Oh boy, how do I tip toe around this movie so as not to seem like some sort of revenge seeking, street justice, manic vigilante inhibitor. I mean I like violent movies, but this is one where there is some sort of vigilante fantasy come to life where the citizens of the world can’t depend on the police to resolve matters, but they themselves become the problem solvers. Death Wish is the sort of movie that fulfills that itch that some citizens have, the man who takes justice into his hands and just cleanses the streets of the evil that fills it. Actually you know what…this movie fucking rocks. Thanks Charles Bronson!
This drama about a man who takes the law into his own hands was wildly controversial upon first release, sparking much debate about the perceived pro-vigilante stance of the story, and established Charles Bronson as a major box office draw in the United States. Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) is a liberal architect living in New York City. One day, a group of drug-crazed thugs break into his apartment while he’s gone, killing his wife Joanna (Hope Lange) and brutally raping his married daughter, leaving her comatose. When the police are unable to find the culprits, Kersey arms himself and begins patrolling the streets, killing muggers and thieves as he encounters them. While his obsessive search for street justice sickens him at first, in time Kersey begins to enjoy it and becomes a hunted man himself, as Police Detective Frank Ochoa (Vincent Gardenia) tries to find the man who is doing the police’s job for them, and a bit too well. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
If you have never watched this movie before, I highly suggest checking out this glorious piece of exploitation. Disregard the other 4 sequels that ended up making based on one guy who essentially rids New York of all their bad guys. Those sequels are dumb and not terribly interesting. But the original Death Wish is something to really behold. Charles Bronson is essentially the man, a psychotic and almost too happy to be in this movie man as the vigilante lie taker who just wants to take vengeance on those that raped his daughter and killed his wife. Now if you need someone to play this sort of character without any sort of solid acting chops for this role, Bronson is who you want. You might be saying, “what do you mean acting chops” I mean that Bronson doesn’t really bring that emotional lean you need in a character who you are supposed to sympathize with. When he is told that his wife is died, I don’t think I detected a big emotional turmoil, just a shrug and cocking of a gun.
Then again, you might be watching this movie more so for the killing rather than seeing Charles Bronson try and cry. Well folks you are in for a treat because there is nothing but constant thugs getting shot for evening looking at Bronson. I swear, someone might just crop dust him by accident and he is liable of shooting them dead. Dudes are just dying at his feet, even Jeff Goldblum bites it here. The violence and general glee and wantonness of the violence might make it unsettling for some to watch this movie. Seeing Bronson’s character crack a smile from time to time while shooting some drugged out thug is a bit weird, but amazing considering the character is getting a sick fulfillment from doing a better job at cleaning up the streets than the cops themselves. Just prep yourself for constant murders in this movie, they all have a death wish.
Death Wish is pure exploitation plain and simple. The fact that this received some harsh reviews and even controversy when it came out was more or less the point in my eyes. Exploitation is about taking that forbidden or taboo fantasy of the sorts, in this case the vigilante street justice, and going for it with full effect. Who hasn’t wanted to exact a little revenge on someone who wronged them? This is just taking that idea from the back of your mind and going full throttle with it. Charles Bronson just enters a scenes, kills, smirks and leaves. Nothing more, nothing less from this movie. The violence is shocking at times, but that’s the point. The exacting of the revenge upon those that commit the horrific violence just creates a constant feeling of unrest, knowing that violence begets violence and it apparently solves the problem. Also don’t read too much into a movie that glorifies violence, just watch it cause it is awesome.
