MovieChat Forums > Death Wish (1974) Discussion > What about the real culprits?

What about the real culprits?

posted 11 years ago by Johnny0581
36 replies | jump to latest

You mean to tell me throughout the whole film..he did not run into the three punks that actually killed his wife and raped his daughter?. I know, I know, perhaps they were just passing through and NOT from that neighborhood. I guess this was not your typical, unrealistic, revenge flick but was more true to life, hence it's success in the box office but i'm sure 90% of the viewers were looking forward to Bronson blowing Jeff Goldblum and company's brains out! Great film but the fact that he didn't kill them ruined it for me!

[–] universaldennis 10 years ago

There are eight million people in New York now, so probably there were five or six million forty years ago.

It just wouldn't be that hard to miss them.

On the other hand, anyone who has ever lived in New York knows that it often feels like the world's biggest college dormitory where you often run into the same people over and over.

So...who knows? :)

[–] residentevil6901 10 years ago

So I finally got around to watching Death Wish today as I have never seen it, I always wanted to check it out but never did. After watching I could not believe they never had him track down the punks who raped his daughter and killed his wife. I would say I loved the movie if that would of happened but it's more stuck in the like category now. I know it's 40 years old but damn it was complete disappointment when it ended. The whole time I was waiting for him to run across them and it never happened. Lol beggars can't be choosers I guess. Are the other Death Wish movies worth watching?

[–] BrianRaess_Is_FinallyGone 10 years ago

How would he have known who they were if he ran into them?

[–] Stamp-3 10 years ago

The whole point of the movie is that he is not trying to track down the original three punks; he has no idea who they are or even how many of them there were. And even if by coincidence he did come across them, he wouldn't even know.

No, even as a fairly cheaply made, and with an almost B movie sensibility, Death Wish has a much more mature and intelligent theme than a run of the mill revenge flick we see so much of. And its better for it.

[–] Verdugo85 9 years ago

The whole point of the movie is that he is not trying to track down the original three punks; he has no idea who they are or even how many of them there were.

Agreed. I was bothered that Paul didnt get the thugs that attacked his family when I first saw this film but then I understood and accepted the film for what it was trying to do..

And even if by coincidence he did come across them, he wouldn't even know.

This angle could've also worked in the film. Paul sees them and shoots them but it still doesnt give him closure because he doesnt know it was them, you know what I mean?

[–] captgage-1 10 years ago

I never even saw it except for the first few minutes when they first played it on TV, and I'm not saying I wouldn't consider seeing the whole thing, but that sounds disappointing. I guess Charles Bronson just did what he could and took his bereavement out on whatever criminals he could.

[–] 10 years ago

[deleted]

[–] jsl_99 9 years ago

Paul Kersey finding and killing the attackers would've been a more satisfying ending. But perhaps the punks that attacked his daughter and wife went into hiding when they heard about the vigilante.

[–] al666940-3 8 years ago

He never catches them.

The story is MEANT to show how Kersey's actions result in only more violence and no closure. Bronson himself has stated as much in the trivia section.

I mean, at the end of the movie Kersey is clearly gone, grinning like a crazed person while shooting at some punks with his hand. If that alone ain't a hint clear for everyone to get, I don't know what is.

[–] wmlopez 8 years ago

You would think that in 8 years before the next movie they would have come up with a good script. Didn't the producers think "hey, what if Kersey somehow runs into the killers of his wife?"

[–] joe_538 8 years ago

The story is MEANT to show how Kersey's actions result in only more violence and no closure.

The police said violent crime was going down.

[–] kgwrote-854-104240 8 years ago

I believe Bronson beats up or kills Jeff Goldblum along with Robert Englund in St. Ives.

[–] Flamingo_22 7 years ago

I was thinking the same thing, I thought for sure he'd find out the 3 guys who did this to his wife and daughter and go after them but he just kills random thugs