Get Carter - Location

How is the North represented in the film Get Carter?

In the film Get Carter the North is represented as very rough and industrial. The is a lot of smoke from factories and homes which gives a very uninviting feel to Newcastle. In addition to this Newcastle seems very bland and boring which overall created a very oppressive atmosphere. It also looks very dead and is a concrete jungle which implies it is wild and dangerous for people who live there. The North also looks less economically developed which creates a North/South divide, this depicts class difference which shows it is a working class environment and people for upper or middle class see themselves as superior and due to them getting income they are much more developed in their lives. Overall it is necropolis (dead and no feel to it), the North is seen as a grim scene of despair and decay. There are three main scenes were we see how the North is represented, these are: the train journey sequence, the pub scene and the marching band scene.

Train Journey Sequence.

This scene begins with Carter in the South and we see his journey from the South to the North. When Carter is in the South we see outside the windows that it is a very built up and wealthy environment. It is sunny, bright and the environment is extremely open and free with green fields that go on for miles. The buildings in the South are much more attractive than the buildings we see in the North and overall the South is represented as idyllic and wealthy. However as the scene moves on and we enter into the North we see that it is a very enclosed and industrial environment with lingering smoke, the atmosphere is very oppressive and we can see that the North is very neglected compared to the South. In addition to this Carter arrives in the night so we see that it is a dark place emphasising the idea of danger and that he has entered the criminal environment, the North is also dominated by industry and is extremely run down. In addition to this the people on the train with carter are reading low brow newspaper suggesting that people from the North have a much lower education than people from the South, however we as an audience know that Carter is reading a low brow book that he believes shows he is superior but we know that he is just as common as the rest.
In this scene Carter sees himself as superior than the other people on the train as he is reading a book and because he is dining in first class and wearing a suit, this is all part of his personal when really he is an egoist. Carter is reading Raymond Chandlers' farewell my lovely which could possibly be a signifier that he wont be coming back from the South. However the fact Carter is secretly taking drugs and is an addict juxtaposes the fact he believes he is sophisticated and wearing a suit. This also highlights the direct fall out of the swinging sixties liberal view on drugs. Overall this scene is a visual signifier as the North/South divide which is a major theme throughout the film.

Bar Scene.

As Carter gets off the train and into Newcastle we see him crossing the road to get to the local bar, the camera tracks his every move as the view is obstructed by the crossing sign giving the indication he is being watched and creating a voyeuristic feel to this shot, it also highlights the idea that this is a dangerous, fearful and paranoid environment. However Carter ignores the cars that are driving and walks straight across the road showing his arrogance in what he believes to be a run down, low class place. When Carter enters the bar we see him snap his fingers at the bar tender showing that he sees himself as superior and that he does not have to wait to be spoken to, he only has to click his fingers to command attention. In addition to this his is the only one in the bar stood up, everyone else is sat down which positions Carter above everyone else and shows he is at a higher level than everyone else, this is emphasises by him telling the bar tender he wants his drink in a thin glass once again reinforcing his sophistication. Carter is also intimidating as he stares as men in the bar until they look away from him, this suggests that it is a cold sinister place as people are very unfriendly and suspicious as they can tell he is different to them due to the way he acts.
In this scene we also see a point of view shot as Carter looks around the room and he focuses on one person in particular, a man with six fingers. This shot is key to the scene as it shows Carters view of the people he is surrounded by and suggests that this is how people from the South view the north, it shows that he views the as different and inferior not only mentally but also genetically they are under developed or deformed, once again emphasising the fact people in the South position themselves above these men who are living in a run down working class environment.

Marching Band Scene.

During this scene we see that Newcastle is a working class community and has been destroyed and it also gives us a sense of community and unity as there is a marching band parading around but the outside does not reflect this as it is a broken and violent environment. The marching band and parades are usually associated with working class communities suggesting a large impact or traditional values is part of this scene. The background mise-en-scene shows that the destroyed buildings have been untouched after the second world war and gives the indication they will remain untouched.
In this scene  there is a juxtaposition of unmarried sex, drugs and violence with a broken community, this is then reinforced as the camera cuts between Edna (unmarried) and Carter sleeping together and the marching band creating a juxtaposition of the two scenarios. It is also a comment on the decline in moral values and standards in the UK and its direct impact on the community.
This scene is key because Hodges the director criticises the loss of working class communities and in addition to this is saying more open attitudes to sex and drugs in the 60's led to a moral decline.