Death Wish (1974)

Directed by: Michael Winner | 93 minutes | action, drama, crime | Actors: Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia, Steven Keats, William Redfield, Stuart Margolin, Stephen Elliot, Kathleen Tolan, Jack Wallace, Fred J. Scollay, Chris Gampel, Robert Kya-Hill, Edward Grover, Jeff Goldblum, Christopher Logan , Gregory Rozakis, Floyd Levine, Helen Martin, Hank Garrett, Christopher Guest

‘Death Wish’ is a film that shows the impact of criminal behavior on victims and their environment. A respected architect turns into a modern gunfighter after a horrific event. Partly thanks to Bronson, a fascinating whole about a man who has had enough: he faces the scum of the big city.

The impact of violent crime on victims and their environment often remains underexposed when it comes to crime figures. In Dino De Laurentiis’ ‘Death Wish’, an indirect victim of brutal violence is given ample opportunity to take revenge. You are introduced to Bronson (‘Once upon a Time in the West’) as a social man with an eye for abuses in society. A bunch of idlers, including a role of Goldblum (“Jurassic Park”), take advantage of Bronson’s family and turn his world upside down. The film focuses on the question: What would you do if some bastards mistreated your wife and child?

Bronson’s character changes. He is tired of being powerless and takes the law into his own hands. After a rather sudden working vacation in rural Arizona, Bronson returns to the “Big Apple” to clear up rubble. For someone who evaded military service because of conscientious objection, Bronson can handle a gun quite well! Bronson’s stoic, sad look is befitting a story about a tormented husband who wants to get his revenge.

The somewhat older police chief and ‘opponent’ of Bronson, Gardenia (‘Death Wish II’), also makes a positive contribution. Gardenia is a seasoned detective who does everything in his power to keep Bronson from going astray. Unfortunately, his credibility as an agent has been called into question more than once. Thus, in the film’s apotheosis, the story takes a rather unexpected turn. The twist has a lot to do with the sympathy you get for Bronson going single-handedly against the pickpockets and robbers, even if the means he uses are no better than those of his opponents. After intensive media attention, Bronson also wins the hearts of the New York population, who are delighted with the modern Robin Hood who protects them from the evil outside world.

‘Death Wish’ is nevertheless a film with a simple story, which at times makes strange jumps. Bronson’s rather sudden trip to the old-fashioned South of America has already been discussed, but the tactics of the political authorities also raise eyebrows. Turning a blind eye, the high lords allow a loner to take over the police monopoly on violence and decide for himself who lives or dies. Director Winner, who is known as an arch-conservative, implies that a good amount of bullets and excessive violence will solve crime.

Reality is not that simple. However, ‘Death Wish’ is an attractive film with lots of action, interesting scenes and funky music by Herbie Hancock. Director Winner frequently shows the Bronson we know: Someone of few words, but also an endearing man who gets a little angry when he looks at holiday photos of his beloved wife. The scenes of the robbery and rape are downright gross. Western scenes in the modern city.