Get Carter opens with Jack's gangland boss pointing out to Carter that he would be best served to simply let his dead brother (who appears to have driven his car in to a river in a drunken stupor) rest, and not to stir up trouble with the Newcastle mob. Jack's responses set the tone for his determination to "find out what happened" and to exact whatever revenge his moral compass points him toward. Carter then proceeds to his old home town of Newcastle from London, for his brother Frank's funeral, and to settle new and old scores.
Through the film we see Carter drink, screw and fight his way through the sleaze and filth of gangland life seemingly oblivious to the fact that Jack's lifestyle was exactly what Frank died fighting. It's suggested that Doreen, Frank's daughter, is in fact Jack's child - a possibility that lends more gravitas to Carter's reaction when the reasons for Frank's death become clear.
Gradually building momentum towards the last 20 minutes of the film, the plot and action is well paced, with enough breathing space to appreciate subtext and other snippets that add to the flesh of the story but not too many gaps as to make things drag.
Get Carter is seen as a transitional point between the fluffy 60s cinema trends and the harder, bleaker material produced in the 70s. An interesting example of this is that one of the heavies sent to bring Carter back to London is played by none other than Tony Beckley, AKA Camp Freddie in that other Caine classic, The Italian Job.
While on first viewing, Carter may seem an unfeeling killer (he's the top hit man in the South of England rather than a small time hood), there are key points in the film where we see emotion from Carter (giving Doreen money outside the Cafe and telling her, "be good, and don't trust boys", the wistful smile on the ferry as two children enjoy a day out with their mother), and even self doubt (Linda drowning in her car as it's rammed in to the river by Eric and company after the shootout).
For me the most impressive point of the film is its bleakness. Newcastle warts and all - from the old boys in the pub eyeing Carter with suspicion to the eagerness with which the gossips lap up the news of Brumby's grizzly demise), all constantly underpinning the blackness of Carter's character. Caine's acting may be shunned by some as almost comically bad, but the understated nature of the performance, it's lack of "flash" or set piece ham, and it's out-and-out Britishness strike a resonant chord. Get Carter is more than a film about revenge, it's about morality, paying your due, and ultimately how you make your life as cheap (or rich) as you will. Despite its cult status, Get Carter has a place in mainstream cinema for it's directorial values, it's intelligent use of music, and even more bold uses of silences. Compelling and absorbing stuff.
A small-time street tough from London finds himself enmeshed in a web of deceit blackmail and murder when he investigates the circumstances surroundin...More at Family Video
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