Lynne Ramsay’s coming-of-age drama Ratcatcher is the kind of film I hate writing about. Don’t get me wrong—it’s artful and subtle in a way that can only be truly communicated through film. The problem—excuse me, my problem—is that I like to believe a good review provides both questions and answers. Ratcatcher is a film where there are no easy answers, and I’m not even sure what questions I should be asking.
What I mean is that it’s hard for me to tell, scene by scene, what decisions are deliberate and what decisions exist to show the randomness of childhood. Film logic dictates that every scene moves the narrative forward, but here, I just don’t know how. Let’s see if we can find out.
Set in 1970s Glasgow during a major redevelopment project and a garbage strike—none of this stated outright, so you’ve got to pay attention—Ratcatcher tells the story of James (William Eadie), a disillusioned young boy in a decaying city.
James’ first dose of harsh reality occurs when his friend Ryan (Thomas McTaggart) inexplicably drowns while the two are playing in a canal. Again, it’s not explicitly shown how or why this happens. This is a recurring storytelling technique that I admire in the film, but also find myself saying, “C’mon, just show me what happened!” Though I get that real life isn’t always that cut and dry.
From here, we follow James as he’s picked on by the older boys he hangs out with, explores abandoned buildings, and befriends a timid older girl named Margaret Anne (Leanne Mullen). I’ll hand it to Lynne Ramsay—she nails the dynamic that children have with each other. I have no complaints about the film’s authenticity.
What I do have a minor beef with is what these little shits do to a mouse. They tie the mouse to a balloon and let it drift into the sky. The camera then cuts to a whimsical shot of a mouse in front of a space background, heading to the moon. It’s a fun idea to portray what one of these dumb kids would imagine, but man, that’s dark.
Most of Ratcatcher is dark. I forgot that few filmmakers deliver a gut punch like Lynne Ramsay. When is she gonna direct a horror movie? Ratcatcher is a straight-up drama, and it chills my bones more than half of your modern-day jump-scare-a-thons.
But this film can be beautiful, too. You wouldn’t think a film where there are bags of garbage in the street could be beautiful, but Ratcatcher has its moments. James and Margaret Anne playing in the bath in a completely innocent way, or James walking through open fields into empty buildings—these moments of calm aren’t always unsettling. Sometimes they’re peaceful.
At first, I felt frustrated that there were nuances I was missing in Ratcatcher. Now I’ve come to realize, you don’t have to understand every small detail to enjoy the big picture. The enigmatic quality of Ratcatcher is what makes the film appealing. Life is full of missed details, random decisions, and unexpected tragedies. Life doesn’t make sense, especially when you’re young, and few films encapsulate that as well as Ratcatcher.