«Death Wish» has left us wanting for nothing

Cinema Wednesdays - Hélène Lavoyer

«—Who are you?”
»– Your last client."

Paul Keersey (Bruce Willis) is an emergency room surgeon in Boston. Juggling the frenetic pace of the operating room with the harmony of his family life alongside his wife and daughter, he leads a privileged life that stands in stark contrast to that of the city’s gangsters and other destitute people. Spotted by a restaurant valet who takes a photo of his address in order to rob him, Keersey—who has managed to escape the social determinism into which his toxic relationship with his father might have plunged him—finds himself helpless one day.

His wife and daughter were attacked during the carjacking orchestrated by the notorious car thief, just as he had to rush to the hospital. His wife died, and his daughter remained in a deep coma, with each passing day further diminishing her chances of survival. Alone in his grief, haunted by worry and anger, he would not find sleep until the day he unexpectedly found himself in the middle of a carjacking. Without batting an eye, he uses the gun he had taken from one of his patients for the first time and kills one of the thugs.

Thus begins the spiral of vengeance that will lead him to the burglars who broke into his home some time earlier. Since the police were unable to bring him justice, he would also make sure to kill «the ice cream man,» whom he had heard about while listening to the story of a child who had been shot in the leg. One thing leading to another—from murders to investigations—he eventually uncovers the identity of the mastermind behind the operation—known as «Joe» (Ronnie Gene Belvins)—who cost his soulmate her life, and he inflicts a painful punishment on him.

However, the police, who are trying to unmask «The Undertaker»—the town’s savior—are soon hot on his trail. Protected by his brother, Kersey manages to clear himself of all suspicion when Joe’s gang also comes to avenge their accomplice.

Blandness

Bruce Willis has certainly chosen better movies. No matter where you look—with every camera angle and every attempt to surprise the viewer—it falls flat. Starting with this flat, banal, predictable story. Even though it’s a remake—see «A vigilante in the city» by Michael Winner—but we still expect, and rightly so, to be surprised and entertained.

Isn’t that the bare minimum any action movie needs to meet? And yet, this feature film loses its intensity due to a botched introduction to the characters—which prevents the audience from forming any attachment—a slow start to the action, and a plot that, all in all, fails to impress in the slightest.

Furthermore, the clues provided by the seemingly jealous behavior of Kersey’s brother (played by Vincent d’Onofrio) are neither disproved nor confirmed—they’re simply left hanging, leaving us with the disappointing impression of a plot without a convincing resolution.

The ultimate frustration that keeps us on edge Death Wish is left hanging, reduced to nothing but the soundtrack and the action—which is condensed and confined to the final quarter-hour of this so-called thriller, even though the main plot has already been resolved.

A Failed Satire Against Arms Sales

The issue of gun ownership—a hot-button topic in the United States—takes center stage here. Unfortunately, it is not condemned; on the contrary, the purchase of «Glocks» and assault rifles is presented as a necessity—something that might have prevented Kersey from losing his wife.

A touch of satire does emerge on screen on two occasions—in the scene where Kersey’s father-in-law, portrayed as an honest man, flies into a rage upon seeing poachers and ends up shooting at them without realizing it, and when an advertisement for a gun shop is shown, presented by a prim blonde with a revealing neckline—but, being too subtle and vague, it fails to get the message across clearly.

We cannot simply accept this and tolerate such a stance. Although one might imagine that a weapon could have saved one of the characters, the absence of that element would also—and above all—have eliminated the possibility of a burglary with such dire consequences.

In the end, since Kersey is spared by circumstances, suffering neither punishment nor injury—oh yes, a cut on his hand—the idea that taking revenge into one’s own hands is wrong is set aside in favor of what is likely an unintentional endorsement of private gun ownership, a right that, let’s not forget, results in nearly thirty thousand deaths a year in the country.

In conclusion, Death Wish may not have succeeded in turning us off revenge, but warns us: the blockbusters These days, American movies are rarely worth more than watching their trailers.

Write to the author: helene.lavoyer@leregardlibre.com

Photo credit: © Ascot Elite Entertainment