Ratcatcher (1999)

Director:

Lynne Ramsay

Writer:

Lynne Ramsay (written by)

Release Date:

12 November 1999 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Glasgow, summer, 1973. Dustmen are striking; bags of garbage add to the blight of council flats and a fetid canal...

Plot Keywords:

Garbage | Strike | Canal | Bus | Bathtub

Awards:

11 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

William Eadie	...	James Gillespie
Tommy Flanagan	...	Da
Mandy Matthews	...	Ma
Michelle Stewart	...	Ellen
Lynne Ramsay Jr.	...	Anne Marie (as Lynne Ramsay Jnr.)
Leanne Mullen	...	Margaret Anne
John Miller	...	Kenny
Jackie Quinn	...	Mrs. Quinn
James Ramsay	...	Mr. Quinn
Anne McLean	...	Mrs. Fowler
Craig Bonar	...	Matt Monroe
Andrew McKenna	...	Billy
James Montgomery	...	Hammy
Thomas McTaggart	...	Ryan
Stuart Gordon	...	Tommy

Also Known As:

Ratcatcher (France)

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

UK | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:16 (original DVD/VHS release) | Netherlands:6 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, UK

Company:

Pathé Pictures International

Trivia:

Although this film is in English, the US release has English subtitles because all the characters speak in a very heavy Scottish accent.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: A radio announcer mentions a football score "Stirling Albion 20, Selkirk 0." That game was played in 1984, not in the early 70's when the film was set.

Quotes:

Kenny: Goodbye, Snowball!

Movie Connections:

References Badlands (1973)

Soundtrack:

C'mon Everybody

A very powerful movie which will stick with you for a long time

I saw this movie recently at a special Student premiere in Leicester Square in London. I'd read a few reviews from various magazines about the movie and its lack of Narrative structure, but from watching the first 5 minutes, I knew this was something special. This has to be one of the most powerful British Movies ever made. The acting is superb, the whole cast is brilliant especially the children. Lynn Ramsey directs her feature debut with confidence and professional ability, and the result is stunning. The Narrative does give way slightly after the "accident" and the movie seems to forget about that fateful day on the canal, it seems to drift a little, but this, as I found out afterwards was on purpose. The movie was originally envisaged as 20 short stories which came into one, and it was also designed so the audience would always have this event in the back of their minds throughout the movie and whenever something relevant happened you were instantly reminded of it. Their are a few minor controversial scenes in the movie which some members of the audience did not agree with and others simply laughed off - I was not bothered about the main controversial scene but could see and hear that some people were offended. The setting of Glasgow in the late 1970s is well represented, and set around the dustbin men strike of '76. The atmosphere of living in a disease ridden place like this with rubbish piling up on every corner is almost tangible. The balance between bleakness and humour is never crossed too far either side. The subject matter is very depressing and humour was therefore injected in places (such as the rat on the moon sequence) to lighten up the audience and not have them leaving the cinema depressed.

This movie is a real stunner, don't be fooled by reviews and magazines saying otherwise go and see this movie at the first possible chance. You will not be disappointed.