Simply A Masterpiece

Good concept, poorly executed.

Absolutely Brilliant!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

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

First and foremost (this written in 2017) the film would be a shocker to any millennial who sees Caine mainly as the crying butler in Batman.The film was done at the peak of Caine's career, a time when he had proved he could play anything from a sex god (Alfie) to a spy (Harry Palmer.) In many ways this film combines the two into one.Add to the mix the grittiness of London in the 70s, the emergence of "gangster swag," the treatment of women in general (the words "politically correct" did not exist then) and the outrageously cynical/nihilistic ending -- and you have a timeless classic.If you want to go deeper, and see the film as a prophetic vision of Britain in the 21st century, you can.And for the most fun of all you can compare and contrast to the Stallone version, with its massive rewrites.Stallone did his version at a point in his career where -- unlike Caine -- he knew he had the clock working against him and he desperately needed properties to show his own brand of swag. In the later version, there is more action, less loving, and Stallone does indeed bring to the party his own unique style of physical menace, simply by being in the frame.But this is the version that film buffs of the future will cherish.

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.

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.