Snatch is a 2000 film by British writer-director Guy Ritchie. It features an ensemble cast. Set in the London criminal underworld, the movie contains two intertwined plots — one dealing with the search for a stolen diamond, the other with a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish (Jason Statham) who finds himself under the thumb of a psychotic gangster named Brick Top (Alan Ford).

The film is characterised by an assortment of colourful characters, including the "pikey" Irish Traveller Mickey O'Neil (Brad Pitt), Russian-Uzbek ex-KGB agent and arms-dealer Boris 'the Blade' Yurinov (or Boris the Bullet-Dodger) (Rade Šerbedžija), professional thief-gambling addict Frankie "Four-Fingers" (Benicio del Toro) and bounty hunter Bullet-Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones). It is also distinguished by a kinetic direction and editing style, a circular plot featuring numerous ironic twists of chance and causality, and a fast pace.

The movie shares similar themes, ideas and motifs as Ritchie's first film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It is also filmed in the same visual style and features many of the same actors, including Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham and Jason Flemyng, who appears in a minor role as one of the 'pikeys'. It has been noted by some critics that Snatch bears a resemblance to the 1994 film Pulp Fiction; both deal with underworld criminals, very valuable items (the glowing case in Pulp Fiction and the diamond in Snatch), and boxers (Butch, Bruce Willis, in Pulp Fiction; and Mickey, Brad Pitt).

Plot

Reaction

While the film received mostly positive reviews, several reviewers commented negatively on perceived similarities in plot, character, setting, theme and style between Snatch and Ritchie's previous work, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. In his review, Roger Ebert, who gave the film two stars, raised the question of "What am I to say of "Snatch," Ritchie's new film, which follows the "Lock, Stock" formula so slavishly it could be like a new arrangement of the same song?", and writing in the New York Times Elvis Mitchell commented that "Mr. Ritchie seems to be stepping backward when he should be moving ahead". Critics also argued that the movie was lacking in depth and substance; many reviewers appeared to agree with Ebert's comment that "the movie is not boring, but it doesn't build and it doesn't arrive anywhere". The lack of prominent female characters was also commented upon by many reviewers.

Cast

Cast, including the eventual fate of each character.

Soundtrack

Two versions of the soundtrack album were released, one on the Universal International label with 23 tracks and a TVT Records release with 20.

Track listing

1. "Diamond" - Klint
2. "Vere Iz da Storn?" - Benicio del Toro
3. "Supermoves" - Overseer
4. "Hernando's Hideaway" - The Johnston Brothers
5. "Zee Germans" - Jason Statham
6. "Golden Brown" - The Stranglers
7. "Dreadlock Holiday" - 10cc
8. "Kosha Nostra Theme" - John Murphy (composer)
9. "Avi Arrives" - Dennis Farina
10. "Cross the Tracks (We Better Go Back)" - Maceo & the Macks - this is the bookie scene
11. "Disco Science" - Mirwais
12. "Nemesis" - Alan Ford
13. "Hot Pants (I'm Coming Coming I'm Coming)" - Bobby Byrd
14. "Lucky Star" - Madonna
15. "Come Again" - Alan Ford
16. "Ghost Town" - The Specials
17. "Shrinking Balls" - Vinnie Jones
18. "Sensual Woman" - The Herbaliser
19. "Angel" - Massive Attack
20. "RRRRR... Rumble"
21. "Fuckin' in the Bushes" - Oasis - the final fight, where Mickey wins
22. "Avi's Declaration" - Dennis Farina
23. "Don't You Just Know It" - Huey "Piano" Smith

DVD releases

In 2001, a two-disc "Special Edition" was released, containing both a full screen and widescreen presentation of the feature. Also included was an audio commentary track with director Guy Ritchie and producer Matthew Vaughn. The special features on the second disc included a "making of" featurette, deleted scenes, original theatrical trailer and TV spots, text/photo galleries, storyboard comparisons, and filmographies.

On 17 September 2002, Sony released a "Deluxe Collection" set in the company's superbit format. This release contained two discs, one being the special features disc of the original DVD release, and the other a superbit version of the feature. As is the case with superbit presentations, the disc was absent of the additional features included in the original standard DVD, such as the audio commentary. (The disc did still contain subtitles in eight different languages including a "pikey" track, which only showed subtitles for the character Mickey.)

Nine months later, in June 2003, a single disc setup was released, with new cover art, containing the feature disc of the special edition set. This version was simply a repackaging, not including the second disc.

Deluxe Edition error

In January 2006, yet another two-disc set was released. This version was set to be a repackaging of the original two-disc special edition release, containing the same features and content, but with different menu setups and decor. The box set featured a new theme represented in the cover art and included were a custom deck of playing cards and dealer button in the same theme. Also included was a supplemental booklet revealing extended filmography information about the cast as well as theatrical press kit production notes.

Soon after the set was released, it was discovered the feature disc that was supposed to contain the film in its original special edition incarnation (with audio commentary, et cetera) was not included. Instead the superbit release, containing the higher quality version of the film, was in its place. Customers posted in multiple online forums detailing the mistake. Some customers were happy with the switch while others were disappointed, as the disc contained a higher quality display of the film, but lacked the audio commentary track and the "Stealing Stones" feature option that were stated as included on the packaging.

According to some customers, after e-mailing Sony and explaining the situation the company replaced the customer's disc with the correct version.

It has also been stated that the error has since been corrected and later releases of the Deluxe Edition set included the proper disc.

Notes

External links

• Snatchweb.com Sound files from the film
• DVD versions and details