Great Movies: Death Wish

For those that haven't seen it, the 1974 film Death Wish is worth your time.

And no, not just for the action scenes.

The story is one that's become common place in action movies. Criminals kill the wife and rape the daughter of the protagonist ( Paul Kersey in this case ). He files police reports, helps his son in law find medical treatment for his daughter, but then takes up arms and hunts down criminals himself, vigilante style.

Unlike later movies in the Death Wish series, the first goes beyond mere action to ask some interesting questions, like this line:

Paul Kersey: "What do you call someone who when faced with a condition of fear does nothing about it?"

Jack Toby: "Civilized?"

Looking beyond the action there's some interesting questions; questions which seem as relevant today as they did so long ago.