Death Wish II (1982)

Réalisateur:

Michael Winner

Scénaristes:

David Engelbach (writer)
Brian Garfield (characters)

Date de sortie:

20 février 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drame

Accroche:

First His Wife. Now His Daughter. It's Time To Even The Score!

Intrigue:

Architect Paul Kersey once again becomes a vigilante when he tries to find the five street punks who murdered his daughter and housekeeper, this time on the dark streets of Los Angeles.

Plot Keywords:

Vigilante | Punk | Architect | Murder | Reporter

Récompenses:

1 nomination

Avis des utilisateurs:

death wish, you wish, we all want a death wish...

Ensemble

Charles Bronson	...	Paul Kersey
Jill Ireland	...	Geri Nichols
Vincent Gardenia	...	Det. Frank Ochoa
J.D. Cannon	...	New York D.A.
Anthony Franciosa	...	Herman Baldwin
Ben Frank	...	Inspector Lt. Mankiewicz
Robin Sherwood	...	Carol Kersey
Silvana Gallardo	...	Rosario
Robert F. Lyons	...	Fred McKenzie
Michael Prince	...	Elliott Cass
Drew Snyder	...	Deputy Comm. Hawkins
Paul Lambert	...	New York Police Comm.
Thomas F. Duffy	...	Nirvana
Kevyn Major Howard	...	Stomper
Stuart K. Robinson	...	Jiver
Laurence Fishburne	...	Cutter (as Laurence Fishburne III)
E. Lamont Johnson	...	Punkut (as E. Lamont Johnson)
Paul Comi	...	Senator McLean
Frank Campanella	...	Judge Neil A. Lake
Hugh Warden	...	Minister at funeral
Jim Begg	...	Tourist
Melody Santangello	...	Tourists Wife
Robert Snively	...	Dr. Gofeld
Steffen Zacharias	...	Dr. I. Clark
Don Moss	...	Cabbie
Charles Cyphers	...	Donald Kay
Peter Pan	...	Chinese Landlord
David Daniels	...	Lang
Don Dubbins	...	Mike
James Galante	...	Tim Shaw
Buck Young	...	Charles Pearce
Karsen Lee	...	Nirvanas Girl 1
Leslie Graves	...	Nirvanas Girl 2
Teresa Baxter	...	Nurse 1
Cindy Daly	...	Nurse 2
Susannah Darrow	...	Nurse on Bus
Henry Capps	...	Policeman 1
Joshua Gallegos	...	Policeman 2
Paul McCallum	...	Ambulance Man
Roberta Collins	...	Woman at Party
Diane Markoff	...	Prostitute
Cynthia Burr	...	Secretary to NY DA
Michael Tavon	...	Thug 1
Ezekiel Moss	...	Thug 2
C. Ransom Walrod	...	Boat Captain (as Ransom Walrod)
Gary Boyle	...	Man in TV Soap Opera
Ava Lazar	...	Girl in TV Soap Opera
Fred Saxon	...	Newscaster
Henny Youngman	...	Himself - on TV
Ginny Cooper	...	Diner
Lesa Weis	...	Diner
Twyla Littleton	...	Diner
Diane Manzo	...	Diner
reste de la distribution par ordre alphabétique:
Rick Schmidlin	...	Gang Member (uncredited)

Réalisé par
Michael Winner

Scénaristes (dans l'ordre alphabétique)
David Engelbach		writer
Brian Garfield		characters

Produit par
Yoram Globus	....	producer
Menahem Golan	....	producer
Hal Landers	....	executive producer
Bobby Roberts	....	executive producer

Musique originale
Jimmy Page

Image
Thomas Del Ruth
Richard H. Kline

Montage
Julian Semilian
Michael Winner		(as Arnold Crust)

Distribution des rôles
Joe Scully
Beth Voiku

Création des décors
William Hiney

Décorateur de plateau
Rick Gentz

Maquillage
Phil Rhodes	....	makeup artist (as Philip Rhodes)
Vivienne Walker	....	hair stylist

Directeur de production
Tony Wade	....	production manager

Assistant réalisateur
Roger Carlton	....	second assistant director
Russell Vreeland	....	first assistant director

Département Art
Kent H. Johnson	....	property master

Technicien du son
David Campling	....	sound editor
Ron Davis	....	sound editor
Dennis Jones	....	boom operator
Tom Overton	....	sound mixer (as Tommy Overton)
John Poyner	....	sound editor
Hugh Strain	....	sound re-recordist
James Thompson	....	sound recordist (as Jim Thompson)

Effets spéciaux
Ken Pepiot	....	special effects (as Kenneth Pepiot)

Cascadeur
Chuck Couch	....	stunt coordinator
Ernie F. Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator (as Ernie Orsatti)
Gilbert B. Combs	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Epper	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Caméra et Département Electrique
Danny Buck	....	gaffer
Dave Friedman	....	still photographer
Gene Kearney	....	key grip
Thomas Laughridge	....	camera operator (as Tom J. Laughridge)
Henry M. Lebo	....	first assistant camera
Bob Munoz	....	best boy grip
Peter Santoro	....	first assistant camera (as Peter A. Santoro)
Robert A. Wise	....	second assistant camera
Kenneth D. Zunder	....	second assistant camera (as Kenneth Zunder)

Département Costume et garde-Robe
Ron Archer	....	key costumer
Michele Dittrick	....	costumer (as Michelle Dittrick)

