Get Carter "Take me back to London!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, just before the month ends, I figured I'd do another post and this is actually a revisit of sorts of an old one from over 10 years, which is on a film I watched recently, Get Carter starring Michael Caine as the proverbial Jack Carter, a villain who is out for personal revenge.

So, I will expand on the sections as usual and add in some more details since the old post is quite well...old! So, with that said, let's take another look at this classic crime thriller...

And the usual warning is coming...

PLOT SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!!

STORY

So, the film starts in London where the main character, Jack Carter (Caine) who is a gangster who works for organised crime bosses Sid and Gerald Fletcher (John Bindon and Terence Rigby) visits his home city of Newcastle to attend the funeral of his brother, Frank.  Carter's real motives of returning to Newcastle are actually to find out how Frank died as he believes the circumstances of his death from an alleged drunk driving accident are somewhat suspect.  

After attending the funeral, Carter starts to try and find out some answers as he visits a racecourse to seek out an old acquaintence, Albert Swift (Glynn Edwards) who evades him.  However Carter at the racecourse bumps into another old acquiantence, Eric Paice (Ian Hendry) who works as a chauffer but he refuses to tell Carter whom he works for.  Carter then follows Eric to a country house, which belongs to a crime boss, Cyril Kinnear (John Osbourne) where he burst in on Kinnear while he plays poker.  Carter however learns little and he leaves only to be warned by Eric not to cause trouble between Kinnear and the Fletchers.

Back in town at the bedsit where Jack is staying he is confronted by some of the Fletchers men who want Jack to go home and stop snooping about, however Jack fights them off and chases one of them, Thorpe (Bernard Hepton) and captures him.  Jack takes Thorpe back to his bedsit room, along with one of Frank's acquaintenaces, Keith (Alun Armstrong) who has been helping him keep tabs on anyone looking for him.  Jack then intimidates Thorpe into telling him who sent him and Thorpe gives the name "Brumby" whom Jacks knows as a businessman, Cliff Brumby (Bryan Mosley).  

Jack pays Brumby a visit but he discovers that Brumby knows nothing about him, so Jack leaves, believing he was set up.  On returning to the bedsit Jack, Edna (Rosemarie Dunham) the landlord, tells Jack the gangsters came back and took away Keith, and in attempt to keep Edna quiet, he seduces her and they spend the night together.  The next morning, two of Jack's associates from London turn up who have been ordered to take him back, but Jack forces them out of the bedsit by pointing a shotgun at them.  Jack then meets up with his brother Frank's mistress, Margaret (Dorothy White) but he refuses to believe what she has to say about Frank, and at that point the two henchmen turn up again, but Jack evades him.  

Jack then pays a visit to Keith, who has been beaten up by the London gangsters, and Jack then pays him some money in compensation, but Keith is furious and as Jack leaves, he shouts at him how Frank warned him about Jack's reputation and that he even had an affair with Frank's wife.  As the gangsters catch up with Frank again, he manages to evade them again as he is picked up by a mysterious woman named Glenda (Geraldine Moffatt) whom he met at Kinnear's place.  Glenda takes Jack to meet Brumby who tells him that Kinnear was apparently behind his brother's death and he offers Jack £5,000 to kill Kinnear, who is looking to take over Brumby's business, but Jack refuses and walks out.  On the way Glenda picks up Jack and they head back to her flat where they have sex.

While at Glenda's flat, Jack watches a pornographic film, which includes Margaret, Albert, Glenda and a young girl named Doreen (Petra Markham) who earlier in the film was revealed to be Jack's niece, this leaves Jack saddened and angry.  Jack then out of fury nearly drowns Glenda while she has a bath and he asks if she knows who the girl was and he reveals to her that the girl was his brother's daughter.  Jack then forces Glenda into the boot of her car and drives off toward a ferry port where he parks the car and travels over the river to find Albert.  

