1982's Vigilante is a film I had not seen before but it captures my idea of what America was like as a kid. I didn't grow up in America, I've never lived there or even visited, so my experience comes directly from movies.
My dad is a huge Death Wish and Dirty Harry fan, so I grew up with those movies and the version of America contained within those movies. New York, like Frank Millers version of Gotham City, was a dark, scary place filled with murder and mayhem. The only people who could save the city were not the corrupt cops or dirty politicians, but the fed-up citizens resorting to vigilantism.
And so enters Vigilante, which, come to think of it, is also a bit like The Crow, except no one is raised from the dead, and the soundtrack isn't near as excellent.
The film starts with a run down of the crime statistics, which is grim listening. I was tempted to look up current crime stats but held off because I'd probably spiral into a pit of despair.
We then see a rape-murder followed swiftly by vigilante justice (which we sadly don't really see happen only know that they broke every bone in his body). It's crazy to me that an old lady who witnessed the rapist run past her as he exited would get into a panel van with vigilantes and almost immediately spot the guy, but I don't think I'm meant to think too hard about all of that.
Then enters Robert Forster, an everyday man who loves his wife and son, orders coffee at a bar, and is inquisitive about the vigilante justice doled out by his workmates (oh, it's worth mentioning that he works with the vigilantes but for some reason is the only one in the workplace who isn't involved and who doesn't have a clue it's happening until the same day as, but just a few hours before, the stab-stab of his wife and the shotgunning of his little son.
Forster really hit my radar with Jackie Brown. He gave one of cinemas best ever performances in that film and made me care for a middle aged romance like none I've cared for before. In Vigilante he takes up the Bronson role, kind of, and vows to avenge the death of his son and the multiple stabbing and left for dead of his wife. At first he trusts the criminal justice system, but in this film there is no dun-dun Law and Order, just corruption. His lawyer also says they should just try to prosecute one gang member, rather than all of them, because the jury would be intimidated by the gangs.
All that talk of jury and yet the lawyers just negotiate a plea deal and the kid killer is free, and Forster, for being angry that the guy got away, goes to jail. Ok, he attacked the judge, but rightfully and reasonably. It seems way too harsh that he should go to jail when the guy who stabbed his wife and killed his kid (well, he did one of them and another gang member did the other, but what he's on trial for isn't too clear) gets a slap on the wrist. I want to believe that this is just the fiction and injustices like this don't happen in real life, but I've been brought up on American entertainment so it's more likely than not, to be fair.
In jail we get Woody Strode, as Rake, who's an old badass who everyone is scared of and who beats up two prisoners who took a disliking to Forster. Strode eats up the scenery and spits it out like it's nothing and delivers such an impactful performance that I'm tempted to rate it all ten out of ten just because of it. I am deducting ratings, though, because he's not in it near long enough.
I won't go too much further in my review because I don't want to spoil anything. Though I'm sure you can guess what happens.
My final comments are for Williamson, who carries this film on his broad shoulders, and. Steve James, who I wish was the lead of the movie. No bad words for Forster, but I think James deserved a lead role and he died way too soon for someone with his talent. I want to know more about his character. Why is he a vigilante, what happened to him?
Forster is great, and he plays the role of a straight laced guy who transforms into a badass vigilante so well, that I feel like I'm betraying what he was doing by saying that James and Williamson had the better characters that I would have preferred to see more of. A sequel or prequel focused on just them two would have been so good. Maybe add in Rake just so we get more Woody Strode too.
This was a terrific film that falls apart if you think too hard about everything that happens and how it all happens, but is elevated by four strong performances. Woody Strode is an absolute legend and I felt like applauding (alone on my couch) every time he was on screen. Williamson has a screen presence that's hard to emulate. James deserved more leading roles. And Forster shows the kind of nuance that would lead to him playing Max Cherry 15 years later in his finest performance.
My dad is a huge Death Wish and Dirty Harry fan, so I grew up with those movies and the version of America contained within those movies. New York, like Frank Millers version of Gotham City, was a dark, scary place filled with murder and mayhem. The only people who could save the city were not the corrupt cops or dirty politicians, but the fed-up citizens resorting to vigilantism.
And so enters Vigilante, which, come to think of it, is also a bit like The Crow, except no one is raised from the dead, and the soundtrack isn't near as excellent.
The film starts with a run down of the crime statistics, which is grim listening. I was tempted to look up current crime stats but held off because I'd probably spiral into a pit of despair.
We then see a rape-murder followed swiftly by vigilante justice (which we sadly don't really see happen only know that they broke every bone in his body). It's crazy to me that an old lady who witnessed the rapist run past her as he exited would get into a panel van with vigilantes and almost immediately spot the guy, but I don't think I'm meant to think too hard about all of that.
Then enters Robert Forster, an everyday man who loves his wife and son, orders coffee at a bar, and is inquisitive about the vigilante justice doled out by his workmates (oh, it's worth mentioning that he works with the vigilantes but for some reason is the only one in the workplace who isn't involved and who doesn't have a clue it's happening until the same day as, but just a few hours before, the stab-stab of his wife and the shotgunning of his little son.
Forster really hit my radar with Jackie Brown. He gave one of cinemas best ever performances in that film and made me care for a middle aged romance like none I've cared for before. In Vigilante he takes up the Bronson role, kind of, and vows to avenge the death of his son and the multiple stabbing and left for dead of his wife. At first he trusts the criminal justice system, but in this film there is no dun-dun Law and Order, just corruption. His lawyer also says they should just try to prosecute one gang member, rather than all of them, because the jury would be intimidated by the gangs.
All that talk of jury and yet the lawyers just negotiate a plea deal and the kid killer is free, and Forster, for being angry that the guy got away, goes to jail. Ok, he attacked the judge, but rightfully and reasonably. It seems way too harsh that he should go to jail when the guy who stabbed his wife and killed his kid (well, he did one of them and another gang member did the other, but what he's on trial for isn't too clear) gets a slap on the wrist. I want to believe that this is just the fiction and injustices like this don't happen in real life, but I've been brought up on American entertainment so it's more likely than not, to be fair.
In jail we get Woody Strode, as Rake, who's an old badass who everyone is scared of and who beats up two prisoners who took a disliking to Forster. Strode eats up the scenery and spits it out like it's nothing and delivers such an impactful performance that I'm tempted to rate it all ten out of ten just because of it. I am deducting ratings, though, because he's not in it near long enough.
I won't go too much further in my review because I don't want to spoil anything. Though I'm sure you can guess what happens.
My final comments are for Williamson, who carries this film on his broad shoulders, and. Steve James, who I wish was the lead of the movie. No bad words for Forster, but I think James deserved a lead role and he died way too soon for someone with his talent. I want to know more about his character. Why is he a vigilante, what happened to him?
Forster is great, and he plays the role of a straight laced guy who transforms into a badass vigilante so well, that I feel like I'm betraying what he was doing by saying that James and Williamson had the better characters that I would have preferred to see more of. A sequel or prequel focused on just them two would have been so good. Maybe add in Rake just so we get more Woody Strode too.
This was a terrific film that falls apart if you think too hard about everything that happens and how it all happens, but is elevated by four strong performances. Woody Strode is an absolute legend and I felt like applauding (alone on my couch) every time he was on screen. Williamson has a screen presence that's hard to emulate. James deserved more leading roles. And Forster shows the kind of nuance that would lead to him playing Max Cherry 15 years later in his finest performance.