The loss of veteran action star Charles Bronson (1921 - 2003) leaves a vast empty space in the catalog of rugged male action stars that will be difficult to fill given the paucity of talent that presently populates Hollywood. Thank God for Kurt Russell, Tom Selleck, and Bruce Willis! Besides being a tribute to the late, great Charles Bronson, this review is dedicated to Jack Sommersby, the unparalleled Internet film critic who I am proud to call friend.

Along about the early 1970s, the "feel good" liberalism of the sixties was beginning to wear thin. Disgusted with the War in Vietnam and the liberal War on Poverty, the right thinking people were getting a little fed up with seeing their tax dollars p!$$ed away on social programs that only bred more recipients and a bigger, more bloated system to service the parasites. The squalor created by the federal departments dispensing largesse also bred crime at an unprecedented rate…

Sensing a trend, Hollywood responded with Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, a maverick cop who cared more about results than appearances. The taking out of aggression on the poor, disenfranchised criminals resonated uncharacteristically well with the public and propelled Eastwood into the stratosphere of filmic success. Catching on to the coattails of this trend came veteran tough-guy star Charles Bronson.

Bronson had cut his teeth on small parts at first, later developing a real fan following in films like The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, and The Dirty Dozen. But real stardom eluded Bronson, and like Clint Eastwood before him, he found his niche after a string of European films, culminating in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West. Returning to the USA in triumph, Bronson made dozens of action films, one of the best remembered of which is Death Wish (1974).

Death Wish is the story of a man whose liberal illusions are rudely torn from him by the rape, murder, and maiming of his wife and daughter. Realizing that the police and courts cannot - indeed WILL NOT - do anything to protect him, he decides to take matters into his own hands.

Paul Kersey (Bronson) is an architect, a guy whose mind alternates between the artistic side of pretty pictures and the practical side of translating the pictures into real buildings of steel and glass. As mentioned, Kersey's wife and daughter are savaged during a burglary of their fashionable NY apartment. Mrs. Kersey (Hope Lange) doesn't survive the encounter; daughter does, but is left catatonic. After some sleepless nights and hand wringing, Bronson is introduced to the answer during a business trip to Tucson. His client presents him with a .32 revolver with the advice that a person has a right to defend himself. After all, the police can do nothing to protect him so it's every man for himself…

Upon returning to New York, Kersey becomes a denizen of the nighttime. At first gingerly, he becomes more bold as he gains experience in hunting down and dealing with the criminals who prey on the weak during the hours of darkness. Familiar face Vincent Gardenia plays the police detective assigned to root out the vigilante. Like Gardenia's character, the viewer is torn as the vigilante is technically a criminal, but the right people are getting killed…

Directed by Michael Winner (Scorpio, Lawman, The Mechanic), Death Wish is an exceptionally violent revenge film that will leave the viewer queasy after the ugly rape-murder scene of Kersey's family. The revenge killings are suspenseful and leave the viewer with a strangely uplifting level of satisfaction that justice has been done. Noticing a crucifix around the neck of one of the muggers, Kersey asks him if he believes in Jesus. "Oh yeah," responds the thug. "Good, because you're going to meet him," Kersey states coldly, punctuating his sentence with a muzzle blast from his .32…

Director Winner packs a lot of violence and catharsis into the terse 93-minute film. Score by Herbie Hancock emphasizes the action and is one of his better efforts. The Paramount DVD is presented in 1.85: 1 widescreen format. Viewers who like action films will identify with the urban angst depicted by Winner and it's a slam dunk for Charles Bronson's many fans.

Some more fine Charles Bronson action films you'll want to see are:

The Mechanic

Mr. Majestyk

Happy viewing!










Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age