Death Wish
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Charles BronsonBrand: BRONSON,CHARLES
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-08-02
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: PARAMOUNT
Movie Reviews of Death Wish
Movie Review: Kersey the vigilante is born
Summary: 5 Stars
A discussion of Charles Bronson that fails to mention the "Death Wish" series isn't really a discussion at all. The first entry in this seminal series arrived on the scene in 1974 during a period in American history when all types of crimes skyrocketed. We can thank the moral laxity inflicted on the rest of us by the Counterculture for the increased numbers of murders, arsons, burglaries, robberies, rapes, and countless other forms of physical and mental assaults that soon became common occurrences on every street in the country. A large percentage of the population, referred to by Nixon as "The Silent Majority," ached to find a way to fight back against the vermin committing these atrocities. Since our embrace of vigilante justice faded away due to the abuses of lynching in the South, and our legal system began letting the scum back out on the streets, only Hollywood seemed to offer refuge to the growing number of victims. Enter the revenge and vigilante genre, the most notable entries of which consisted of the Clint Eastwood "Dirty Harry" pictures. In these films, a cop or outraged citizen would hunt down criminals outside the law, meting out a savage brand of justice we could all cheer about.
"Death Wish" soon became a popular alternative to Eastwood's blow 'em away motion pictures. Set in the cesspool that is New York City in the 1970s, we first meet architect Paul Kersey (Bronson) as he exhibits the comfortable liberalism of a man never victimized by criminals. He believes in the efficacy of the legal system, thinks even criminals deserve a fair chance, and supports gun control. Then the unthinkable happens, a crime so monstrous in its random brutality that Kersey's world changes forever. While he is away drawing up plans for his latest project, a gang of punks follows his wife Joanna (Hope Lange) from the market back to the apartment. Once inside, these animals kill Kersey's wife and savagely violate his only daughter Carol (Kathleen Tolan) in a way best left unelaborated upon here. It's truly a terrible series of scenes, but no more terrible than the total ambivalence and ineffectiveness exhibited by the hospital personnel, the police, and Carol's husband in the aftermath of the attack. Only Kersey feels like he should do something, but his personal beliefs (he was a conscientious objector during the Korean War) leave him struggling over what course of action he should take.
Fortunately, a working trip to Tucson settles the issue for our hero. It is here that he meets Ames Jainchill (Stuart Margolin), a real estate developer and self-defense advocate who indirectly helps Kersey decide what to do upon his return to the Big Apple. He also gives the architect a package containing a handgun and ammunition after learning that Kersey, despite his peaceful beliefs, learned about firearms as a child. Our man returns to the city and sets about settling some scores. Sadly, he will never find the men responsible for the despicable atrocities committed against his family, but there is no shortage of criminals in New York to take revenge on in the meantime. Kersey often heads out to the streets posing as a likely victim, virtually ensuring that some mugger or other miscreant will take notice and move in for the kill. Sure enough, they do. And when they do, Kersey pulls out the pistol and guns them down. The sudden surge in deceased criminals brings in the cops, headed up by the always sniffling and blustering Inspector Frank Ochoa (Vincent Gardenia). New York City authorities quickly discover that a vigilante stalks the streets, and they want to catch the guy fast before he influences other outraged citizens to do the same. Too late. Construction workers start beating muggers to a pulp, and little old ladies fight back, too. Will the cops find Kersey? What will they do to him? Watch and see.
"Death Wish" works as well as it does because the script takes vigilantism very seriously. You won't see Bronson running through the streets mowing down hundreds of bad guys without breaking a sweat--that will come later, in the increasingly ridiculous yet massively entertaining sequels. Here, Paul Kersey agonizes over his decision. After one of his assaults on a criminal, he arrives home so shaken that he becomes physically ill over his actions. Too, our vigilante isn't impervious to damage like so many action heroes, which we learn when a thug manages to stick a knife into him during an attack. The best element of the film is Bronson; he falls prey to the law of diminishing returns in the later sequels and other Cannon schlock with ham handed performances so wooden as to defy description, but not here. "Death Wish" gives the actor better material, material that allows him greater range to practice his talents. I also enjoyed seeing Stuart Margolin--an actor I learned to appreciate during his stint as the hilarious ex-con Angel Martin in "The Rockford Files"--in the role of the perceptive Ames Jainchill. Be sure and look for Jeff Goldblum as "Freak #1." Freak #1! I love it!
It is quite unfortunate the only extra on the disc is a trailer. I think I ought to warn viewers interested in the "Death Wish" films right from the start that MGM did a lousy job transferring these gems to disc. The first film doesn't look too bad, but subsequent entries sadly receive a full screen format. Worse, they actually put edited versions of a couple of the films on the discs. Edited! Can you believe it? Who does that nowadays? Oh, I forgot--MGM, Paramount, and several other big studios who simply don't understand how DVD should work. Still, I highly recommend the first film considering its classic stature.
Summary of Death Wish
Bronson is an urban liberal who becomes a vigilante in search of the gang of thugs who raped his daughter and raped and murdered his wife.Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 8-AUG-2006
Media Type: DVD
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