Get Carter, 1971.
Directed by Mike Hodges.
Starring Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, John Osborne, and Britt Ekland.
SYNOPSIS:
If you’re a fan of this one, you might want to wait a few days and get the new 4K Ultra HD edition that’s on the way, since it will include the new 4K restoration by the British Film Institute and a healthy batch of extras. The Blu-ray disc discussed in this review is actually a rerelease of the 2014 one, which only contains a commentary track.
This was my first time seeing Mike Hodges’ 1971 classic Get Carter, but it didn’t disappoint. I’ve always been a fan of Michael Caine’s suave demeanor, and it’s on full display here.
He plays Jack Carter, who works for a pair of gangsters in London but gets pulled back to his hometown, Newcastle, after his brother, Frank, dies in what was supposedly a drunk-driving accident. He’s warned not to stir up any trouble, but Jack decides the official cause of death is fishy and starts digging into what really happened.
Jack’s journey takes him into the orbit of old acquaintances and eventually into the home of local crime boss Cyril Kinnear (John Osborne). That’s problematic because it could lead to issues with the relationship between his bosses and Kinnear, but he’s been having sex with the girlfriend of one of his bosses and plans to flee with her to South America when he’s done.
His continued digging leads him deeper and deeper into the sordid affairs of the Newcastle mob, driving the story toward a nihilistic conclusion that was probably a great way to kick off 1970s cinema. Sure, we had Star Wars in 1977, but the years leading up to that movie were full of these kinds of films, both in the United States and in Europe.
Get Carter received a mix reception upon its release 54 years ago, but it has gained a cult following following in the decades since then. In particular, ringing endorsements from Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie have led to a reevaluation of the film. Yes, if you have a problem with amoral characters, you should probably steer clear of this one, but, otherwise, it’s worth a watch.
My understanding is that this Blu-ray is a reissue of the disc released by Warner Bros. in 2014. A new 4K Ultra HD edition of the film is about to ship, so you might want to wait and grab it if this review has intrigued you. That one will come with a Blu-ray too, and it will apparently sport the 2022 4K restoration undertaken by the British Film Institute. It will be the U.S. premiere of that restoration.
The new edition will also feature several bonus features, as opposed to this edition, which serves up only a commentary track with Michael Caine, director Mike Hodges and cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitsky. The three of them were recorded separately, so their comments are mostly focused on their specific contributions to Get Carter. It’s a track that was also found on the 2000 DVD release of this film, so any historical musings end in the late 90s.
As you might imagine, Caine discusses his career to that point, why he took the role, and so forth. Hodges gives a big picture view of the production, including tensions between Caine and fellow actor Ian Hendry (playing Jack’s old acquaintance Eric Paice), which actually helped the film since their characters were at odds. And Suschitsky gets into his lighting choices and so forth.
A trio of trailers round out the platter.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★ ★
Brad Cook
