The North - Liam Tomkins

How is ‘The North’ represented in Get Carter?

The first time we see ‘The North’ in Get Carter is during Carter’s train journey from the South up to the North. The South is very idyllic, green grass, blue skies and open spaces. As the train gets further North we start to see factories and industry on the skyline and the previously green grass is slowly starting to fade away to dirt. This shows that the North is very industrial and neglected due to the lack of nature. The skyline is entirely dominated by industrial buildings, showing that the North is working class and less developed than the South. This acts as a visual signifier of the North-South divide at the time, which is also a major theme throughout the film.

At the beginning of the train journey passengers are reading books and highbrow newspapers, however as those passengers get off the train, passengers from the North start to get on. The Northern passengers are reading low-brow newspapers, whereas Carter is reading a book, signifying that he sees himself as more intelligent and sophisticated than Northerners, however the book he is reading is an ordinary crime novel that doesn’t require the reader to think much about what is happening, showing Carter’s sense of superiority is nothing more than a cover. Carter gets off the train in the dark, showing that the North is a very dull and uninviting place.

Carter then walks to a bar near the train station. He crosses the road in front of a car, showing his arrogance and sense of superiority. As he crosses the road the camera tracks and pans, making it seem as though he is being watched. This shows us that the North is a dangerous, paranoid and fearful environment. Carter arrives at the bar and stands, rather than sits like everybody else. This physically positions him above everybody else, meaning that the camera is always looking slightly up at him, making him appear more dominant in the environment. Carter snaps his fingers at the bar tender, showing his arrogance and that he believes he can act as though he is in charge in an environment he has never been in before. He asks for his beer to be in a thin glass, this shows that he perceives himself as sophisticated because he doesn’t want to drink from a pint glass.

Carter stares at the other people at the bar, making them feel intimidated and threatened. He does this to show his sense of superiority over the Northern population. There is a shot of a man with six fingers on his hand, this is shot from Carter’s point of view, showing that he views Northerners as inferior in every way, even genetically. Carter reflects how the majority of Southerners felt about Northerners. People are very suspicious of Carter; nobody makes an attempt to talk to him because they feel threatened and intimidated.