to how just rotten Carter can be with these figures. He goes to their level, and Hodges lets us go along for the wicked neo-noir ride. Some may find it too dark, or just a little too unrelentingly bleak with what Carter finds and how he gets his revenge. But there's the bittersweet part to it as well, especially in the last act, that makes it worthwhile.
- Quinoa1984
- May 26, 2010
- Permalink
needs a simpler plot
London gangster Jack Carter (Michael Caine) goes to Newcastle for his brother's funeral and investigate his death. He suspects foul-play and dives into the Newcastle underworld. His brother leaves behind his daughter Doreen Carter and mistress Margaret. He tracks down crime boss Cyril Kinnear where he also meets Glenda. Meanwhile his boss Fletchers back in London sends henchmen to Newcastle to Get Carter back. He's having an affair with his other boss Gerald's girlfriend Anna. He is given businessman Brumby's name but Cliff Brumby points the finger at Kinnear. He finds a porno where Doreen is pushed into joining.
There are just so many characters coming in and out of the story. It's a bit confusing and muddies up the tension. Many movies of that era don't always keep things clear. Michael Caine is terrific and super cool. The violence is sudden and brutal. A simpler plot would have allowed the audience to concentrate on the film's strength which is Caine and his vicious character. I can certainly see why this is a cult classic for many gangster movie enthusiasts.
There are just so many characters coming in and out of the story. It's a bit confusing and muddies up the tension. Many movies of that era don't always keep things clear. Michael Caine is terrific and super cool. The violence is sudden and brutal. A simpler plot would have allowed the audience to concentrate on the film's strength which is Caine and his vicious character. I can certainly see why this is a cult classic for many gangster movie enthusiasts.
- SnoopyStyle
- Jun 19, 2015
- Permalink
When Jack went home!
Get Carter, not just one of the finest exponents of British neo - noir, but one of the greatest British films ever, period. Michael Caine stars as Jack Carter, a tough no nonsense operator in the London underworld who returns to his home town of Newcastle Upon Tyne when his brother turns up dead.
Directed and adapted to screenplay by Mike Hodges from Ted Lewis' novel Jack's Return Home, Get Carter is a bleakly atmospheric masterwork that takes the period setting of the time and blends harsh realism with film noir sensibilities and filters it through an uncut prism of doom.
Jack Carter as created by Caine and Hodges is the quintessential film noir anti-hero. He smokes French cigarettes and reads Raymond Chandler, there is no hiding the respect and homages to classical noir pulsing away as Jack goes on his not so merry way. He's a vengeful angel of death, but sexy as hell with it, he even has humorous pearls of wisdom to spout, delivered with relish by Caine who is at his snake eyed best.
In a strange quirk of the narrative, Jack is home but he's a fish out of water, he's a suited and booted Cockney lad moving amongst the flotsam and jetsam of North Eastern society. It's a crumbling landscape of terraced houses and coal yards, of seedy clubs and bed and breakfast establishments where, as Jack wryly observes, the beds have seen untold action.
Jack Carter is a hard bastard, borderline psychotic once his mind has tuned into the frequency that plays to him the tunes of mistrust, of double-dealings, liars and thieves, of pornographers and gangsters who thrive on gaining wealth while the society around them falls into a depression. It's Fog on the Tyne for sure here. Yet Jack is not devoid of heartfelt emotion, his family ties are strong, and there is a point in the film when Jack sheds a tear, it is then when we all know that all bets are off and there will be no coming back from this particular abyss.
Hodges and cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky strip it all back for maximum impact, so much so you can smell the salt of the murky sea, feel your lungs filling up with chimney smoke, the whiff of working class sweat is all around, and all the time Roy Budd's contemporary musical score jingles and jangles over proceedings like a dance of death waiting to reach its operatic conclusion. And with Caine backed up by a roll call of super working class character actors, Get Carter just gets better as each decade of film making passes.
