The one that started it all! Michael Winner’s highly influential vigilante film introduced Charles Bronson’s iconic character Paul Kersey and led to a series of sequels, ripoffs and homages. Controversial upon its initial release due to its embrace of vigilantism, the film was a huge hit with the public fed up with crime and made Bronson a bigger star than ever at age 53. While later sequels veered into excess and parody, the original still packs a brutal punch. Featuring a great score by jazz legend Herbie Hancock!
“The movie has an eerie kind of fascination, even though its message is scary. Bronson and Winner have worked together on several films, and they’ve perfected the Bronson persona. He’s a steely instrument of violence, with few words and fewer emotions. In Death Wish we get just about the definitive Bronson; rarely has a leading role contained fewer words or more violence.” – Roger Ebert
