Without question the most influential British modern gangster movie of all time, influencing the likes of THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY and several Guy Ritchie films like LOCK STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS and SNATCH.
The original 1971 Mike Hodges’ (FLASH GORDON, PULP) version (remade with Sylvester Stallone in 2000) gave Michael Caine one of the most stimulating performances as Jack Carter, a London-based gangster who has to head back to Newcastle to investigate what happened to his brother who has been killed recently.
Local gangsters and family members don’t seem to be helpful enough – and one or two want him out of the city asap, which only makes Carter more determined to find out what happened….
Violent and sleazy and lacking in morality, this is exactly what makes this film the classic that it is -with a true intention to make violence shocking and uncompromising. A great score by Roy Budd (THE WILD GEESE, WHO DARES WINS) is another stand-out aspect of the film.