MovieChat Forums > Death Wish (1974) Discussion > Only in the movies like this can vigilan...

Only in the movies like this can vigilante justice be seen as a good thing.

posted 3 days ago by TheMan18 (13044)
2 replies | jump to latest

In reality, though its bad and particularly worrying when innocents get hurt and worse as a result, but our laws (and moral systems for that matter - and do you think that, besides it being an obvious FACT, its actually a GOOD thing?) don't allow for it to happen even if guilty and monstrous criminals are targeted.

But yet, I notice, when we see it especially in films like this, most of us - normal folks etc, actually feel and believe it is the RIGHT thing to do, but is it, really?

Also, notice how in life at times there is this thin line between heroism and just falling down to their level if you hurt someone who did something bad in revenge and the rule that constantly stays there is "two wrongs don't make a right" - I would add to the last line, it doesn't even make for a MORALLY AMBIGUOUS and overall NEUTRAL SITUATION, it just, apparently, becomes another WRONG.

Also, I don't know how relevant this all is but... What do you also think about how in this life, the legal system isn't always perfect and in one particular crime (that even gets portrayed HERE as well) there's like always talks about how justice systems here may make victims more humiliated etc, GRANTED, PERIOD - OFFENDERS MUST NOT DO IT IN THE VERY FIRST PLACE ANYWAYS, that's a total GIVEN, yes, but, as with murder of innocents and other violent crime, it sadly still happens and not just by maniacs and whatnot, but if legal system is somehow defect, vigilante justice - a controversial but in any way, what, viable alternative, or NOT?

(Although yeah if such things didn't happen either way we wouldn't even be DEBATING ANY of it!)

But still, what do we think, thanks.

[–] CommonSense (281) 3 days ago

Since its a movie. I enjoy the idea. They murdered his wife, raped his daughter and were getting away with it. So, him taking revenge on the perpetrators was ok in my book. And to me, its not wrong. So it doesnt fit the bill of 2 wrongs dont make it right.

And if your the type that believe what he did was wrong, its still not 2 wrongs dont make it right. The perpetrators were the 1st wrong, the police unwillingness and capacity to do anything was the 2nd wrong. Then his revenge would be the 3rd wrong in your book if you believe that

[–] strntz (12315) 3 days ago

It's very simple - people fantasize every single day about doing things they would never actually do. This movie resonates with viewers because there isn't a single person alive who hasn't heard of someone who was attacked or killed and the perp was either unknown or unpunished.

While 99.9 percent of people would never do what Paul did, most people lived vicariously through this man.

In reality, most people are against vigilantism because we are a nation of laws and due process, but everyone Paul takes down deserved to be punished.