Jun 06 2008
Death Wish: classic film or forgettable actioner?
Let’s rewind on the Film Purist’s blog to a classic such as 1974’s Death Wish. If you have stopped reading my blog right now and question my judgment, I don’t blame you.
A violent film with questionable motives is what the film’s reputation was built on. However under recent review of the film I find it a thought provoking, very involved character turn film by Charles Bronson. Forget the four sequels that followed (and the question of can old guy still lift a machine gun?), but focus on the story itself. And now if you look at the films and see how there have been actual remakes and homage’s to the film most recently Kevin Bacon’s Death Sentence and a similar subway scene in the Jodi Foster vehicle, The Brave One. I bring this little gem up for discussion for one reason, according to the IMDB.com; they are about to remake this film. My question for dispute is how are they going to make a film like this, which was very original back in 1974, fresh, poignant, watch-able, and memorable in this upcoming year? This new film I could see being contrived and formulaic and the moviegoer’s not interested in all. My whole issue with remakes is when somebody notes a film and asks you if you have seen it, you have to turn around and ask the person which one: the original or the remake? A casting note, which I found on IMDB.com, is the fact that they consider Jack Lemmon originally for the role of Paul Kersey, that’s an interesting choice. Do you think it would have been a better film or a worse film?
