Second Viewing: Death Wish (1974)

Death Wish has a lot of problems, but if nothing else, it’s a beautiful time capsule of how disgusting New York City was in the 1970s. I love movies like this. There’s something about the grit in these ’70s and ’80s vigilante/revenge movies that just really entertains me.

While the series didn’t stay consistent with this movie’s somber and thoughtful tone, this is a pretty well done and intelligent movie. I do think the movie sides a little too strongly on the pro-vigilante side of the argument, but I at least like that there is an argument.

Bronson is just right for this role. He looks like a total badass whenever he’s holding a gun, of course, and the script wasn’t terrible enough to make him not care at all in some of the emotional scenes, like when they establish his character’s background and his relationship with guns.

Bronson and Vincent Gardenia are kind of the only performances worth a damn, to be honest. The son in law is pretty bad, and there really aren’t too many characters that mean anything honestly. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as the movie does spend a lot of time on Bronson’s Paul Kersey. He doesn’t turn to vigilantism just because his wife’s been killed, but because he also sees how broken by trauma his daughter is.

Rating: 6/10