Like its antagonist/protagonist (yes, Jack is both, a deliberate contradiction) it's a film as hard as nails, where home format releases should be delivered through your letterboxes in a metal case. No lover of film noir can have an excuse to have not seen it yet. Funny, sexy, brutal and not without a ticking time bomb of emotional fortitude as well, Get Carter is the "A" Bomb in Grey Street. 10/10
Directed and adapted to screenplay by Mike Hodges from Ted Lewis' novel Jack's Return Home, Get Carter is a bleakly atmospheric masterwork that takes the period setting of the time and blends harsh realism with film noir sensibilities and filters it through an uncut prism of doom.
Jack Carter as created by Caine and Hodges is the quintessential film noir anti-hero. He smokes French cigarettes and reads Raymond Chandler, there is no hiding the respect and homages to classical noir pulsing away as Jack goes on his not so merry way. He's a vengeful angel of death, but sexy as hell with it, he even has humorous pearls of wisdom to spout, delivered with relish by Caine who is at his snake eyed best.
In a strange quirk of the narrative, Jack is home but he's a fish out of water, he's a suited and booted Cockney lad moving amongst the flotsam and jetsam of North Eastern society. It's a crumbling landscape of terraced houses and coal yards, of seedy clubs and bed and breakfast establishments where, as Jack wryly observes, the beds have seen untold action.
Jack Carter is a hard bastard, borderline psychotic once his mind has tuned into the frequency that plays to him the tunes of mistrust, of double-dealings, liars and thieves, of pornographers and gangsters who thrive on gaining wealth while the society around them falls into a depression. It's Fog on the Tyne for sure here. Yet Jack is not devoid of heartfelt emotion, his family ties are strong, and there is a point in the film when Jack sheds a tear, it is then when we all know that all bets are off and there will be no coming back from this particular abyss.
Hodges and cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky strip it all back for maximum impact, so much so you can smell the salt of the murky sea, feel your lungs filling up with chimney smoke, the whiff of working class sweat is all around, and all the time Roy Budd's contemporary musical score jingles and jangles over proceedings like a dance of death waiting to reach its operatic conclusion. And with Caine backed up by a roll call of super working class character actors, Get Carter just gets better as each decade of film making passes.
Like its antagonist/protagonist (yes, Jack is both, a deliberate contradiction) it's a film as hard as nails, where home format releases should be delivered through your letterboxes in a metal case. No lover of film noir can have an excuse to have not seen it yet. Funny, sexy, brutal and not without a ticking time bomb of emotional fortitude as well, Get Carter is the "A" Bomb in Grey Street. 10/10
- hitchcockthelegend
- Jan 2, 2015
- Permalink
Darkly poetic look, hypocritical message
The film makes incredible use of interiors and locations (and fashion and style). Combined with the minimal acting style (pretty standard for these kinds of films--Melville's Le Samourai, for example), the setting seems to poetically express what's in Jack Carter's soul, ending in a stunning finale. It's a wonderfully cold film, capturing the revenge mood perfectly.
Where the film lost me is in its seemingly unconscious double-standard. It develops a theme of (female) innocence corrupted (that one perfect tear!), with Carter smiling warmly at a girl and her mother on the boat. On the other hand the film is grossly exploitive of its actresses, reveling in phone sex and seduction. (Dig the rocking chair scene!) The sex was ok (and seemed daring for its time), but the puritannical streak tries to get it both ways.
I thought The Limey (which obviously owes a debt to this film) was much better at portraying an agent of vengeance discovering his own responsibility in the mess he tries so hard to be coldly superior to. Having seen Croupier recently, I feel like Hodges is greatly talented but has something crucial missing.
Where the film lost me is in its seemingly unconscious double-standard. It develops a theme of (female) innocence corrupted (that one perfect tear!), with Carter smiling warmly at a girl and her mother on the boat. On the other hand the film is grossly exploitive of its actresses, reveling in phone sex and seduction. (Dig the rocking chair scene!) The sex was ok (and seemed daring for its time), but the puritannical streak tries to get it both ways.
