Death Wish: Films (1974-94)

Death Wish: Films (1974-94)

Dir. Michael Winner / J. Lee Thompson / Allan A. Goldstein

In 01. Death Wish (1974 / Dir. Michael Winner) an average New Yorker named Paul Kersey (Charles Bronson) initiates a violent crusade of justice as he takes a stand against the street thugs and muggers that terrorise the good citizens of his city. It might sound lame and clichéd when written down, but in the mid-70s that kind of thing was still pushing boundaries, and Death Wish pushed more than most.

Dir. Michael Winner doesn't shy away from showing the harsh realities of the world in which a walk in the park at night-time is a very dicey activity.

It's a measured transition from law-abiding office worker to law-breaking vigilante, fuelled by a malady that eats away at the character's moral fibre, not an instant, explosive and unrealistic Arnie flick change.

There's no lengthy character build-up in 02. Death Wish 2 (1982 / Dir. Michael Winner) because the vigilante part of Paul Kersey that cleans the streets is still there, so all he needs do is call upon it when the time is right. Considering what he's put through prior to that, we have no choice but to sympathise with his killer instinct. They ought to give him a f**king medal for his actions.

DW 2 was largely responsible for Michael Winner getting his reputation as a director of violence, which is completely aside from his outspoken nature as a person. The uncut version is even more uncompromisingly brutal, with some harrowing, sustained sexual violence, so be warned.

The score by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page is unusual, but it fits in a strange way and is a pleasant change from the expected norm.

03. Death Wish 3 (1985 / Dir. Michael Winner) returns Mr Vigilante, Paul Kersey, to where it all began, to the city of New York. He's there for less than five minutes when someone he knows is killed in a gang attack. The guy is pure bad luck. Ladies, watch out!

The first film is very much a slow study that's as powerful today as it was at time of release. The third film definitely isn't. As the credits rolled I had to ask myself what the hell I'd just watched. Was Michael Winner taking the piss? Was he on coke cut with Ajax? It'll undoubtedly make someone's 'so bad it's good' list because of the OTT finale and occupy a place on the shelf of completists beside the other films whether it deserves it or not, but not on mine.

Bronson was pension age when he made 04. Death Wish 4: The Crackdown (1987 / Dir. J. Lee Thompson), but he could still shoot a perp from a few hundred yards, so it's not too much of a hindrance. He's after the drug-pushers this time, but instead of gunning down expendable and easily replaceable L.A. street thugs, he goes after the mob bosses who orchestrate shipments.

The film lacks any kind of cohesion or sense of drama and it'll be obvious even to the most casual of viewers that the love interest is there for one reason alone, and no matter how hard I try I can't muster up any enthusiasm to continue this part of the post. So, moving on...

In some ways, 05. Death Wish V: The Face of Death (1994 / Dir. Allan A. Goldstein) redeems the flailing series. It doesn't do much radically different from a typical early 90s revenge thriller, but it's a hell of a lot better structured and less goofy than the previous two films.

Paul Kersey's determination is still a primary focus, but being older and wiser and knowing well the pain of loss means he isn't as quick to pick up a gun, even when the story gives him good reason to do so. The villains are clichéd, but at least they're not jokes.

A sense of danger is no longer absent and weighty consequences accompany it. Still, it's good that the character was put to rest thereafter. The mileage was high enough.