Get Carter is considered to be one of the greatest British films of all time and the gangster thriller is available to bring home on 4K Ultra HD. The 4K UHD release comes by way of the Warner Archive Collection and comes two years after BFI Video released its 4K Restoration. As such, this is the U.S. premiere of the 1080p HD master derived from the 2022 4K restoration by the British Film Institute from the original camera negative. Interestingly, all of the bonus features are offered on the 4K UHD disc rather than featurettes being exclusive to the Blu-ray.

Newcastle-born gangster Jack Carter (Michael Caine) has spent years working in London for organized crime bosses Gerald (Terence Rigby) and Sid Fletcher (John Bindon). Having an affair with Gerald’s girlfriend Anna (Britt Ekland), Jack plans to escape with her to South America. But first, he must return home to Newcastle and Gateshead for the funeral of his brother, Frank, who died under suspicious circumstances. Unsatisfied with the official account, Jack begins his own investigation, reconnecting with family and old acquaintances, including his teenage niece Doreen (Petra Markham) and Frank’s secretive mistress Margaret (Dorothy White).

In Newcastle, Jack digs deeper into the underworld, tracking old contacts like Albert Swift (Glynn Edwards) and Eric Paice (Ian Hendry). His inquiries lead him to Cyril Kinnear (John Osborne), a local crime boss, and the glamorous, unpredictable Glenda (Geraldine Moffat). Threatened by rival henchmen and pursued by Fletcher’s men, Jack navigates a dangerous web of deceit, uncovering the shadowy forces responsible for Frank’s death while attempting to protect his own life.

Jack’s investigation takes a darker turn when he discovers a pornographic film implicating Doreen, Margaret, and Glenda, orchestrated by Kinnear and Eric. Enraged, Jack confronts those involved, exposing betrayal and corruption at every turn. He forces revelations from Albert and Cliff Brumby (Bryan Mosley), uncovering Kinnear’s plot to control local business interests, and exacts brutal revenge on those responsible for his brother’s murder.

Despite achieving justice for Frank and Doreen, Jack’s violent quest ultimately leads to his own downfall. After disposing of Eric and exposing Kinnear, Jack walks along a beach, only to be fatally shot from a distance by one of Kinnear’s associates. Get Carter closes on this stark, haunting moment, underscoring the brutal cost of vengeance in a criminal world where no one truly escapes unscathed.

I’m so used to watching Michael Caine during the latter part of his career (especially as Alfred in The Dark Knight Trilogy) to the point in which it feels somewhat weird seeing him earlier in his career in something that isn’t a Christopher Nolan movie. But anyway, Caine describes the film as “a significant moment” in his career, calling it a “special” film. Get Carter was made at a time when British gangster movies assumed that gangsters were “stupid or silly or funny.” Caine knew from his background that this was further from the case.

The violence in Get Carter is not only realistic but, back in 1972, it was the kind of on-screen violence that shocks its audience. Let’s just say…the violence in James Bond movies was rather tame by comparison. People were hit once and then they fell down. Carter himself is an unsympathetic character. Flawed as he may be, he’s hailed as a hero.

“That’s why it was so shocking,” Caine said of the violence during the 2022 introduction. “It broke all the rules. There weren’t any sequels. It was ordinary people as heroes and villains.”

As for filmmaker Mike Hodges, Get Carter marked his directorial debut. It’s managed to grow a cult following over the past half-century and change to the point in which it is now a British cinema classic. You wouldn’t know this at the time of its release though. The only major acclaim during awards season was a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actor for Ian Hendry. Lo and behold, BFI was very instrumental in restoring and remastering the film for home video and a 2022 theatrical release. Over a half century after its theatrical release, Get Carter still works as a solid gangster thriller.

Bonus Features

• 2000 Audio Commentary by Michael Caine, Director Mike Hodges & Cinematographer Wolfgang Suschinsky
• 2022 Audio Commentary with Kim Newman & Barry Forshaw
• 2022 Introduction by Michael Caine
• Mike Hodges in Conversation (60 minutes): the director discusses his career in this interview recorded at BFI Southbank
• The Sound of Roy Budd (17 minutes): film music expert Jonny Trunk explores the varied career of Roy Budd, and revisits Budd’s iconic, minimalist score for Get Carter
• Don’t Trust Boys (22 minutes): actress Petra Markham reflects upon her career on stage and screen, and recalls her role in Get Carter
• Klinger on Klinger (24 minutes): Tony Klinger recalls and evaluates the career of his father, Michael Klinger, Producer of Get Carter
• 1971 Original Theatrical Trailer
• 1971 Michael Caine Newcastle Premiere Intro
• 1971 Music Trailer with Roy Budd
• 2022 BFI Re-release trailer

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER: Mike Hodges
CAST: Michael Caine, Ian Hendry, John Osborne, and Britt Ekland, George Sewell, Geraldine Moffat, Tony Beckley, Rosemarie Dunham, Dorothy White, Petra Markham, Glynn Edwards, Alun Armstrong, Bryan Mosley, Bernard Hepton, Godfrey Quigley

MGM released Get Carter in theaters on March 18, 1971. Grade: 4/5

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