Jack then finds Albert at a bookies and he questions him and Albert tells Jack that he told Brumby that Doreen was Frank's daughter.  Brumby then showed Frank the film which incited him to call the police on Kinnear, and as a result in order to keep Frank quiet, Kinnear sent his men to kill him, which included Eric, after this Jack kills Albert by fatally stabbing him.  

Jack is then attacked by the London gangsters, including Eric who has informed Gerald Fletcher of Jack's affair with his girlfriend, Anna (Brit Erkland).  Jack kills one of the gangsters, Peter (Tony Beckley) while the others push the car with Glenda still in the boot, into the water and then escape.  Jack then goes back to confront Brumby and in a fit of rage he beats him and then pushes him off the multi-storey car park to his death below.  

After this Jack sets about to complete his revenge by settling the scores with everyone who was involved, which soon leads the film into its climax...

THOUGHTS 

While it wasn't too well received on its release, which was in part due to poor promotion at a time which saw the British film industry in a state of a decline, Get Carter since has become a real classic and deservedly so as it stands as one of the best British crime thrillers in modern cinema.  And while the story is nothing too original in itself, its execution is superb and the film has its share of memorable scenes.  

The film also was a real development from previous British crime movies in that attempted to portray a more gritty and realistic depcition of the British crimeworld and of the onscreen violence.  Hodges also researched into the Newcastle crime scene of the time and he also used several hundred extras, all of whom were real locals from the city itself, which helped give the film a very naturalistic feel.

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning: this section contains spoilers!) 

As for the performances the cast are all great here.

Starting with Michael Caine, who is superb in his role as the vengeful gangster Carter, who suspects foul play over his brother's death and is determined to find out what really happened.  And Caine plays Carter with a dry sardonic wit as well as a somewhat cruel indifference towards the violence he commits and even sees in the film.

Caine also has some great dialogue in the film as well and there many examples, such as the scene where he first meets Eric at the racecourse and he takes off Eric's glasses and he says "You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like.  Still the same.  Pissholes in the snow!".  

Also there is the scene where Jack pays a visit to Cliff Brumby's house, Brumby demands Jack to tell him who sent him. So, in the scene, Brumby says to Jack "Bloody well tell me who sent you!" and Jack replies "You're a big man, but you're in bad shape.  With me its a full time job.  Now behave yourself!" and he proceeds to punch and slap Brumby who tries to swing at him and he collapses into a chair.  

Caine also has an amusing moment where he seduces Edna the landlord to keep her quiet about the London gangsters paying him a visit at her bedsit. So, Edna asks Jack "What makes you think I won't call the police and tell them about a fella planning to use a gun" and Jack smiles and says "You wouldn't do that" and Edna asks "Why not?" and he says "Because I know you wear purple underwear". Edna then looks a bit fearful and asks "What?" and Jack says to her "Think about it!" and he tears open her top to reveal her purple bra underneath. 

Another memorable scene is where two of the London gangsters enter Jack's bedsit room while he is having sex with Edna, the landlord, and he then stark naked, grabs his shotgun and forces them to leave the bedsit as he says "Now then, take me back to London!".  In this scene there is also an amusing old fashioned sign hanging over the bed Jack and Edna are sleeping in which says "What would Jesus say?".  And later as he is about to leave in his car, Jack says to Enda "I'm going to sit in the car and whistle "Rule Britannia!" and Edna asks him will he come back and he says "How can I stay away?!" as he heads for the car and drives off.  

Another great moment in Caine's performance comes when he watches the porno film, which includes his niece, Doreen, and he sits tearfully for a moment before he angrily get's up and confronts Glenda and he nearly drowns her in the bath.  And in the scene when he nears the bathroom he asks Glenda if his brother knew about the film and Glenda asks "You're brother??? What are you talkin about!" and then Jack storms into the bathroom yelling "YOU LYING BITCH!!!" as he nearly drowns her.  So, in the scene Glenda gasps for breath as Jack pulls her up and she tells him she only knows the girl's first name and Jack says "Well her last name is Carter.  That's MY name!  And her father was my brother and he was murdered last Sunday! Now get in there and get dressed!".  

