Lynne Ramsay

Ratcatcher

Ratcatcher

In her breathtaking and assured debut feature, Lynne Ramsay creates a haunting evocation of a troubled Glasgow childhood. Set during Scotland’s national garbage strike of the mid-1970s, Ratcatcher explores the experiences of a poor adolescent boy as he struggles to reconcile his dreams and his guilt with the abjection that surrounds him. Utilizing beautiful, elusive imagery, candid performances, and unexpected humor, Ramsay deftly contrasts urban decay with a rich interior landscape of hope and perseverance, resulting in a work at once raw and deeply poetic.

Film Info

  • United Kingdom
  • 1999
  • 93 minutes
  • Color
  • 1.85:1
  • English
  • Spine #162

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • On the Blu-ray: New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director Lynne Ramsay and cinematographer Alwin Küchler, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
  • On the DVD: Digital transfer, enhanced for 16x9 televisions
  • New interview with Ramsay from 2021 (Blu-ray only)
  • Audio interview from 2020 with Küchler (Blu-ray only)
  • Three award-winning short films by Ramsay: Small Deaths (1995), Kill the Day (1996), and Gasman (1997)
  • Interview with Ramsay from 2002
  • Stills gallery (DVD only)
  • Trailer (Blu-ray only)
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: Essays by film critic Girish Shambu and filmmaker Barry Jenkins (Blu-ray only)

    Cover based on a theatrical poster

Purchase Options

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • On the Blu-ray: New 4K digital restoration, supervised by director Lynne Ramsay and cinematographer Alwin Küchler, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack
  • On the DVD: Digital transfer, enhanced for 16x9 televisions
  • New interview with Ramsay from 2021 (Blu-ray only)
  • Audio interview from 2020 with Küchler (Blu-ray only)
  • Three award-winning short films by Ramsay: Small Deaths (1995), Kill the Day (1996), and Gasman (1997)
  • Interview with Ramsay from 2002
  • Stills gallery (DVD only)
  • Trailer (Blu-ray only)
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • PLUS: Essays by film critic Girish Shambu and filmmaker Barry Jenkins (Blu-ray only)

    Cover based on a theatrical poster
Ratcatcher
Cast
Tommy Flanagan
Da
Mandy Matthews
Ma
William Eadie
James
Michelle Stewart
Ellen
Lynne Ramsay Jr.
Anne Marie
Leanne Mullen
Margaret Anne
John Miller
Kenny
Jackie Quinn
Mrs. Quinn
James Ramsay
Mr. Quinn
Credits
Director
Lynne Ramsay
Written by
Lynne Ramsay
Producer
Gavin Emerson
Executive producers
Andrea Calderwood
Barbara McKissack
Sarah Radclyffe
Director of photography
Alwin Küchler
Production design
Jane Morton
Editor
Lucia Zucchetti
Music composed by
Rachel Portman

Current

Ratcatcher: A Flashlight Cinema
Ratcatcher: A Flashlight Cinema

In her astonishing debut feature, Lynne Ramsay synthesizes narrative drama and poetic exploration, the social and the surreal.

By Girish Shambu

Ratcatcher: Spine Number 162
Ratcatcher: Spine Number 162

The Academy Award–winning director remembers a formative and eye-opening encounter with Lynne Ramsay’s feature debut.

By Barry Jenkins

Raúl Castillo’s Top 10
Raúl Castillo’s Top 10

The star of We the Animals and Looking looks back on the movies that expanded his idea of what cinema could be and made him want to be an actor.

Jeremiah Zagar’s Top 10
Jeremiah Zagar’s Top 10

The director of We the Animals picks his Criterion favorites, including two crime classics that represent the kind of movie he dreams of making.

A Life at the Pictures: A Conversation with Lynne Ramsay
A Life at the Pictures: A Conversation with Lynne Ramsay

Just before the release of her new film You Were Never Really Here, Lynne Ramsay spoke with us about her early moviegoing life in Glasgow, the version of herself that emerges on set, and the mind-expanding power of chess.

By Hillary Weston

Adventures in Moviegoing with Barry Jenkins
Adventures in Moviegoing with Barry Jenkins

The Oscar-winning director of last year’s indie sensation Moonlight shares how he fell in love with the art of storytelling in a new conversation on the Criterion Channel on FilmStruck.