The Death Wish films are not my favorite Charles Bronson works. But there's no doubt that Bronson attained his enduring popularity on the strength of the five films in the series.
In this the original Death Wish, Charles Bronson introduces us to Paul Kersey, successful architect and family man with wife Hope Lange and married daughter Kathleen Tolan. Bronson's well ordered life takes an abrupt change when a home invasion robbery results in the death of Hope Lange and the rape of Kathleen Tolan.
All the acting is done with facial expressions here. Bronson usually plays stoic characters in his films, but in the Death Wish series he never articulates what's going on with him, but you see it in a face that was made for movie closeups in the same way that Gary Cooper's and John Wayne's faces were.
A trip out west on a project brings him in touch with a different mentality about settling urban problems and the present of a 32 Caliber pistol from the man he was contracted to work for gives Bronson a whole new outlook. And a mission in life to rid the world of street criminals.
1974 may have been the year Richard Nixon had his downfall, but this was the president elected on a law and order platform. George Wallace sent his audiences into delight when he talked about running protesters down with his vehicle. Death Wish struck quite a nerve with the American public because unlike Dirty Harry, Bronson was a citizen like you and me who just decided to act.
There are two really good supporting performances in Death Wish. A New Yorker to his fingertips, Vincent Gardenia plays the dogged police detective who's put on the vigilante killer case. And Stuart Margolin as Bronson's western host who presents him with the tool of his trade is also worth noting.
In 1982 Bronson finally due to a lot of audience demand and the fact that the money was too good to turn down, repeated his role of Paul Kersey in a series of Death Wish films of varying quality. Nothing like this one though.
In this the original Death Wish, Charles Bronson introduces us to Paul Kersey, successful architect and family man with wife Hope Lange and married daughter Kathleen Tolan. Bronson's well ordered life takes an abrupt change when a home invasion robbery results in the death of Hope Lange and the rape of Kathleen Tolan.
All the acting is done with facial expressions here. Bronson usually plays stoic characters in his films, but in the Death Wish series he never articulates what's going on with him, but you see it in a face that was made for movie closeups in the same way that Gary Cooper's and John Wayne's faces were.
A trip out west on a project brings him in touch with a different mentality about settling urban problems and the present of a 32 Caliber pistol from the man he was contracted to work for gives Bronson a whole new outlook. And a mission in life to rid the world of street criminals.
1974 may have been the year Richard Nixon had his downfall, but this was the president elected on a law and order platform. George Wallace sent his audiences into delight when he talked about running protesters down with his vehicle. Death Wish struck quite a nerve with the American public because unlike Dirty Harry, Bronson was a citizen like you and me who just decided to act.
There are two really good supporting performances in Death Wish. A New Yorker to his fingertips, Vincent Gardenia plays the dogged police detective who's put on the vigilante killer case. And Stuart Margolin as Bronson's western host who presents him with the tool of his trade is also worth noting.
In 1982 Bronson finally due to a lot of audience demand and the fact that the money was too good to turn down, repeated his role of Paul Kersey in a series of Death Wish films of varying quality. Nothing like this one though.