This is followed by another good scene where Jack meets with his old acquaintence Albert Swift, who tells him everything, and as Jack pulls out a switchblade knife, Albert begs with Jack not to kill him. o, in the scene, as Albert finishes his confession, Jack asks "Is that everything?" and Albert nods, so Jack takes out his knife and says "Well, that's it then!" and Albert panicked says "For Christ's sake!" and Jack says "You KNEW what I'd do, didn't you, Albert?" and Albert tearfully says "But I didn't kill him!" just before Jack stabs him and shouts "I KNOW you didn't kill him!  I KNOW!!".

Then there is the scene where Jack confronts Brumby at the multi-story carpark and beats him up as he learned about the film Doreen was in and how Frank found out about it. So, Jack punches Brumby in the chest and says "You shouldn't have shown the film to Frank!" and Brumby winded says "I had to! Its the only way I could get at them!" and Jack punches him again and says "You shit!". Brumby then says "They would have killed me!" and Jack says "They killed my brother instead!!" and punches him again. Jack then angrily asks "How would you feel if it were your own daughter getting poked in that film?! EH??!!" and he punches Brumby again and says "Slags like your Sandra, can get away with it, can't they?!" and he punches him again. Jack then angrily says "The Doreens of this world can't, CAN THEY?!" and he punches Brumby again and throws his body off the carpark roof, which crashes into a car below.  

And last of all is the scene where Jack finally chases down Eric to a quarry on the shoreline and he forces Eric to drink down a bottle whiskey, similar to how his brother Frank was killed. So, Jack says to Eric in the scene, who is exhausted from running away from Jack, "STAND UP!" and Jack says to Eric "I think you need a drink!" so he takes out a bottle of whiskey and says to Eric "Go on, have a drink!", so he tosses the bottle to Eric who says warily "I see you've still got your sense of humour!". So, Jack points to Eric and the bottle and says "I want you to drink ALL of that! Go on!" so he begins to force the bottle down Eric's throat and he shouts "DRINK IT!!!". Jack then angrily asks "Did you all have a good laugh when he was drinking it down??!! Did you all pass the bottle when the car went over the top??!!!" and he then takes his shotgun and holds high above his head and shouts "GOODBYE ERIC!!!" and smashes it down on Eric's head. We then cut to seeing Eric's body lie on a mine cart as its carted up on a conveyer line higher up and Jack laughs to himself, finally content with his revenge.   

As for the other performances, Ian Hendry is excellent as the gangster Eric Paice, who works for the crimeboss Cyril Kinnear.  Hendry himself was in poor health at the time of filming as he struggled with alcoholism and was also resentful of Caine's success as an actor. Hendry himself later died in 1984 at the age of 53.  

Hendry has some good moments in the film such as the scene where Eric confronts Jack at the ferry port and he yells at Jack "You're bloody finished, Jack!  I've bloody finish you!" and Jack replies "Not till I'm dead, Eric!".  And Eric goes on "You've still got your sense of humour!  Shall I tell him how I finsihed you off, Jack or will you, Con?". So, one of the gangsters, Con (George Sewell) says "He's told Sid about you and Anna!". So, Eric says "He didn't believe me at first, then Peter told him!  But do you still think you'll fancy her when Gerald's through with her face and that?!" and as his men push Glenda's car into the water he says to him "Jack!  Your car needs a wash!". 

John Osbourne is also very good in his role as the crime boss, Cryil Kinnear, and his main scene is really good where he plays poker just as Jack bursts into the room, and Kinnear with a dry cynical wit says to Jack "You see how it is, Jack, you just can't get the material!" and he proceeds to taunt one of his players, Harry, during the game, who ends up losing and says to him "I haven't won, have I??! You see that?? Old Harry thought I was having him on!". Also in the scene, Kinnear offers Jack a drink, so Glenda, get's him one in a small glass, so Kinnear tells her "Glenda, you don't offer a drink to a man like Jack in one of those piddling glasses, get him a bottle!". So, after Jack takes the bottle, he sits with Glenda, who flirts with him for a bit, so Jack then get's up to leave and Kinnear asks "You going, Jack" and Jack says "Must, things to do" and Kinnear cooly says "Of course, well drop in anytime". 

