MovieChat Forums > Straw Dogs (1971) Discussion > The rat man

The rat man

posted 13 years ago by shamila-shaheen4
12 replies | jump to latest

Nobody on the board has mentioned the man who killed rats in the film. He was so irritating and his laughter was so annoying.

[–] angel32 13 years ago

Yeah, was so glad when he died. Just over-the-top obnoxiousnous.

[–] This_is_an_outrage 12 years ago

I have to admit that I was amused by one of his antics. When they started trashing David's house, he was riding a toy tricycle and crashed it into the other thug who then, in a drunken rage, picked it and chased him around the corner of the building. A few seconds later the two of them are both riding tricycles back from around the corner, laughing in an inebriated state.

[–] treach33 12 years ago

I literally laughed out loud when they both came back riding on trikies. This took me right out of the movie at that point. It just seemed ridiculous and over the top considering everything that was going on. I think the director was trying to drive the point home that these were definitely the English cousins of the dumb inbred rednecks in Deliverance.

Good to see a post about the Rat Man however with his stupid fake noise and his over the top obnoxious laugh. Only second to Amadeus me thinks

~What if this is as good as it gets?!~

[–] April-151-CT (10210) 7 years ago

I laughed about that too LOL!!

[–] nickfs 12 years ago

I found him damn annoying too. I though he was straight out of A Clockwork Orange, and not in a good way!

[–] skay_baltimore 12 years ago

Exactly.

The whole world is a very narrow bridge. The key is to be fearless. R' Nachman of Breslov

[–] HombreOfAnotherEra 12 years ago

they should've kicked him up the arse ha ha

[–] Robert_Scott 12 years ago

This is the main reason (among many) I'll say the remake makes the original version look silly. This guy was like Gene Wilder's retarded twin brother.

[–] Rueiro 10 years ago

A psycho that ought to have been at Bedlam. I was glad when David did him in.

[–] mike-2620 9 years ago

I was sat in my local in leafy Oxfordshire England having a pint when a familiar looking chap walked in and ordered himself a pint. Not one to forget a face even though the film is years old, I recognized him as the actor Jim Norton.Other wise known as Chris Causey - the Rat man. Jim's done a lot of other television and Films since.I also saw him in an episode of "Frazier" recently playing a butler/waiter type.

[–] jctennant55-892-30458 8 years ago

Why the fake red nose?

[–] wilvram 7 years ago

It just somehow makes him more repellent and loathsome. And he is the character you detest the most and can't wait to see him get his comeuppance. Didn't realise he was played by Shakespearean actor Jim Norton.

I thought Peckinpah got the English lowlife exactly right, especially the mock, sneering civility they used. That's just how types like that would speak.