I thought The Limey (which obviously owes a debt to this film) was much better at portraying an agent of vengeance discovering his own responsibility in the mess he tries so hard to be coldly superior to. Having seen Croupier recently, I feel like Hodges is greatly talented but has something crucial missing.
Get Carter
Get Carter is a rough tough no nonsense British gangster flick.
Michael Caine plays Jack Carter who seems to have been in London so long. He has lost all traces of his Geordie accent.
Carter travels back to Newcastle on the train to attend his brother Frank's supposedly accidental death. Carter is not convinced that his death was an accident and makes a few enquiries.
Carter also plans to go to South America with his mistress and asks his niece Doreen to join him there. When some henchmen arrive late at night trying to force Carter to get the next train back to London. It confirms that his brother's death was murder.
Carter's search takes him to an underworld gangster called Kinnear who seemed to have coerced Doreen to take part in a pornographic film. Carter's brother found out about it. It also leaves Carter distraught as it is alleged that he might be Doreen's real father.
Michael Caine has always said that he was never happy with the portrayal of British gangster in movies. They are shown to be stupid or funny when they are actually brutal.
He shows Jack Carter brooding with a sense of quiet menace. Almost amoral with businesslike violence and he's always ready for an opportunity for some casual sex.
Director Mike Hodges has a documentary type setting but has gone for a hard boiled detective approach as Carter investigates. The story does get complex as it deals with people plotting against each other and betrayal.
Carter's mistress is the girlfriend of his London crime boss. The movie is set in a working class part of Newcastle which itself is going through change. There is a character called Brumby who is involved in the renewal of the city.
Hodges also adds some nice lurid touches to the grittiness. When Carter telephones his mistress in London from Newcastle for some phone sex. The landlady of the boarding house rocks back and fro in her rocking chair as she listens on. There is also some humour. When Brumby suddenly disappears and the police arrive. One of the architects that Brumby had a meeting with notes that they are unlikely to be paid.
Get Carter was a movie that was always shown on television late at night usually in an edited version. It was only from the 1990s onwards it started to acquire a cult reputation. It was cited as an influence by American directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh.
Michael Caine plays Jack Carter who seems to have been in London so long. He has lost all traces of his Geordie accent.
Carter travels back to Newcastle on the train to attend his brother Frank's supposedly accidental death. Carter is not convinced that his death was an accident and makes a few enquiries.
Carter also plans to go to South America with his mistress and asks his niece Doreen to join him there. When some henchmen arrive late at night trying to force Carter to get the next train back to London. It confirms that his brother's death was murder.
Carter's search takes him to an underworld gangster called Kinnear who seemed to have coerced Doreen to take part in a pornographic film. Carter's brother found out about it. It also leaves Carter distraught as it is alleged that he might be Doreen's real father.
Michael Caine has always said that he was never happy with the portrayal of British gangster in movies. They are shown to be stupid or funny when they are actually brutal.
He shows Jack Carter brooding with a sense of quiet menace. Almost amoral with businesslike violence and he's always ready for an opportunity for some casual sex.
Director Mike Hodges has a documentary type setting but has gone for a hard boiled detective approach as Carter investigates. The story does get complex as it deals with people plotting against each other and betrayal.
Carter's mistress is the girlfriend of his London crime boss. The movie is set in a working class part of Newcastle which itself is going through change. There is a character called Brumby who is involved in the renewal of the city.
Hodges also adds some nice lurid touches to the grittiness. When Carter telephones his mistress in London from Newcastle for some phone sex. The landlady of the boarding house rocks back and fro in her rocking chair as she listens on. There is also some humour. When Brumby suddenly disappears and the police arrive. One of the architects that Brumby had a meeting with notes that they are unlikely to be paid.
Get Carter was a movie that was always shown on television late at night usually in an edited version. It was only from the 1990s onwards it started to acquire a cult reputation. It was cited as an influence by American directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh.
- Prismark10
- Nov 15, 2020
- Permalink
Sleazy 70's gangster classic.
I watched this recently as it is a well-known British classic thriller. As with a lot of these older films (made in '71) the sound quality wasn't great. That slightly spoiled my enjoyment of the film.
