Get Carter (1971)

Get Carter is a British thriller film first released in 1971, directed by Mike Hodges.  The film is based on a novel by Ted Lewis and stars Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, Britt Ekland, John Osborne and Tony Beckley.  Our overall rating for this film is: excellent.


London-based gangster Jack Carter returns to his home in Newcastle to attend the funeral of his brother, Frank.  The official story is that Frank Carter died in a car accident whilst heavily intoxicated, but Jack soon begins to suspect that he was murdered.  As he renews old acquaintances, Jack realises that someone was keen to have his brother put away.  He resolves to find out who, and once he has solved that little mystery it will be payback time...

Unquestionably the king of British crime thrillers, Get Carter was something of a revolution when it blazed onto cinema screens in the UK in 1971.  Coming after a decade in which cinema audiences were offered nothing but a rose-tinted view of crime, the film broke new ground with its hard-edged realism and uncompromising depiction of gangland violence.

In his first film as a director, Mike Hodges skilfully uses the bleak urban landscape of Newcastle and Gateshead as a backdrop to a grimly nihilistic drama set in northern England’s murky underworld.  Stylishly shot and daring both in its eroticism and brutality, this film would have a lasting impact on British cinema.

In his most memorable role, Michael Caine plays the avenging angel Jack Carter with a combination of charm and sadism – a tough cookie, but one that retains our sympathy in spite of the tough medicine he dishes out to anyone, male or female, who riles him.  Few British actors do dry sarcasm and moral indignation as effortlessly as Caine and in this made-to-measure role the actor gives what is assuredly one of his best performances.

Get Carter was not well received when it was first released, many critics condemning the film for its explicit violence and perceived soullessness.  However, its standing has improved greatly over the years and today it is considered one of the best of British films.  The year 2000 saw the release of an American remake, directed by Stephen T. Kay and starring Sylvester Stallone.  Neither audiences nor critics were impressed by this uninspired attempt to remake an iconic piece of British cinema.

© James Travers 2009

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