Get Carter

Mike Hodges' film is interesting. An atypically shot and realistic gangster film, with the support of the star Michael Caine, should have the potential to become a cult film, thanks to its bloody revenge story. However, it is emotionally cold and distant in its execution, reminiscent of Michael Haneke's later work, and that may be why some people use the term "boring" in their reviews. At the same time, I am somewhat bothered by unfinished or improbable details, such as the gun our anti-hero takes to the busy city to carry out his revenge. Parading around with it in broad daylight on busy streets is not exactly logical, although you could say it's effective. An American remake was made based on the motifs of this classic British film, with Sylvester Stallone in the lead role, but it didn't come close to the qualities of its original for understandable reasons. Today's fans of popcorn movies may be put off by the somewhat unusual editing and longer scenes, but for me, it gains in attractiveness as a film that stands out from the crowd. Overall impression: 65%. (08/31/2011)

After another viewing, I'm raising it to full stars. For all those who, like me, were bothered by the slow pace of Get Carter the first time around, I recommend watching the film again... The gradual piecing together of all the pieces, the way we slowly and surely learn what actually happened to Carter's brother, and especially Cain's gradual "roughening" has a certain charm that you miss if you watch the film expecting action. The atmosphere thickens and thickens and after half an hour the film picks up speed and rushes like a runaway train to the final station, which is... the final stop. At the end, Carter will be relieved, and so will we. And by the time the credits roll, we'll have a lot to think about for a long time thanks to this bastard, who's actually quite likable even when he's killing people. (02/04/2010)

This remake with Stallone cannot really be compared. It is much grittier, much more realistic, and at the same time much more abstract, which is strange at first glance. But Great Britain fits it much better. Current British creators who are trying to make modern action thrillers should learn from this film. (08/10/2015)