Confirmed. It's fixed. SPOILERS below.
The film's as good as ever nowand that's pretty damned good.
Watching it again last night, I was struck again by how much of a force of nature Carter is, particularly as played by Caine, who was never better in my opinion. There are moments that are so chilling that the film almost feels like a predecessor to the slasher genre.
And yet, despite offering almost no token gesture to enhance the character's (hate this word) "likability", I think we're with him to the end. That means when he saunters down the beach laughing to himself, it feels like a victory. (Apparently this jovial touch was Caine's idea, and it's a brilliant one.)
Which is strange, because what? ten minutes earlier he'd presided over one of the most cold-blooded bits of nastiness I've ever seen in a movie. Yes, that one.
I can't quite explain it maybe it speaks to something ugly in us (me?), or maybe it has to do with how repugnant the character of Margaret is, or both but I find it hard to hold even this against Carter, let alone his utter lack of concern or care when the car with the gal in the trunk is given "a wash" by Eric. It's almost as though we become
more
invested in his character as he shows
less
emotion.
But of course, he does let fly a couple of timesmaking the two examples above seem all the more chilling, as if they're not worth the exertion of passion.
I think that's why I reacted so strongly against the 2000 remake. I have a soft spot for Stallone, but that movie is so sanitized you can smell the Lysol. The character becomes conflicted in all the typical (and safe) ways of the contemporary antihero. Say what you will about Caine's Carter, but conflicted he ain't.

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