Death Wish (1974)

Director: Michael Winner
Starring: Charles Bronson, Hope Lange, Vincent Gardenia

Synopsis:
A real estate developer becomes a vigilante after his wife and daughter are assaulted.

Impressions:
I wanted to see this movie mostly because of the series' reputation, but it would seem that much like First Blood for the Rambo series, this is a fairly grounded film. I actually rather liked that Kersey was established as a conscientious objector who goes through a lot of struggle to adapt to his new vigilante lifestyle. While a lot of the politics are very much a product of their time, you'll probably still find a lot of resonance. You might be surprised to see a young Jeff Goldblum as one of the punks from the beginning in his feature debut. So long as you're aware that the over-the-top action is something found in the sequels, I think you might find this film has a lot going for it. Give it a watch.

Rating:
Watch It