Get Carter

A genuine classic

06 December 2008

If Shakespeare could have written a gangster movie, "Get Carter" would surely be the one. Jack Carter is the 1970s embodiment of classical tragic heroes like Hamlet or Macbeth. Also, in the finest Shakespearian tradition, as the film reaches its climax, the bodies begin to mount with alarming rapidity.
The film is initially a slow-burner, but what is arguably a career-best performance from Michael Caine sustains interest until the plot begins, in every sense, to kick in. And when it does, there's no stopping it, as Carter ruthlessly, and recklessly, sets about dealing with his enemies.The industrial city of Newcastle is depicted as gritty, seedy and unapologetically working class. The grainy camerawork gives the impression that this is a real-life documentary rather than a gangster flick.

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