If I was to choose a soundtrack that complemented a film perfectly, I would choose the Get Carter theme. The tune opens the film with a solo played on a harpsichord (I think) which evokes a sense of disaffection, and then in the film we arrive by train at a industrial wasteland that is Newcastle in the 1970's. Also a bass guitar is playing a groovy riff in background, and that is after we have witnessed in the film gangsters enjoying a porn film. The music sets up the film perfectly.
It has been a while since I watched this film. It certainly reminded me of classic 70s TV programmes like The Sweeney and Play for Today. Gritty, sleazy and with a aftertaste of poverty. Looking back at it though it's quite a straightforward revenge flick. There isn't much character development for Michael Caine as Carter, but he is still good in a quiet, reserved performance.
One surprise for me was that the film starred the famous English playwright John Osborne as one of the northern gangsters (Cyril). He is famous for writing plays such as Look Back in Anger. There is northern twist to this film with the backdrop of austerity in Newcastle played against the rich London gangster. Hands full of pound notes and drinking beer out of a straight glass. This brings an added interest to the film. I really thought the setting of the film is one of the most enjoyable parts of it, and alongside the haunting music really captures your interest more than it would in another location.
If you want to recapture life in Britain in the 1970's you will love this movie, and it has some of the best British actors in it like Caine and Ian Hendry. The film starts fairly positively for Carter and then descends gradually into hell as he seeks more and more revenge. In the end there is no good guys left including Carter. I gave it a 6/10 because I felt it could have developed the character's back story a bit more, but it is one of those films that stays in your head long after the film ends.
If I was to choose a soundtrack that complemented a film perfectly, I would choose the Get Carter theme. The tune opens the film with a solo played on a harpsichord (I think) which evokes a sense of disaffection, and then in the film we arrive by train at a industrial wasteland that is Newcastle in the 1970's. Also a bass guitar is playing a groovy riff in background, and that is after we have witnessed in the film gangsters enjoying a porn film. The music sets up the film perfectly.
It has been a while since I watched this film. It certainly reminded me of classic 70s TV programmes like The Sweeney and Play for Today. Gritty, sleazy and with a aftertaste of poverty. Looking back at it though it's quite a straightforward revenge flick. There isn't much character development for Michael Caine as Carter, but he is still good in a quiet, reserved performance.
One surprise for me was that the film starred the famous English playwright John Osborne as one of the northern gangsters (Cyril). He is famous for writing plays such as Look Back in Anger. There is northern twist to this film with the backdrop of austerity in Newcastle played against the rich London gangster. Hands full of pound notes and drinking beer out of a straight glass. This brings an added interest to the film. I really thought the setting of the film is one of the most enjoyable parts of it, and alongside the haunting music really captures your interest more than it would in another location.
If you want to recapture life in Britain in the 1970's you will love this movie, and it has some of the best British actors in it like Caine and Ian Hendry. The film starts fairly positively for Carter and then descends gradually into hell as he seeks more and more revenge. In the end there is no good guys left including Carter. I gave it a 6/10 because I felt it could have developed the character's back story a bit more, but it is one of those films that stays in your head long after the film ends.
- g-white723
- Feb 9, 2016
- Permalink
Subtle And Brutal
Get Carter was an unusually gritty film for it's time, recieving an X rating on its initial release in 1971. Fifty years later, in an era of more graphic films, this film still manages to be brutal and hardcore. This film feels like the closest one could get to portraying the activities of British gangsters, perfectly capped off with its sudden, shocking ending.
The performances in this film are direct and unfiltered, especially Michael Caine's. Caine spent much of his career playing lighter roles or characters with a good deal of humor but that doesn't mean he couldn't do a role like Jack Carter. He is believable and intimidating and fits exceptionally well in the role.
Suprising for a film this grounded the it is very stylish. Such as shots like the birdseye view of Carter escaping from McCarthy and Peter on the dock; how many times in the film two unrelated sequences play out simultaneously together. And yet the picture still has a very subdued and dry tone. Which might its flaw. It's so discreet and grounded that it can be hard to follow and feels a little bland.