Département Musique
Robin Clarke	....	music editor
Jimmy Page	....	musician: guitar
David Whitaker	....	conductor (as David Sinclair Whitaker)
David Whitaker	....	music arranger (as David Sinclair Whitaker)
Dave Mattacks	....	musician: drums (uncredited)
David Whitaker	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Département Transport
Greg Van Dyke	....	transportation captain
James R. White	....	transportation coordinator (as James White)

Divers
Bud Aronson	....	location manager
Jack English	....	location manager
Yoram Globus	....	presenter
Menahem Golan	....	presenter
Alleen N. Nollmann	....	script supervisor (as Allen Nollman)
Christopher Pearce	....	production associate
Marilyn Tasso	....	production accountant (as Marilynn Tasso)
Kent Adamson	....	production assistant (uncredited)
John Lizzi	....	photo double: Charles Bronson (uncredited)
John Lizzi	....	stand-in: Charles Bronson (uncredited)

Companies de production

• Cannon Films
• City Films
• Golan-Globus Productions
• Landers-Roberts Productions

Distributeurs

• Columbia Pictures (1982) (Non-USA) (theatrical)
• Filmways Pictures (1982) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner-Columbia Filmverleih (1982) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Ambassador Film Distributors (1982) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Columbia Films (1982) (France) (theatrical)
• Hoyts Distribution (198?) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (199?) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• ITT Contrast (1982) (West Germany) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• RCA/Columbia-Hoyts Home Video (19??) (Australia) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Autre(s) titre(s):

Death Wish 2 (USA) (DVD box title)

Durée:

88 min | Greece:95 min (uncut version)

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur

Rapport de forme:

1,33 : 1

Son:

Mono

Classification:

Finland:K-18 (1982) (cut) | Finland:K-18 (2003) (uncut) | Iceland:16 | Germany:18 (JK/SPIO) (DVD rating) (2005) | Netherlands:16 | West Germany:18 (nf) | USA:X (original rating) | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:R | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:R (Ontario) | France:-16 | Singapore:M18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 (video rating) | UK:X (original rating) | USA:R (re-rating) | Norway:18 (video) (re-rating) (uncut) (2003) | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1984) (cut) | Norway:(Banned) (1982-2003) (cinema release)

Lieux de tournage:

1203 South Crescent Heights Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Société:

Cannon Films

Anecdotes:

In an interview, Silvana Gallardo (who played the housekeeper) said the rape scene was "grueling" and took about six days to film. To prepare for the role, she talked to an actual rape victim. She also said the actors who played the criminals raping her would immediately cover her up with a robe or blanket when the director yelled "CUT!"

Goofs:

Révélant des erreurs: There are obvious spotlights in the background when Charles Wilson makes his escape.

Guillemet:

Paul Kersey: You believe in Jesus...
Stomper: Yes, I do.
Paul Kersey: Well, you're gonna meet him.

Connexions De Film:

Références The Magnificent Seven (1960)

death wish, you wish, we all want a death wish...

The supposed correlation between violence/sexuality in art and violence in reality has been shoved to the forefront of our culture, especially in the past decade, when incidents such as the Columbine massacre confirmed politicians' fears of an unregulated entertainment industry in need of a spanking. In non-fanatical, everyday reality, however, I have come to disagree with the equation above. Some would argue that ugly, violent, nihilistic, and generally misanthropic films like "Death Wish" and its sequels do nothing but contribute to intensifying the more unsavory impulses that lay dormant in the viewer's id.

Yet therein lies the purpose of such rough-edged, unpleasant entertainment. It sparks the id, pummels it into submission, so that when the experience is over, a sigh of relief is uttered.

The original "Death Wish" was a well-done exploitation flick with the professional gloss of an A picture; despite its relatively shallow insight into the murky moral terrain of vigilante justice, it contained an intensely subdued performance by Charles Bronson, and confident direction by Michael Winner.

By comparison, "Death Wish 2" is a typical sequel, taking what the original had and dumbing it down to milk some cash for the franchise. In addition to Bronson (in the role of architect Paul Kersey), a few other characters return to provide at least a superficial connection to the original (Robin Sherwood as his daughter; Vincent Gardenia as the cop that uncovered his identity). The plot is as before: Paul Kersey has begun a new life (courting the cheerfully cardboard Jill Ireland) which is shattered when a gang of punks (including a young Laurence Fishburne) rape and murder his housekeeper and daughter. Unlike the original, no time is spent watching Kersey contemplate his actions; he simply goes to work, and in the process is rendered a stoic killing machine. The characterization/motivation for the punks is given even less thought--they exist for the sole purpose of showing how scummy the scummiest scum of society can be. The film moves from one random encounter to the next, wherein Kersey stumbles across gang members and kills them.

Of course this doesn't sound like highbrow film-making, but "Death Wish 2" never teases the audience with any notions of greatness. In spite of the meager attention given to Kersey's character, we root for him anyway; and in spite of the inexplicably-written punks, we hope for their demise. Michael Winner once again gives the film a gritty yet polished look, though he is clearly directing a flat-out B picture; the pacing is tight (the film runs just under 90 minutes), and the action is competently choreographed (though the romantic subplot provides a respite from the relentless violence, it is shallow and cloying). Jimmy Page's offbeat musical score only adds to the unusual charge this film packs.

In the best-case scenario, "Death Wish 2" is no masterpiece, but the perfect Novocaine to apply after a particularly rotten day. It will numb you into a state of apathy and wash your troubles away (that's a compliment).