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Post by Will Da Beeste on Feb 19, 2008 16:15:15 GMT -5
Simply put, the best urban crime drama ever made. Empathetic, humanistic, but one harsh take.
I'm not going to summarise the plot. Suffice it to say that New York has never looked so threatening and malicious violence has never been portrayed so well, before or since. The violence itself is casual and genuinely frightening and the aftermath as depressing and traumatic as the assaults themselves. In this regard, it is a million miles away from other early 80s street justice pictures like Tenement or The Exterminator. This film does not gloat, it rages. Although it clearly owes something to Death Wish, it is tougher and has way more depth.
One forgets that before NYC was cleaned up, it was oppressive and people were rightfully uneasy about their environment. A real piece of harsh history. Most important, though is that this film is thoughtful, stylish, believable and brutal.
As for the final showdown, the liberal theory that retributive justice is empty justice falls away. Literally.
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Post by Kimble on Feb 20, 2008 15:52:01 GMT -5
I made a post about this in the 1980s Action board but I guess it's up for grabs if you can really consider it an action movie or not. It has the elements but is more of a thriller/revenge movie. Either way, Vigilante is a fine piece of cinema.
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