Ratcatcher

"Ratcatcher," the Scottish director Lynn Ramsey's 1999 debut film, comes trailing black clouds behind, described as a grim and disturbing coming of age picture. There's truth to that. It's set in a Glasgow slum, a down-at-heels project, or council estate as they'd call it, that's way too close to a fetid, apparently no-longer-used canal: one of the children central to the plot calls it "creepy," and that'll certainly do as a description. The film is a Franco-British co-production. It won eleven awards. It's slow-paced, but does show the existence of innocence in dreary, gritty poverty. Ramsey wrote, as well as directed it, and it does have a social-realist agenda. It centers, in a leisurely way, on one particular family, that of James, who appears to be teetering on the brink of adolescence, during the summer of the nationwide Scottish garbagemen's (or dustmen's, as they'd call it) strike of 1973. The streets are garbage-strewn, and black garbage bags pile up menacingly, attract... Read more

In almost every essay that you will read concerning Ramsay's debut feature length film will make mention of the beautiful opening sequence which depicts a young boy playing amongst his mother's lace curtains. This scene which could easily be quite harmless and smile inducing instead has a quite ominous tone to it. The boy, whose name we soon learn is Ryan Quinn, is completely wrapped within the curtain and moves it a very slow fashion as if he was a corpse that was slowly returning to life. To add an even darker tone to this image, the music playing is quite haunting. Although a bit disturbing, the viewer quickly finds him or herself drawn into this almost surreal world at least until Ryan Quinn's mother smacks him on the back of the head thereby destroying the ambiance of this fascinating scene. This surrealistic scene and its destruction by harsh reality make up the overall framework of this almost heartbreaking film. Soon after having his head smacked, Ryan Quinn and his mother d... Read more

This is a beautiful, poetic masterpiece about a lonely, isolated boy living in rural Scotland. Despite the fact that his surrounding are as bleak as they come (he lives in a Scottish "ghetto", and there is a garbage strike on at the time, so debris and rats are piling up everywhere), the film manages to find beauty in all the garbage. There isn't much of a narrative, but the film is more of an impressionistic piece than a narrative film. Lynne Ramsay, the director, has made a great debut film. She has a visual sense that most directors lack. Many directors (David Gordon Green for example) attempt to make impressionistic films, yet their films end up being incoherent and sloppy. This film isn't. Ramsay's choice of music is superlative. The use of Nick Drake's Cello Song is especially good. Even though I hate English language films with subtitles, I had to watch the film with subtitles. The Scottish accents are so thick here that the film would make no sense without the titles.... Read more

I hadn't heard anything about this movie when I bought it, but the cover caught my eye. I ended up with one of my favorite movies ever. This film is very much a coming of age film about a young boy going through rough times and dealing with the guilt of a tragic mistake. This film pulls at the heartstrings and appeals to the eyes. For lovers of art house films, this is a must have. Often times hazy, often times gritty, and always beautiful, this film will not disappoint.

James is trapped. In his life and in his mind. Only he knows what's happened at the canal--he thinks. And then alone just he sees the end. Anyone, adult or child who's seen the worst echoing despair will understand this film through the most visceral level. James' reality only tangentially touches the filth and bullies around him. Incomplete, under-repair psychological wreckage and a heartfelt two-finger flip are the only defenses he has. He grasps some hope, but it's a life-line to nowhere. This film drops us into a surging maelstrom of poverty, grief (the horrific scene with dead boy's shoes), guilt, and hormones. In those few moments on the canal-side, everything James relied upon is taken under. He feels deeply but has no voice (both James, and William literally endure with no lines), and can find no path to resolution. Ramsey's picture is art. It is not meant to entertain, but to rip the viewer's heart out. It's goal is her Truth, not popcorn or pounds. She succeeds on ev... Read more