Day 214: "If the police don't defend us, maybe we ought to do it ourselves."

Death Wish.  This seminal revenge film from 1974 was groundbreaking in its portrayal of vengeance at the time.  Architect Paul Kersey, a man set in his liberal ways, is confronted at work one day by a co-worker who "prophetically" warns him of the dangers of the city and if he had any sense, he'd get out of Dodge.  Paul writes off the encounter and then the unthinkable happens: his wife is brutally murdered and his daughter raped by a small but effective gang (three guys).  Paul initially puts his faith in the police, but is betrayed by their inaction.  After a business trip to Arizona, Paul is inspired by the Western ideal of justice and decides to take matters into his own hands.  He returns to New York, and wreaks holy hell on the guys who took his loved ones.  The story is one of the simplest plot lines in human history: the need for vengeance/justice.  Without spoiling anything, Death Wish does have one of the most satisfying endings I've seen.

Charles Bronson, while not the greatest thespian on the planet, does a great job conveying the anguish and anger of being a helpless victim.  Where he really shines is when he has converted into a machine bent on revenge.  His stone cold glares and icy demeanor are amazing to watch.  What really got me was the appearance of a really young (and REALLY creepy) Jeff Goldblum.  This guy just creeped me out from the minute he was on screen as one of the rapists/killers.

If you are a fan of revenge films, this is, hands down, THE movie you need to watch.  An unabashed portrayal of one of the most primal instincts we possess, Death Wish is an amazing movie.  I will warn you though, the scene of Paul's family being "victimized", to put it nicely, is a brutal, BRUTAL bit of on-screen violence that you will not soon forget.  Give this movie a viewing, or Bronson will come for you.  8.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!