Alun Armstrong also makes his screen debut as Keith, one of Frank's acquiantences and he delivers an excellent performance.  Keith's character however soon falls foul of Jack's gangster associates who beat him up, and Jack later pays him a visit at Keith's flat, as Keith lies flat out on his bed, battered and bruised.  

So, I will mention the scene where Jack denies that he knew the gangsters would come back and he gives him some money as compensation. So, in the scene, Jack enters and sees a battered looking Keith lying on his bed and Jack asks "They hurt you?" and Keith says "No. You bastard! You knew they would come back!" and Jack says "No, I didn't". Keith then says "My girlfriend is coming down from Liverpool tonight, nice surprise, isn't it??!!".  Jack then says "OK, OK. I want to square things with you" and Keith asks "How?" and Jack takes out some money and Keith says "Stuff it!". Jack then takes some money out anyway and says "I'm sorry. Look here, get yourself a course in karate" and he leaves with Keith yelling at him "Frank always said you were a bloody shit and he were right!  You even screwed his wife didn't you?!  The poor bastard didn't even know if the kid was his!!".  

Geraldine Moffat is also excellent in her role as the seductive Glenda, who Jack ends up having sex with and later its revealed she was in the porno film with Doreen. 

And Moffat has a good scene where Glenda picks Jack up in the car and she says "I bet you didn't know you had a fairy God mother did you?!" and she drives him real fast up into a multi-story car park to meet Brumby. So, in the scene Jack asks "Alright, princess, where are we going?" and she says "Oh, to the demon king's castle of course!". Jack then asks as Glenda speeds her car up a multi-story car park "How, did you know where I was?" and Glenda tells him "You were seen parking your car. The demon king waved his wand and I was dispatched to bring you to him. Lucky for you, I waited". So, Jack then says "He must have been pretty sure I'd come" and Glenda says "Oh he was, he told me a magic spell that would make you come!" and Jack asks "What is that?" and Glenda says "We're there now!" and Jack says "Thank god!".     

Tony Beckley and George Sewell are also both excellent in their roles as the two London gangsters, Peter and Con respectively, who arrive to try and take Jack back to London and they share a good scene when Jack, naked, turfs them out of the bedsit, by pointing a shotgun at them.  So, in the scene Con says to Jack, "Put it away Jack, you know you're not gonna use it" and Peter laughs and says "The gun he means!".  

Glynn Edwards (who was best known for his work in the TV show Minder) is very good in his role as the shifty Albert, who was also in the porno film involving Doreen. 

So, I will mention some of Edwards main scene where Albert confesses to Jack his involvement in the film and also how Frank was killed. 

So, in the scene Albert tries to do a runner on Jack as he tries to climb over the wall behind the bookies but Jack pulls him down. So, Jack says "You can't run from me, Albert" and Albert defeatedly says "I know. For Christ's sake, give us a fag", so Jack gives him one and Albert admits "I didn't know who Doreen was, I just thought she was another bird". Jack then asks "Who killed Frank?" and Albert heistates and Jack warns him "You wanna be dead, Albert?" and Albert says "Last Sunday, Eric and a few of his boys took Frank and stuffed a bottle of whisky down his throat. After that, they drove him off in a car". Frank then asks "Did Eric know Frank was my brother?" and Albert says "Yeah" and Jack asks "What did he say" and Albert says "Good". Albert finishes saying "Afterward, they drove him off in a car" and Jack then asks "Is that everything?" and Albert nods and Jack produces his flick knife and says "Well, that's it then". So, Albert now terrified pleads, "For Christ's sake! For Christ's sake!!" and Jack says "You KNEW what I'd do, didn't you, Albert??" and Albert pleads "Yeah, but I didn't kill him!" and Jack says as he stabs Albert "I KNOW YOU DIDN'T KILL HIM! I KNOW!!" and Albert slumps to the ground dead.  