Get Carter is a subtle and callous film with an artistic bent,veristic dialouge and a great performance from Michael Caine.
Get Carter is a subtle and callous film with an artistic bent,veristic dialouge and a great performance from Michael Caine.
- RonellSowes
- Jan 19, 2021
- Permalink
Superior gangster film
- johngammon56
- Feb 26, 2007
- Permalink
Tough, nasty and well done.
- planktonrules
- Nov 13, 2013
- Permalink
A Masterpiece of Grittiness
This is one of Caine's best roles and undoubtedly one of the greatest gangster/crime films ever made. It is unrelentingly harsh, gritty, and bleak in showing the nasty world of Carter.
Few characters are truly likable or admirable and most have a mix of good and bad. This applies to Carter himself and even the bystanders or victims. Everyone is portrayed as flawed somehow, even those who are tragic. This is one of many aspects that adds to the realism of this film.
This grittiness is true not only of the world of crime, but the entire world of the early post-industrial Northern England, once at the forefront of the industrial revolution but by then a depressed backwater that had yet to feel the true benefits of recent social and economic changes. It thus provides some subtle social commentary as well, although one may easily miss it.
In addition to its raw grittiness, the film is also very intense. There is a building tension throughout, and a palpable that things are not right. At the same time, the events, in particular the action and violence are rather slow but relentless.
In fact, the way the film presents the violence and action is one of the keys to its greatness. It is an unusual, fascinating, and very powerful depiction. There isn't gore or even lots of blood or the like and, like the rest of the film, it generally progresses slowly and calmly. It's not exhilarating or glamorous, but instead deliberate, relentless, and, above all, cold. The coldness of the violence and how Carter in particular, but others as well, kill and hurt in an unfeeling, perfunctory manner makes it seem all the more harsh.
Another interesting aspect of the film is the juxtaposition of the idea that someone can force or change events around him against the feeling that one can merely react to events beyond his control. Both of these themes seem to clash in Carter and his actions, for one of these themes may at times appear to be what's happening, yet in the end it seems that the other exerts its dominance.
Ultimately, this is superb, extremely gritty, and powerful drama. It contains action and violence, but it is not an action film and most expecting a non-stop action film, with flashy fighting, "getting the bad guys," etc. may well be bored.
Few characters are truly likable or admirable and most have a mix of good and bad. This applies to Carter himself and even the bystanders or victims. Everyone is portrayed as flawed somehow, even those who are tragic. This is one of many aspects that adds to the realism of this film.
This grittiness is true not only of the world of crime, but the entire world of the early post-industrial Northern England, once at the forefront of the industrial revolution but by then a depressed backwater that had yet to feel the true benefits of recent social and economic changes. It thus provides some subtle social commentary as well, although one may easily miss it.
In addition to its raw grittiness, the film is also very intense. There is a building tension throughout, and a palpable that things are not right. At the same time, the events, in particular the action and violence are rather slow but relentless.
In fact, the way the film presents the violence and action is one of the keys to its greatness. It is an unusual, fascinating, and very powerful depiction. There isn't gore or even lots of blood or the like and, like the rest of the film, it generally progresses slowly and calmly. It's not exhilarating or glamorous, but instead deliberate, relentless, and, above all, cold. The coldness of the violence and how Carter in particular, but others as well, kill and hurt in an unfeeling, perfunctory manner makes it seem all the more harsh.
Another interesting aspect of the film is the juxtaposition of the idea that someone can force or change events around him against the feeling that one can merely react to events beyond his control. Both of these themes seem to clash in Carter and his actions, for one of these themes may at times appear to be what's happening, yet in the end it seems that the other exerts its dominance.
Ultimately, this is superb, extremely gritty, and powerful drama. It contains action and violence, but it is not an action film and most expecting a non-stop action film, with flashy fighting, "getting the bad guys," etc. may well be bored.
