Superficially, Lynne Ramsay's brilliant debut feature, Ratcatcher, is a
story about very little. A boy causes something terrible to happen and
life goes on. But life is on a tough estate in Glasgow waiting for a housing
transfer during the dustman's strike of the 1970s, and Ramsay's ability
to capture and perfectly portray a child's imagination combined with her
photographer's eye for visual detail leave you enthralled.
This success is helped in no small way by the brilliance of Ramsay's
actors. While adults are a constant presence it is the children who are central
to Ratcatcher, particularly the 12-year-old William Eadie whose portrayal
of the guilt-ridden James underpins the film. Ramsay's niece (who plays
James' sister Anne Marie), John Miller (his animal-obsessed friend Kenny) and
Leanne Mullen (Margaret Anne, with whom James strikes up a hesitantly
tender relationship) are all non-professionals who bring to the film a
naturalism rarely seen, even with adults.
As James' feelings of guilt increase, the new housing estate his family
wants to be transferred to -- complete with brilliant sunshine and
idyllic cornfield location -- is juxtaposed with the deteriorating landscape of
his current habitat, a war zone evoking the state of his mind. Rubbish piles
up and the number of dead rats make national news. It is a spare and
unsentimental view of childhood, but if this makes it sound like another
gritty British drama, think again. Ramsay's deft touch is grounded in
realism but is capable of incredible flights of fancy. When Kenny sends
his new pet mouse on a mission to the moon tied to a helium ballon, an act
of cruelty becomes in Ramsay's hands a moment of fantastical comedy.
All this makes Ratcatcher moving, powerful and assured piece of work -
and one of the most exciting British debuts in years.
Reviewed by Monika Maurer
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