I think a lot of us feel that if our loved ones were ever attacked, and the authorities didn’t do enough to punish the criminals, we would exact revenge ourselves, and so there is something oddly satisfying in watching revenge films like Vigilante. Particularly a film as good as Vigilante, which was directed by William Lustig (it was the film he made after Maniac) and features a fairly impressive cast, including Robert Forster, Fred Williamson, Richard Bright, Rutanya Alda, Don Blakely, and Joe Spinell. The film has now been re-issued in a special two-disc Blu-ray set that includes a 4K Ultra HD version as well as a regular Blu-ray version, and it looks fantastic.
When the film opens, Nick (Fred Williamson) addresses us directly, saying “I don’t know about you guys, but me, I’ve had it up to here.” The implication of course is that we too have had it up to here, had it with the amount of crime and the lack of safety on the streets. This was New York in the early 1980s, after all. It is an unusual and compelling opening moment. We then see the folks he is speaking to, as he mentions statistics on homicides and gun violence, a vigilante group made up of ordinary citizens, and a pretty diverse group at that. And soon we see this group at work, tracking down a criminal after a witness speaks to them rather than to the police. When we meet Eddie (Robert Forster), he arrives at Hallen Steel, where some of the group is employed. He is there to fix a machine. Meanwhile his wife Vickie (Rutanya Alda) and son witness some thugs assaulting a gas station attendant. She steps in, threatening to call the police, and even slaps the lead thug. The thugs follow her home and break into her house, stabbing her and murdering the little boy. That is a terrifying and unnerving scene. And even after that, Eddie believes in letting the authorities handle the case, having faith that the courts will see that justice is done. And when Nick explains his reasons for carrying a gun, Eddie makes a good argument against that sort of vigilante justice: “What happens if you do something to me I don’t like? Or I don’t like the way some guy’s got his hair parted? Pretty soon you got assholes all over the street looking to blow each other’s brains out. And if I do that, what makes me different than the scum?”
It is interesting that this film doesn’t have Eddie immediately join the vigilante group after the murder of his son. That is one of the many ways that this film stands out. But when a crooked lawyer (played by Joe Spinell, the star of Maniac) and an equally corrupt judge let the lead thug off, Eddie understandably loses it and charges at the judge, and is sentenced to thirty days himself because of it. While he is in jail, the vigilante team is essentially doing detective work regarding narcotics, making its way up the chain. And when Eddie gets out of prison, he is changed, and goes to Nick for help. This is more than an hour into the film. I love that this movie takes its time to build to this moment. Again, it is not your typical revenge flick, not by a long shot. And Robert Forster turns in an excellent performance.
Special Features
There are three audio commentary tracks. The first, recorded back in 2010, is by director William Lustig and co-producer Andrew Garroni. This commentary opens with a great anecdote of how they were able to shoot the opening scene almost for free. They also talk about the casting, and how Robert Forster was not the first choice for the role, which is incredible, considering the fantastic job he did. They also talk about getting the funding for the film. The second commentary track is by William Lustig, Robert Forster, Fred Williamson and Frank Pesce. They all tell plenty of interesting anecdotes. The third commentary track is by film historians Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson. This one was newly recorded for this Blu-ray edition. They talk about the film’s score, the influences of other films on this movie, and they do a good job of reminding us of the world in which this film takes place, including some of the crime stories of the time.
Blue Collar Death Wish is a featurette that includes interviews with writer Richard Vetere, director William Lustig, associate producer Randy Jurgensen, and actors Rutanya Alda, Frank Pesce, and Robert Forster. Richard Vetere talks about his own pent-up anger about crime in the city. Randy Jurgensen talks about how his previous job as a policemen helped him in his film profession. They all recall moments from the film’s production, and tell some particularly fun anecdotes regarding the car chase. This featurette is approximately twenty-five minutes. Urban Western is an interview with composer Jay Chattaway, who talks about the influence of Henry Mancini, and about his early work writing music for navy training films. This is also approximately twenty-five minutes.
The special features also include seven trailers, including the U.S. trailer and foreign trailers, four television spots, one radio spot, and two photo galleries featuring posters and other promotional materials, as well as behind-the-scene photos. In addition, the promotional reel shot before principal photography to generate foreign pre-sales is included. There is a booklet with photos and a piece written by Michael Gingold, who also contributed notes to the 2018 limited edition of Maniac.
This special limited edition of Vigilante was released on December 15, 2020 through Blue Underground.
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