There are few British crime movies as iconic as Get Carter, a motion picture which features Michael Caine in one of his most plainly ruthless roles. Forget the horrific remake with Sylvester Stallone, which betrayed everything that the original Get Carter stood for in favour of sickly '90s excess; this a raw, hard and bleak crime movie that makes the North of England look like the last place you'd want to be on a Friday night. Or any night of the week, even. Directed by Mike Hodges, Get Carter follows Caine's London gangster of the title as he ventures north to seek revenge for the mysterious death of his brother. Carter isn't the kind of character who messes around; cross his path and you'll probably end up maimed, battered or dead. This is a gritty film that often feels like a documentary; the characters feel real - and so does the violence, glorious rendered, despite the movie's iconically grey colour palette.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
