Get Carter Review
My first brush with Get Carter was a late night TV broadcast that was preceded by some words that, thankfully, we don’t hear any more: “The following film has been edited for TV audiences”.
That meant not only was it pan-and-scan (everything was in those days) but it was censored for violence and nudity. I, of course, understood that it was not a complete film, but had no idea what had been removed, and the film was still mesmerising. A violent, gritty revenge drama about a seemingly unstoppable thug who terrorises a northern gangster ring that ends suddenly and shockingly. I was hooked.
It was a few years later, when Alex Cox was hosting his ‘Moviedrome’ show on BBC2 and in his introduction to the film proudly stated that this was the uncensored theatrical release and was not for the fainthearted, and I was thrilled to see it, again, for the first time. Now this was a film, with the reinstated violence and nudity, though still pan-and-scan, the film suddenly had a raw power that was missing from the sanitised version, not only was it violent and gritty, but it was urgent, desperate and visceral. Jack was as relentless as a Terminator in his pursuit of those that killed his brother, scheming to bring down the entire mob while taking vicious, bloody revenge. It has been a firm favourite of mine ever since.
... now regarded as the pure classic it has been all along
Although uncredited as such, star Michael Caine acted as co-producer on the project, and it is largely due to his influence, based on personal experience, that the character of Jack was so thoroughly disreputable and mean. Director Mike Hodges wanted a gritty feel, and with Caine putting in perhaps his best performance to date, it really felt like a lightning in a bottle moment. Indeed, Hodges made sure of it by ensuring Jack couldn’t come back for more, unlike the book where he had two more ‘adventures’ the cinematic incarnation is one strike and you’re out, it making the character and the film everlasting, the purest case of less is more.
Although touted as a tough gangland ‘gangster’ film, it really isn’t; sitting more in the murder/revenge camp with mystery thriller overtones, Get Carter crosses genres. Wolfgang Suschitzky’s cinematography, along with Hodges' directing style gave the film a hard, cold look, perfectly matching the tone of its lead character. Jack is not a hero, he’s barely an anti-hero, and it is tough to root for him due to the uncompromising attitude he has. It’s this trait that gave the film such a hard time on its initial release; thankfully, cooler heads prevailed and it is now regarded as the pure classic it has been all along.
Get Carter 4K Video
Get Carter was shot on 35mm film using Panavision R200 cameras, and for this release the BFI has newly scanned the original camera negative in 4K (16bit), and then extensive colour grading, manual cleaning and restoration has taken place, with director Mike Hodges being consulted and signing off all through the process.
The disc presents a native 3840 x 2160p resolution image, in the widescreen 1.85:1 aspect ratio, uses 10-bit video depth, High Dynamic Range (HDR), a Wide Colour Gamut (WCG) and is encoded using the HEVC (H.265) codec for Dolby Vison and HRD10.
We reviewed the Region free UK Ultra HD Blu-ray release of Get Carter on a Panasonic TX-65HZ1000B Ultra HD 4K TV with a Panasonic DP-UB450 Dolby Vision HDR10+ 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player.
Like seeing it for the first time
“Like seeing it for the first time”, might be a clichéd saying, but with regard to this new print, it really is.
Detail is stunning throughout; from skin texture to clothing weaves, grimy streets, to crumbling brickwork, peeling paint to car dashboards, newspaper headlines to bingo posters, everything is clear, clean and keen. Check out how stark and defined the cranes are against the sky, the city vistas, the sharpness of headlights against dark, the carving in the shotgun; simply stunning.
WCG and HDR give the naturally dour colour palette a naturalistic boost and maintain the gritty realism while bringing out the natural richness of the primaries; check out the flashes of deep red, clothing, lights or the bingo hall. There is very little green, but the odd patch of grass is beautifully natural, while blues maintain their coolness.