- Wulfstan10
- Mar 14, 2005
- Permalink
solid british gangster film
I just saw this movie and have to say I enjoyed it. Get Carter details Jack Carter, played by Michael Caine, who goes to his brother's funeral and begins to suspect that his death was not an accident. I thought the acting, particularly on the part of Caine, was excellent. I also enjoyed the music and cinematography. If you're a fan of british gangster films and/or enjoy Michael Caine films, I recommend Get Carter.
Masterpiece of intense drama, with hidden depths
Gotten
Suspecting foul play after learning of his brother's death, a ruthless gangster returns home to find those responsible in this iconic British crime drama starring Michael Caine. The film is credited as a 'thriller' on IMDb, but it is a little too leisurely paced for that to ring true. There is very little sense of urgency to Caine's quest to avenge his brother's death - but this is not necessarily a bad thing. If anything, 'Get Carter' is a refreshingly different sort of revenge movie with limited action and a dislikeable main character whose only noticeable human quality is his dedication to his family. There is also an interesting dynamic at hand with Caine acknowledging that he is "the bad one" and that if either of them should be dead by now, it should be him. For all its uniqueness, 'Get Carter' is not, however, the easiest film to watch. There are quite a few dull patches throughout and it is only so interesting to follow a character with relatively few positive qualities. The film additionally throws so many supporting characters into the mix that, upon first viewing at least, it is sometimes hard to keep track of who is who. The scattered memorable moments of the film are, however, very, very memorable. These include an explicit phone sex session with constants cuts to Caine's landlady rocking back and forth in her chair, as well as a scene in which Caine forces two men out of his room at gunpoint and in the nude. The sombre ending is also pitch perfect. Caine and director Mike Hodges would collaborate on the equally uneven and yet still worthwhile 'Pulp' one year later.
70's period piece that still cuts the mustard...
Strongman and enforcer Jack Carter (Michael Caine) returns to his native North East (of England) to investigate the suspicious death of his brother. Here he encounter a world of sleaze, booze, violence, casual sex and people in search of easy money.
Hard to call it a classic early British gangster film given that they were so few around, but more a cracking thriller that makes full use of its cast, plot and (unusual) Newcastle Upon Tyne location.
Writer-Director Mike Hodges wanted violence with reality and he delivers it with real punch. Unlike most thrillers bystanders are not immune from the action and at various stages harsh punishment is handed out for minor crimes by anti-hero Caine.
Caine underplays his hardman role nicely - letting the action, rather than his emotions, tell the story.
Several people claim real-life events "inspired" this story, but as far as I can tell the only direct reference to real events is that the one-arm bandit business started to earn big money (in the North East) and London gangsters "wanted in." That lead to bloodshed, but that is not the thrust of this film - although one of the main characters is, indeed, in that business.
Having gone to the trouble of reading the screenplay, I was surprised how thin the dialogue was. This is a good example of how it is better to "show" things rather than "tell." I did learn, however, that the thugs that come to beat Caine up are supposed to be gay - one may wear a pink neckerchief but I thought that was just the dandy fashions of the day!
Those that are not familiar with Newcastle may also like to note that the place is nowhere near the sea, in case you decide to take a holiday up there and are thinking of packing your trunks!
On release the film did well enough in the UK, but died a death in the USA due to being released as a double bill with Dirty Dingus Magee: A terrible Frank Sinatra movie.
If you like hard-edged thrillers that don't play nice then Get Carter may well be worth your time and effort.
Hard to call it a classic early British gangster film given that they were so few around, but more a cracking thriller that makes full use of its cast, plot and (unusual) Newcastle Upon Tyne location.
Writer-Director Mike Hodges wanted violence with reality and he delivers it with real punch. Unlike most thrillers bystanders are not immune from the action and at various stages harsh punishment is handed out for minor crimes by anti-hero Caine.
Caine underplays his hardman role nicely - letting the action, rather than his emotions, tell the story.
Several people claim real-life events "inspired" this story, but as far as I can tell the only direct reference to real events is that the one-arm bandit business started to earn big money (in the North East) and London gangsters "wanted in." That lead to bloodshed, but that is not the thrust of this film - although one of the main characters is, indeed, in that business.
