Plot: What’s it about?
I’m not sure if star Charles Bronson nor Director Michael Winner knew that their 1974 Death Wish would spawn four sequels, with the 5th installment being released in the 90’s. I have something of a soft spot for the first three films, even if they’re really trash cinema. To its credit, the first film is the one closest to a quality film. It is hardly any masterpiece, but for that era of 70’s films set in New York City, it certainly has a welcome grittiness to it. I have an appreciation for Charles Bronson, and that may play into why I hold the film in a higher regard than I might’ve without his star presence.
Bronson plays Paul Kersey who is a successful architect and is first seen enjoying time on the beach with his wife, Joanna (Hope Lange). They have a daughter as well and she’s married to a man named Jack Toby (Steven Keates) who will often call Paul “dad”. They live in Manhattan and Joanna is followed home one day by some muggers when they get her information from a grocery store which has her home address to be delivered to her. They beat and attack Joanna and her daughter, Carol. The daughter is sexually assaulted as well. Joanna dies from her injuries, while Carol is recovering. It becomes clear to Paul that the muggers won’t be brought to justice as they will remain unidentified. Paul receives a special gift: a gun with a special history. It’s here that he begins to take matters into his own hands. He begins to clean up the streets, one mugger at a time. We see the city’s reactions to Kersey’s actions as well as the police. While Kersey is an anonymous vigilante at first, there are plot developments that arise here.
What’s interesting about the film, and certainly a conversation for others more invested, is how Kersey can be seen by some as a hero and to others as nothing better than the scum he’s taking out. I think the film paints an empathetic look at the scenario and the audience can decide for themselves how they should feel. It is fun to see an everyday man who is pushed to his breaking point and decides to take the law into his own hands. While the film is effective and has some truly thrilling sequences, there are some problems as well. One is an issue far more prevalent in the subsequent sequels, but there are times when the encounters become almost too convenient. When a mugger just so happens to attack someone when Kersey is there to come to their aide. Again, this was something taken to more extremes in the later chapters, but we see signs of it. This film certainly feels the most serious as well. The second pushed it a bit but had some very dark moments. It’s by the time we got to the third film that it was hard not to laugh at just how ridiculous and cheesy some of the villains were. Don’t get me wrong, there are some awful things that happen, but the execution (no pun intended) became a bit much. Still, it’s this film that started it all, and at the very least, it deserves a look.
Video: How’s it look?
I have viewed the film many times, in various formats, and I can rightly saw that this 4K transfer is far above previous releases. It may not blow many away, but for a film approaching its 50th anniversary soon, the results are more impressive. The image can be viewed with HDR or Dolby vision. There are so many finer details here and richer colors. There is an included Blu-Ray with this set, and while both are impressive, the 4K disc is the clear winner.
Audio: How’s it sound?
We get 5.1 and 2.0 options. I opted for the former to really take advantage of the Big Apple setting. Vocals are fine, and there is a lot of clarity with the background noise, be it cabs, banter or during some of the action sequences.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – The all-too-familiar Bronson enthusiast, Paul Talbot sits down for an engaging chat. He has recorded for the other films in this series, and his knowledge is limitless. He can appear to narrate sometimes, but he says so much that there is little room to complain. I do wish a more comprehensive documentary was included, but this commentary is more than welcome.
- Interview with Actor John Herzfeld – For about 19 minutes, Herzfeld gives us plenty of good little anecdotes. The way he is sitting (via zoom or something similar) is kind of awkward, but this is still a great chat.
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spot
- Radio Spots
- Reversible Cover
The Bottom Line
If this is as good as it gets for Death Wish on Home Video then I can say I am satisfied. I do wish more features were included, but what we do have is more than satisfying. For fans of the film then this is a no-brainer. For all others, it’s hard to go wrong with this set.