Black level is deep and strong, hiding good shadow detail but being impenetrable when required. The whole picture is a tad darker than before, bringing out the sombre tone more, while the white scale pushes the image; bright lights, highlights, metallic sheen etc.
Digitally there are no compression issues, the original print is in magnificent shape, being clean with no signs of damage, and the grain structure is intact, being rich, full, heavy at times, but maintaining an incredibly filmic presentation. Outstanding
Get Carter 4K Audio
The newly cleaned up English LPCM 2.0 mono soundtrack is brilliantly defined. Care has been taken to maintain the original phonics so that everything that is meant to be heard, is. Dialogue is rich and well defined and perfectly natural and sits well within the mix.
... a perfect presentation of the original track as it was meant to be heard
Effects are prominent when needed, sometimes taking over, such as the film reel, bringing an intensity to the scenes. Gun shots, though rare are hefty enough, the ricochet effects are more prominent that ever. Bass is limited but holds the track in good stead. While that incredible Roy Budd score comes through with gusto. In short, a perfect presentation of the original track as it was meant to be heard, unmolested.
Get Carter 4K Extras
The extras package is amazing, with all new features and interviews as well as legacy material; the limited (to 10,000 copies) set has a whole bunch of extra material including a very readable booklet.
... the extras package is amazing
Limited edition 2-disc set (10,000 copies)
Newly recorded introduction by Michael Caine (2022, 3 mins)
Audio commentary featuring Michael Caine, Mike Hodges and Wolfgang Suschitzky (2000)
Newly recorded audio commentary featuring Kim Newman and Barry Forshaw
Isolated score by Roy Budd
Mike Hodges in Conversation (2022, 60 mins): the director discusses his career in this interview recorded at BFI Southbank
The Sound of Roy Budd (2022, 17 mins): film music expert Jonny Trunk explores the varied career of Roy Budd, and revisits Budd’s iconic, minimalist score for Get Carter
Roy Budd Plays ‘Get Carter’ (1971, 4 mins)
BBC Look North location report (1970, 5 mins): surviving footage of a 1971 report on Get Carter’s making, from the BBC’S regional news programme
Don’t Trust Boys (2022, 22 mins): actor Petra Markham reflects upon her career on stage and screen, and recalls her role in Get Carter
Klinger on Klinger (2022, 24 mins): Tony Klinger recalls and evaluates the career of his father, Michael Klinger, producer of Get Carter
The Ship Hotel – Tyne Main (1967, 33 mins): Philip Trevelyan's wonderful film about a pub on the banks of the River Tyne
International trailer (1971)
Release trailer (2022)
Michael Caine's message to premiere attendees (1971, 1 min)
Script gallery
80-page book featuring new writing by Mark Kermode, Tim Pelan, John Oliver and Jason Wood. Also includes Alex Cox's intro to the film’s Moviedrome screening in 1990, stills, and notes on the restoration by the BFI's Douglas Weir
Double-sided poster featuring the original UK quad and the 2022 re-release artwork
A set of four postcards featuring iconic scenes from the film
Conclusion
Get Carter 4K Blu-ray Review
Cold, hard, devastating, and iconic; the character and the film – Get Carter is a bone fide classic. Less a gangster film and more a revenge thriller, Micheal Caine was awesome in the lead role, playing (then) against type and together with director Mike Hodges, cinematographer Wolfgang Suschitzky, Roy Budd’s minimalist score, created an outstanding piece of cinematic art that inspired a generation and opened the gates for a new wave of violent criminal cinema.
... the 4K set from the BFI is stunning
The 4K UHD set from the BFI is stunning; the newly scanned native 4K picture is a revelation, detailed, beautifully coloured, strong blacks and maintaining a decent grain structure that gives the image a filmic quality. The LPCM mono soundtrack is clean, detailed, well layered and delivers its information just as it ought. The Limited Edition extras package is amazing, with all new features and interviews as well as legacy material. Unmissable.
GET CARTER is available on Limited Edition 4K UHD™ now from BFI.
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