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 | Dance | 1970s

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:

Roobarb & Custard

Well Worth Watching

Who are these people saying that RATCATCHER is "pretentious art-house crap" ?? I suppose what they want is just good IL' downhome Hollywood swill? Don't they pay any attention at all to things like lovely cinematography, fine writing, and careful pacing? RATCATCHER is a beautiful movie, though hard to watch because of the desperate conditions of its main characters. It's full of worrisome situations and a complicated storyline that sticks with you for days. It has qualities of both compression and mystery, much like well-crafted poetry has compared to prose. Don't believe the whiners about this movie - it's NOT pretentious, it's inclusive and generous, and though it doesn't provide us with an easy let's-have-popcorn-and-watch-Schwarzenegger-blow-things-up kind of entertainment, it's well-crafted, well-written, beautifully shot, and worth watching and thinking about.