The Brave One

Six Loathsome Movies Singularly Unperturbed About Wreaking Vigilante Justice

by Matt Prigge

Death Wish (1974): In The Ox-Bow Incident, the mob mentality is mercilessly laid out and slain. Its inverse is this Charles Bronson classic, where vigilante justice is not only A-okay, but a terrific way to channel one’s grief. Cynically piggybacking on the outside-the-law tenor created by the far more thoughtful Dirty Harry, Michael Winner’s fascist masterpiece presents no conflicts and zero guilt for Bronson, who goes from liberal do-gooder to right-wing judge, jury and executioner in record time. Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45 brilliantly twisted the setup, turning it into a feminist manifesto—but that still leaves four sequels and roughly 10,000 braindead knockoffs.

A Time to Kill (1996): Mississippi Burning reworked the civil rights movement for vigilante kicks. Joel Schumacher’s John Grisham adaptation takes it into the courtroom, searching for legal loopholes to excuse gunning people down in public squares.

The Boondock Saints (1999): Because having God on your side isn’t the only justification for killing people. Judging from the self-righteous smirks on Sean Patrick Flannery and Norman Reedus’ faces, it can be pretty fucking fun too.

Man on Fire (2004): Improbably enough, 9/11 wreaked not a slew of jingoistic, Chuck Norris-style pro-revenge romps, but films like Munich and Oldboy, which deconstruct and decimate the very notion of vengeance and justice. And then there’s this abhorrent piece of shit. After Dakota Fanning is killed, bodyguard Denzel Washington elects himself an angel of death, slicing off fingers and planting bombs up rectums, all for the lip-smacking delectation of the audience. Enjoy the Colosseum slaughter, Romans.

Four Brothers (2005): More guiltless vengeance, with Mark Wahlberg and co. going through the motions as they avenge the liquor store murder of the woman who raised them. So much for the ugly ending of Boyz N the Hood, eh?

The Brave One (2007): Jodie Foster does a mean Charles Bronson.