DEATH WISH

1974

Michael Winner

BASIC QUESTIONS:

A “Vengeance film” is a subgenre of the crime film and is one in which the protagonist goes after the person who has committed a specific act which has been committed and affected the protagonist Virgin Spring, Ride Beyond Vengeance, Kill Bill, Murder on the Orient Express l

A “Vigilante film” is also a subgenre of the crime film and one in which the attack is against a specific crime in general. Some people use the terms interchangeable the way series and franchise are often used interchangeably but purists insist on distinctions being made.

If the vigilantes become a group they may become a “lynch mob” which is a group of people who decide to take matters into their own hands rather than follow the legal process. These films make take on various guises such as The Ox Bow Incident, and so on.

Dirty Harry is in a slightly different category since the idea is that this is a police officer rebelling against the system rather than a person or persons.

There are a number of films in which police “bend” if not break the laws in order to catch bad guys. Consider Mike Vargas (Charlton Heston in Touch of Evil (1958) when he says that being police is supposed to be tough, it is only easy in a police state. This is again the weighing of of a conservative opinion against a liberal one which is sometimes phrased as are the rights of the criminal more important than the protection and safety of the public. Once again, “Nothing turns a liberal into a conservative faster than a good mugging” – especially if the mugger gets off. “Nothing turns a conservative into a liberal as fast as getting arrested” – especially if he is innocent but found guilty.

We have already discussed the idea of the corrections versus punishment approach and whether or not anyone knows how to correct (they certainly know how to punish)

There is additionally the question of whether the police are able to protect the population from crime (or even catch the criminals). In many cases the perpetrator of the criminal act is not caught. So the question become if the police can’t stop the crime from happening and they can’t catch the criminals who is going to do it?

The other question is WHY can’t the police protect the citizenry or catch the perps. The answers vary from incompetence through corruption to “bleeding heart liberals” who block any kind of realistic investigative/detective work.

This has led to organizations which are set up to say that victims have rights too. These groups have often had tremendous force in parole hearings, where the victim’s voice often carry much weight on whether or not the parole board will release the offender.

YOU SHOULD COMPARE THE STATEMENTS MADE BY DET. JAMES MCLEOD (KIRK DOUGLAS) IN DETECTIVE STORY WITH THOSE IN THIS FILM.

How are these two films different and how are they similar?

It was held at one point that social sciences would basically become stereotypes in that social and cultural institutions are generalizations.

The question as to whether the film is a conservative or liberal film is easily answered. The more difficult question is how is the position handled in terms of the story and the film techniques

The film was not well received in general by the critics. Liberals argue this is because it is a bad film, where as conservatives argue that the reviewers are largely liberal and hence reject the films basic premise.

Are all opinions just opinions or are they based on facts. Facts are facts but they can be “twisted” in many ways – that is they can be given an interpretation. This is a question in these films Is one interpretation more reliable or likely than another?

Consider events like the George Zimmerman/Trayvor Martin case in Florida of the Obamacare arguments.

The film did well among the general public and hence financially. It cost 3 million and generated 22 million. It produced 4 sequels make a total of FIVE DEATH WISHES! Like most sequels they get progressively poorer. There is s shift to drug dealers rather than street criminals. Later terrorists are the main target in films (not Death Wish)

The idea of lifting the address from the grocery store seems to presage identity theft.

AFTER THE FILM

Opening, closing and set pieces (attacks)

Opening sequ4nceContrasts between Hawaii and NYC

How is the attack on Kersey’s family depicted? How about those of the “street hoodlums” on their victims? Kersey’s on the hoodlums?

Attacke in Kersey's House

Tucson tip

Descent from street to path red benches Dark – bare trees dark skyline. Thug appears higher POV shots? Benches green Close ups – runs again

SECOND SHOOTING (after he is told Tuscon agreed with him)

3 on one old man. POV Shot (they are in the distance Looks like western shoot out. Follows third and does him in (no longer self defense)

Old man agrees with actions does not identify him

CUT TO MENTAL INSTITUTE TO REMIND WHY THIS IS HAPPENING

PD Covering self in media (more interested in image than anything else)

THIRD SHOOTING ON TRAIN

People leave car (including cop- depiction of law enforcement as helpless, hopeless?) exit train at next stop. Kersey alone in car

Follow son in law’s idea – walk away to suburbs – get away from shooting scene so he walks away

There is an indication that his activities have lowered the crime rate. P.D. fearful of this knowledge getting to the public.

Hall to apartment seems narrower. Bright colors of Tucson appear

FORTH ATTACK

Shooting in subway. 2 thugs followed by Kersey who gets stabbed and kills one and wounds the other who dies later.

POLICE AND POLITICIANS WORRIED ABOUT IMAGE: Inspector Aberle (Michael Caine) “Do you want the real killer or will just anyone do?”

Crime IS down

FINAL SHOOTING

He is mid way between thugs – shoots 2 third comes after him – then shoots at him but misses. PD en route Collapses goes to hospital

ALL ARE SMOKING GUN CASES NO DOUBT AS TO PERPERTRATOR

However, the nature of the shooting excalates. The first is one on one, Kersey is attacked and attcker has weapon. Attacker is shot and killed and Kersey runs away

Second (in ally) Kersey is passer by and not attacked personally initially. Three on one (armed) (like three on one attack ion house) Two shot immediately and one is wounded. Kersey follows and shoots him in the back.

Third in on train, Kersey has "baited" them (nothing illegal about riding with groceries) Shoots more than once.

Fouth attack on subway platform - Kersey stabbed

Final shootout - Kersey approached by three thurgs - kills two (one seems to escape)

Police Behavior

Interested in protecting image
Want to protect population from a host of vigilantes
Break into Kersey's apartment illegally (no search warrant shown.
Seem more interested in finding vigilante shooter than thugs who have been attacking citizens

Closing: What is the significance of the last shot? (Compare Silence of the Lambs when Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) says “He’s got a real ta0ste for it now”)

How does the film depict the city vs. the southwest (Tuscon)? How does this compare with noir films where the city is dangerous?

How does the film depict the subways in NY vs. the apartment? What can you say about the films attitude toward the police on the trains.

What can you say about the main character’s trajectory in the film? Kersey's trajectors from liberal to conservative (film seems to hope audience will follow) (Compare with network "I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore!"). Shock radio.

What purpose does that serve (Even a liberal can be pushed to far). Kersey is accused of being a “bleeding heart liberal”.

He is a self proclaimed conscientious objector.

This makes his transformation all the more important

What does the final decision about Paul Kersey (has to leave NY) have to say about the political and police attitudes in the film?

There are good good guys and bad good guys and there are bad bad guys and good bad guys.

Do the ends justify the means (is this a problem with terrorism? Guantanamo?

How does this relate to the “superheroes”? Do they violate the law in the pursuit of justice? (No search warrants etc.)

This is sometimes a point of view problem. What do we think of McLeod in Detective Story. Is he a bad good guy who becomes a good good guy? From the butcher’s family he might be a bad good guy who became a good good guy and then at the end goes back to being a bad good guy! Wow! Obviously, the way that we are led to believe about the character tells us much about the writer’s own point of view!

Good Good Guys (stick with the law)

Is this a "western"/"Frontier" film. How does Kersey's last line to the inspector "by sundown" indicate a relationship? What about Wild West Show and the use of Tucson

Is Anatomy of a Murder a revenge film? Why? The murder of Barney Quill is certainly a revenge murder, but is it a revenge movie? Is anyone’s trajectory impacted by the murder? This is the problem of focus in defining the “genre” of a film.