Get Carter [1971] [DVD] [1971]

I am going to state right from the beginning here that I am very fond of Michael Caine, the quintessential English actor and that my favourite film of his is not the obvious one, you know the one, come to it later, but this one Get Carter. The film was made in 1970, released 1971 and encompassing Newcastle Upon Tyne (and Gateshead) as it was in the 1960s and where most of it was filmed. There is not much of the City left that existed during the filming but bits do, 25 Coburg Street for example (the Las Vegas boarding house) and there are a few others, mostly completely changed since then. For me, the film has held its head high and is still as gripping and enjoyable to watch today as it was then, oh, and of course, so is almost everyone's favourite, you know, the one with all the minis running down stone steps and the coach hanging over the edge of a cliff.

Saw the movie at the cinema in Newcastle when it first came out, and bought the dvd recently after seeing the film again on tv.I remember the film being shot in the summer of 1970 in Newcastle, the city was buzzing with life then. It was my last year in Newcastle before leaving for university in Manchester, and I was enjoying the nightlife at the Mayfair seeing big rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple playing on a Friday night.For me the film is a snapshot of the city in 1970, before the motorway was built through the middle of it, and when the Quayside was still dominated by derelict buildings and a smelly river.Great story, great performances by Caine, Hendry and others. Possibly the greatest British gangster film, possibly but I'm slightly biased, for nostalgic reasons.

Probably the worst looking blu-ray disc I have bought. A slight improvement on an ordinary dvd but that's all. Very disappointing treatment of such a good film. They obviously went to no trouble at all with this one.

I guess this film works well enough on the level of an action thriller. And it certainly succeeds in what appears to have been its intention, i.e. to show that gangsterism ought not to be romanticised. Thus it is legitimised, when otherwise it wouldn't have been. Its bleakness and violence, including against women (not very nice ones, but still...), make this quite simply one of the nastiest films ever made. The problem is that since we long ago got the message that gangsters aren't funny, to a modern audience it can just seem nihilistic and depressing. It's of historic value as a piece of 70s cynicism which contrasts sharply with the relatively sanitised, and sometimes almost comedic approach of the 60s. And realism apart, it's hard to love a hero who is quite prepared to harm the innocent in order to get his revenge. Be warned; whatever the cultural significance of the film, it ain't gonna uplift your spirits.

A mesmerising work, not least for evoking a Life on Mars on steroids Newcastle, but with greater angst and desperation. Caine is almost too brilliant, in danger of lapsing into self-parody and caught in elements of Absurdism near the end from The Director. The sexuality is often ahead of its time. A mind-blowing great work, perhaps one day in the Global top 3. Inspired by Godard though......the endless interruptions.

Picture quality is no better then standard definition and audio is mono and not DTS-HD 5.1 as stated on the sleeve.

Get Carter is a wonderful film but this transfer to Blu-Ray, the sounds quality is appalling and I had to turn up the sound so loud and the picture was poor. I send the item back and asked for a refund.

Apart from his workmate who says this (& Frank's other mate, Keith), Frank is the only "good bloke" here.Jack Carter is a psychotic, amoral killer. The other gangsters are no better, just less efficient. Doreen is a hapless innocent. The other women are also victims in a misogynistic setting, but also treacherous and untrustworthy. There are no straightforward heroes and villains, just predators and victims. The viewer's perception of Jack is constantly challenged: you almost feel sorry for some of the cowardly co-conspirators as he hunts them down and kills them one by one, with parting shot dialogue as sharp and deadly as his weapons ... "I KNOW you didn't kill him!" "Goodbye, Eric!"The performances are superb. Caine, of course, but also Ian Hendry, Brian Mosley and an astonishing cameo from John Osborne as the repulsive, reptilian Cyril Kinnear, who indirectly has the last word in the film. One of the greatest films ever. Highest recommendation.