Michael Winner is no novice to these types of 70s crime pictures, as his grounded; no bull method should suit these films. This would be Bronson's third picture with Winner (as coming before it were ''Chato's Land'' and ''The Mechanic'') and the following year would see the pair bring us a vigilante favourite and probably their most renowned ''Death Wish''. Their third outing ''The Stone Killer'' is a rigidly straight-forward, but gritty, quick-moving and no bars hold crime joint that also stars Martin Balsam, Stuart Margolin, Ralph Waite and Paul Koslo as a weaselling jazz loving crim (and who's performance is always a joy to behold ). Nothing groundbreaking or particularly spectacular about it, but Winner does a conventionally clammy, but proficient job on all fronts. I see it unfairly get labelled as a Dirty Harry carbon copy
far from it, so what if Bronson plays a detective with a cynically brutal edge that questions the authority figures and likes handing out a beating to criminals. Other than those shades, that's it. The story is completely different, if conniving and primitive in its progressive plot involving a once New York detective Lou Torrey (now residing in Los Angeles) heading back to the big apple with a prisoner, but at the airport the captive is gunned down. Thinking there's more to it; Torrey begins digging up information that leads to the discovery of the Sicilian Mafioso planning a massacre as revenge for a shoot-out that occurred over forty-years ago. It mainly centres around the build-up of Bronson's character investigating the case (involving numerous chases on foot as well a memorable one by vehicle) and putting together the pieces to reach its pulsating outcome of all-out chaos
burning rubber and guns a blazing with plenty of red paint. The violence is typical of the era, straight up --- packing a sting and the raw urban locations cementing a dangerous, but tough as nails atmospheric charge. This was also magnified by Roy Budd's saucily funky score and Richard Moore's leering, but controlled cinematography. The performances are all well-suited, as Bronson's tight-lipped manner is more so pessimistic, but hard-hitting. Also in the cast is a young John Ritter.
Review of The Stone Killer
