With a remake currently in theatres, it is the perfect time to revisit 1974’s Death Wish. A film that was mostly panned by critics upon its release (a rare supporter was Roger Ebert), its raw form of vigilante justice captured the imagination of the American public – after all, it was an era when crime ran rampant in many urban metropolises.
A pure example of a gritty, violent, anti-establishment exploitation piece, director Michael Winner (The Mechanic) introduces us to an architect named Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson – his star raised by this game-changing role), a happy man who is currently on vacation (in Hawaii) with his wife Joanna (Hope Lange).
Liberal leaning and a former Korean war vet (though he was a conscientious objector), he has a compassionate outlook on the plight of the disenfranchised. Returning to New York with his wife, things take a horrific turn when she is attacked, along with their daughter Carol (Kathleen Tolan), by three hoodlums posing as grocery delivery men (Jeff Goldblum plays one of the so-called ‘Freaks’ – it was his first role).
Raped and beaten, it is a rather graphic sequence that visualizes the horrors of these trapped, helpless women. With the unholy triumvirate fleeing the scene of the crime, Carol is able to get to the phone and call the police. . . though it is too late, as her mother dies soon after from her extensive injuries. With Carol in a catatonic state, Paul and son-in-law Jack Toby (Steven Keats) are left to try to pick up the pieces.
After speaking with the cops (they have little hope in catching the culprits), the opportunity arises for Paul to clear his head in Tucson – developing a plot of land in a location that is wholly different from the urban decline of New York City. Endorsed by his son-in-law (as the doctors have advised him to take his wife away from any reminders of the incident – including her father), Paul spends most of his time with Aimes Jainchill (Stuart Margolin), their residential developer client.
A good ol’ boy with a very different outlook, he introduces Paul to the ideas of the Wild West. . . a simpler time, when it was up to community members to hunt down bandits, thieves and murderers. Immersed in the culture (he is even taken to the shooting range), Paul leaves Tucson not only with a deal in hand, but also a wrapped gift from his new friend. . . which just happens to be a revolver.
Imbued with the spirit of the Old West, Paul decides to turn his sights onto cleaning up the shady streets of his hometown, one thug at a time. With revolver in hand, he walks the grimy roads, dark alleys and hidden nooks each night, hoping that trouble will find him.
Dealing out his own brand of rough justice, his actions are soon flagged by wily NYPD Lt. Frank Ochoa (Vincent Gardenia), a man who quickly puts two and two together. . . realizing that it must be a disgruntled family member who has lost someone recently (and is likely a veteran, due to his proficiency at killing).
Hot on his trail, Ochoa and prominent members of the city realize that this vigilante spree has caused crime to drop in half, leaving them with their own set of questions. Though not approving of the method, it is hard to argue that it does not work. With stories emblazoned on nearly every newspaper, magazine, and media outlet imaginable, the vigilante captures the imagination of the city’s populous, countless individuals claiming they are the killer, whilst others begin to stand up for themselves, much like our unknown (to the public) anti-hero. Playing a dangerous game, will Paul be able to continue his controversial mission – dodging, fists, knives, bullets and the ever encroaching police as he attempts to eradicate every criminal to cross his path?
A simply woven dark exploitation piece, it provides its audience with a controversial quandary to debate. . . with streets like something out of a post apocalyptic nightmare, does one man have the right to be judge, jury and executioner? Though most will likely answer no, Winner weaves an eerie predicament that is only further enriched as Paul becomes enamoured with his nighttime job. What first repelled him now enlivens his spirit, the ability to do what the police will not, or cannot do (and, though he dispenses baddie after baddie, he becomes addicted to the thrill of the kill). It is an intriguing character arc, and Bronson plays the role with his iconic tough guy persona. It isn’t even about finding the culprits that killed his wife anymore, but rather, it is a larger, and in his mind, more altruistic mission. He is the heroic deputy tasked with defeating the villains. . . Paul references his Old West outlook several times as if he is a nineteenth century cowboy.
Though not an overly complex or layered picture, Death Wish perfectly captures the essence of an era – so popular, it spawned four sequels, all of them starring Bronson. Released around the same time as other movies with iconic anti-heroes (think Dirty Harry, Billy Jack, Buford Pusser, and The Man With No Name), it is a motion picture of a specific era, a time when a large part of the populous was disenchanted with the police, the government, and the world. With corruption and crime running rampant through the streets of major cities, it was a morbid, albeit somewhat satisfying idea, that someone would cross that invisible line and stand up for those who cannot do it themselves. Paul is that guy, whether you like it or not. Yet, rather cleverly, Bronson also suggested that, “I certainly don’t advocate anyone taking the law into their own hands. I don’t think that the film advocates violence, either. If my films have a lessons, it’s that violence doesn’t pay. My opinion is that violence only breeds violence”. . . which is also very much true of the tale. Also keep an ear open for the score written by legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock. A final suggestion for eagle eyed viewers: look for a young patrol officer named Jackson Reilly (he is the one who shows the gun to the lieutenant), as it is Christopher Guest in his first screen role. Don’t wait till sundown to see this cult classic, pull the trigger on it today.