And last but far from least is Britt Ekland as Jack's girlfriend, Anna, who is the wife of one of the Fletchers.  

Ekland doesn't appear much in the film but she certainly makes a memorable impression in her main scene where she indulges in some kinky phone chat with Jack (very nice!) which is interrupted by her husband, Gerald, who asks her "What's the matter you got gut trouble or something??".  And Anna says "No, darling, just doing my exercises" and then quietly says goodbye to Jack, who meanwhile is sitting in the bedsit, with Edna moving back and forth in her rocking chair throughout the scene.  Ekland herself at the time of the film, was reluctant to take the part as she didn't want to do a nude scene but was financially struggling at the time in her life, but later admitted she was glad she took the role.  

DIRECTOR AND MUSIC 

Getting to the director, Mike Hodges does a great job here with Get Carter and throughout he keeps the film moving well and it rarely ever drags.  Hodges also makes great use of many of the locations in Newcastle with the most memorable being the Trinity square car park, which was used in the scene where Jack meets with Brumby and he later kills Brumby there as well.  The car park itself has since being demolished back in 2010.  Hodges also perfectly captures the grimy and realistic tone of the period and the setting, as well as taking a more realistic view of the British criminal underworld.  

The film also has a unique and very memorable score by Roy Budd and the title theme to this day is instantly recognisible and he makes good use of Indian tabla drums throughout the score. The score itself is pretty sparse in its use but it is pretty effective when its heard. Budd himself would later go on to score films such as the war films, Wild Geese, Sea Wolves and also Who Dares Wins. 

FLAWS

As for flaws, well Get Carter doesn't that too many but there are one or two. 

For starters, you could argue that Jack really is in a precarious position right from the start of the film before he even goes to Newcastle because he is already having an affair with his boss's wife, Anna. So, on top of pissing off his boss by cheating on the missus, he also decides to stick his nose into the affairs of Kinnear's crime family as well. So, yeah as the film progresses, you can see even if Jack survives all this and carries out his initial plan to escape his gangster life with Anna, its bound to fail as Fletcher would be ceratin to catch up to him.

Further to this, its also pretty apparent that Jack didn't do a very good job at covering his own tracks with his affair with Anna, as clearly Eric knew about it as did the Fletcher associates, Peter and Con. So, ultimately this got back to Fletcher simply due to Jack being pretty inept at hiding his affair, otherwise, maybe he could have got away with it.   

There are also one or two confusing moments such as the one with the scene where Jack threatens a woman as he looks for Albert but we don't know who she is or anything. We do see her make a phone call in the next moment of the film as Jack heads to the bookies to find Albert but that aside, her appearance in the film makes little sense.

And last of all is not so much a flaw but a very weird curiosity in the film where we see an old man in a bar in Newcastle at the start, who is seen drinking and he has six fingers on his hand! Now, this really is a strange one and something that is again left unexplained, unless he just happened to be born with a strange difficiency that gave him six fingers in real life, or maybe the director decided to give him an artificial finger to make him stand out more! Its hard to say but this really is a bizarre one in the film itself.

Anyway that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So, to sum up, Get Carter remains a great crime thriller classic of its time and it features a great performance by Michael Caine, where he really made a departure from his usual roles to play a pretty ruthless villain. The supporting cast are also really good as well particularly Ian Hendry, George Osbourne, Brian Moseley and Gerladine Moffatt. The film also has a memorable and unique score by Roy Budd with a catchy theme tune and the film is very well directed by Mike Hodges, who makes great use of the grimy locations within old Newcastle. So, with that all said, I can highly recommend Get Carter, which is way superior to the dreadful remake some years later starring Sylvester Stallone and remains one of the great modern crime classics of its time.

So, I will rate Get Carter

9.5 out of 10

So, that's it for now and I will be back sometime next month.

Till then bye for now!