Ratcatcher [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

This is the first feature of Scottish Lynne Ramsay, who received the jury prize at Cannes with for first short film, Small Deaths, in 1996 and for her third short film, Gasman, in 1998. It was filmed near Glasgow in the summer of 1998, using professional as well as non-professional actors. The film narrates the emotional journey of a young man in the mid-1970s, using visually stunning sets and color schemes. Twelve-year-old James, who is haunted by a secret, becomes a stranger to his family. He is drawn to the canal bank, where he finds an awkward tenderness in the promiscuous but vulnerable teenager Margaret Anne and befriends Kenny, who has retained his innocence despite the harsh circumstances of his surroundings. As the family's dreams of moving to a new home fades, James builds a niche for himself, which becomes his place of solace. 52nd Cannes Film Festival, 1999.