MovieChat Forums > Death Wish (1974) Discussion > He was always targeted by muggers

He was always targeted by muggers

posted 2 years ago by Michigander (104)
6 replies | jump to latest

I know it is a movie but it seems quite coincidental that the muggers in NYC always try to rob and target him so frequently throughout the whole movie.

[–] HedleyLamarr (402) 2 years ago

If he wasn't being mugged then he was just out going for a walk. It doesn't make much for an interesting scene.

[–] Michigander (104) 2 years ago

I know it's a movie and it's about a vigilante but it would have been more realistic if he was out looking for crime and stopped other people from being mugged more often than himself.

[–] moviechatterer (15771) 2 years ago

Its probably down to the alleys and streets he was walking looking for troulbe - more likely to get mugged himself before coming across a separate mugging.

[–] seagal72 (1968) 2 years ago

To be fair, once Kersey got a taste for it, he started going out at night-time (covering a lot of ground, primarily acting as bait) carrying groceries (etc) in places that he never have dreamed about going to (before muggers ruined his life) so it wasn't all actually happening on his own doorstep (even if the fast pace of the move gave that impression)

Also, he *does* rescue someone else from being mugged (so it's not exclusively one-way traffic in regards to his interactions with criminals) What I find commendable (and a touch frustrating) is the fact that Kersey never actually catches up with Jeff Goldblum and his gang (subsequent movies in this series and overall genre would always have the perpetrators brought to justice)

It's quite possible (given the timescale of this movie) that Kersey had endless nights of not attracting any criminals...but Michael Winner decided against showing such mundanity? I haven't read the Brian Garfield book in decades, but I seem to recall it being a little more introspective (in regards to Kersey's character) I vaguely remember he has a one-night stand in the novel (that the movie wisely omitted)

[–] PaladinNJ (21524) 2 years ago

He was baiting them by putting himself in situations where the muggers would come to him.

[–] strntz (12442) 2 years ago

You just reminded of a story. My brother's buddy hated squirrels in his yard enough to acquire a high powered air rifle. He soon became a marksman and dispatched most of the tree rats in his yard about a month, but then started missing the sport when he thinned the herd.

He ended up buying a big bag of peanuts and started salting his yard to bring in "out of town" squirrels..

Kind of like how Paul Kersey originally tried to avoid crime but then went looking for it.