Death Wish

Starring: Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, William Redfield, Stuart Margolin, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Guest, Olympia Dukakis
Directed by: Michael Winner
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Drama
1974

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: After his wife is murdered, an architect (Charles Bronson) begins to kill muggers in New York City. He soon becomes notorious in the city as the vigilante murderer.

Review:

Tim: Death Wish was quite controversial when it was first released. Times have changed in the 45+ years since this film's release, but you can imagine how it might have been received in 1974. This is a brutal film that does seem to glorify violence. Whatever you think about the movie, there's no denying it effectively digs into you. This is probably not a film too many people will feel ambivalent about. I believe this is a flawed movie, but ultimately, an effective one.

The film certainly doesn't shy away from controversy. There is a sexual assault scene very early on and it's quite difficult to watch, even by today's standards. The violence, the brutality, it's all on display in the movie's opening minutes. As the film progresses, we see the protagonist seek vengeance by gunning down anyone who tries to rob him. He baits them for sure, wandering the streets and subways, waiting for them to pounce so he can enact his own personal brand of revenge. As this progresses, the police get involved, but there's another side to his vigilantism. It works, decreasing crime. Some people proclaim him a murderer, sure, but others seem to celebrate him taking the law into his own hands. The movie is self-aware enough to throw a line or two about the potential racism of his actions, but being 1974, it ultimately makes you cringe with its explanation. It's interesting how the film portrays the protagonist. It never forthrightly states what he's doing is a good thing, but we're obviously supposed to be in his corner, to root for him taking out the "bad guys" with lethal justice. It makes you think. His actions today would be considered beyond extreme and criminal. Pickpockets and muggers are terrible human beings, but you pause before wondering if a swift, painful death truly is justice. Still, by this film's standards, it's a bit uncomfortable that his vigilante actions are celebrated. It's even harder due to the fact that he's not seeking out the people responsible for the death of his wife. Many other movies have taken this approach and it feels much more understandable to see a guy killing people- you understand his motives more. Here, the main character never talks about finding his wife's killers. He's just hunting people and murdering them. It might seem like a slight difference, but it means a lot.

I'm actually surprised that I saw a few reviews that talked about Charles Bronson's strengths as an actor. I'm not sure I was watching the same movie. Bronson looks authentically tough. Physically, he's perfect for the role. His acting, however, it quite bad. He's wooden, routinely delivers forced lines and is generally not believable as an architect. I'm a bit shocked that people would praise his performance. He looks right for the part, but his performance leaves a lot to be desired. The supporting cast isn't very strong. Vincent Gardenia makes the biggest impact, and as the film progresses, becomes an increasingly interesting figure. His scenes all add to the movie and his acting is quite good. I loved seeing Jeff Goldblum as "Freak #1". It was fun seeing him in his first-ever acting role. The rest of the cast doesn't make much of an impression. This movie is really focused on Bronson.

The story is an interesting one and it does make you think. I'm so thankful crime has generally been on a downward trend and New York City today isn't like the one depicted here. Revenge movies are quite common and when done well, can be fantastic. This one blurs the line too much, though. You sort of root for Bronson's character because you know you're supposed to, but his actions are troubling. There's not much of a sense of self-awareness from him.

I wouldn't say I loved Death Wish, but it was an effective movie. It mostly held my attention and it made me think. It's flawed but the positives outweigh the negatives.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Death Wish II