Having gone to the trouble of reading the screenplay, I was surprised how thin the dialogue was. This is a good example of how it is better to "show" things rather than "tell." I did learn, however, that the thugs that come to beat Caine up are supposed to be gay - one may wear a pink neckerchief but I thought that was just the dandy fashions of the day!
Those that are not familiar with Newcastle may also like to note that the place is nowhere near the sea, in case you decide to take a holiday up there and are thinking of packing your trunks!
On release the film did well enough in the UK, but died a death in the USA due to being released as a double bill with Dirty Dingus Magee: A terrible Frank Sinatra movie.
If you like hard-edged thrillers that don't play nice then Get Carter may well be worth your time and effort.
You become voyeur and villain in Get Carter
- paul-337-540260
- Nov 11, 2015
- Permalink
The Revenge Drama
London criminal Michael Caine returns to Newcastle for his straight-arrow brother's funeral. The police say he got drunk and killed himself in a driving accident, but little bits don't add up. Caine pokes around Newcastle's dirtier side and becomes convinced it was a murder. But who and why?
It's a thoroughly unlikable movie, from Caine's seething performance through Wolfgang Suchitsky's overcast Technicolor lighting through the apathetic and evil people who inhabit the movie's world. At the same time, this neo-noir take on the Elizabethan Revenge drama is a brilliant exposition on the dark side. There's no one to admire here, no dark humor. The people in charge are not misfits. John Osborne, as a local crook, isn't a man oppressed by his environment, searching for a meaning that isn't there. He's a smart man who has judged his society accurately and coldly applied its rules to his own profit.
Caine's self-loathing rage is likewise efficiently applied. The police won't come and save anyone, they won't avenge anyone, they won't restore order by finding the bad guys. They are almost unseen, a howling car showing up too late, unable to stop or even notice Caine's spree. There is no justice, just revenge, and application of the rule that mad dogs must be put down.
It's a thoroughly unlikable movie, from Caine's seething performance through Wolfgang Suchitsky's overcast Technicolor lighting through the apathetic and evil people who inhabit the movie's world. At the same time, this neo-noir take on the Elizabethan Revenge drama is a brilliant exposition on the dark side. There's no one to admire here, no dark humor. The people in charge are not misfits. John Osborne, as a local crook, isn't a man oppressed by his environment, searching for a meaning that isn't there. He's a smart man who has judged his society accurately and coldly applied its rules to his own profit.
Caine's self-loathing rage is likewise efficiently applied. The police won't come and save anyone, they won't avenge anyone, they won't restore order by finding the bad guys. They are almost unseen, a howling car showing up too late, unable to stop or even notice Caine's spree. There is no justice, just revenge, and application of the rule that mad dogs must be put down.
A portrait of revenge--and all that it entails
- skepticskeptical
- May 25, 2015
- Permalink
It hasn't aged all that well; slow, pulpy and sometimes off-putting.
Often hailed as a classic of the gangster genre, perhaps 'Get Carter (1971)' was 'groundbreaking' initially because of its cold and callous depiction of both its central character and the criminals he essentially calls his co-workers. It hasn't aged too well, though, with many misogynistic moments and a general poor treatment of women coming up too often to be considered just unfortunate 'by-products of its time'. It is also incredibly dull, attempting to be a slow-burning thriller but instead just being slow. There is a proper nastiness to the picture, a pulpy heart beating underneath its calm and collected exterior, but this often comes across as ever-so-slightly 'glamorised' even if Carter himself isn't really considered a 'hero'. It's in its seedier side that it finds its most success and, somewhat paradoxically, its most failure. While there's a sense of violence begetting violence and criminality spreading to even the most innocent like a corrosive virus, there's also a sense that the movie revels in its depiction of these elements (especially those that concern its female characters) even as it condemns them, to a bizarre and often off-putting result. Its biggest issue, however, is that it isn't ever entertaining. 4/10
- Pjtaylor-96-138044
- Jun 20, 2018
- Permalink