Eddie Marino is an ordinary working man whose life is shattered when a street gang attacks his family. What follows is an uncompromising journey into New York’s criminal underworld, where the distinction between justice and vigilante gang vengeance becomes increasingly blurred.
William Lustig’s Vigilante is frequently overshadowed by the likes of Death Wish, Dirty Harry, The Exterminator and The Warriors, but it deserves considerably more recognition in its own right. Although its marketing, particularly some of its poster imagery, borrows heavily from The Warriors, the film itself has far more in common with the grimy urban crime pictures of the seventies and early eighties, including The French Connection. Its influence has arguably been overlooked, particularly when considering the subsequent popularity of vigilante-themed cinema and video games. Games such as Renegade (1986) and Irem’s Vigilante (1988), with its gangs belong to that same cultural landscape.
Interestingly, Vigilante received an invitational screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1982, although its US theatrical release did not follow until 4 March 1983. Street Gang was later proposed as an alternative title for a 1985 re-release, but the plan was blocked following legal action by the filmmakers. Although Vigilante received its British cinema classification through the BBFC in November 1982, evidence of an actual UK theatrical release remains limited. Alpha Films Ltd was listed for the cinema classification, while its subsequent video history is better documented, including an early Intervision release and a 1986 pre-cert video release associated with Xtasy Video and SK Productions. The distinction between classification and confirmed cinema exhibition is worth noting, particularly given the film's relatively obscure British distribution history.
Fred Williamson is excellent as Nick, delivering an imposing, grounded performance that makes excellent use of his screen presence. His opening speech is particularly memorable, beginning with the statistics: “There are some 40-odd homicides a day on our streets.” (Williamson actually contributed the monologue himself), a clear precursor of the hardline speech that Stallone delivered later in Cobra. Robert Forster is equally on form as Eddie, bringing an increasingly convincing sense of desperation and anger to the character. And, like alligator obligatory observation, Forster’s hair deserves a credit of its own!
The supporting cast is another considerable strength. Richard Bright, Joe Spinell and Willie Colón all make their mark, but Woody Strode practically steals the prison scenes.
There’s also an interesting collection of shades of grey throughout, with the film never making the consequences of vigilantism quite as straightforward as its premise might suggest.
The violence is certainly not softened for audiences. From the disturbing elevator assault and prison brutality to the car chases, explosions and confrontations, Lustig pulls no punches. This is a far cry from the sanitised action that would become familiar with shows such as The A-Team.
Jay Chattaway’s excellent score perfectly complementing the grimy New York locations and the film’s relentless atmosphere. Lustig’s direction has a raw, street-level quality, with James Lemmo’s cinematography capturing an unpleasantly convincing urban environment.
There are echoes of The French Connection in its location work and particularly its car chase, while Lustig would subsequently develop his own cult following with Maniac Cop.
Vigilante may not enjoy quite the same reputation as some of the films mentioned, but it is a hard-hitting, memorable piece of early-eighties exploitation cinema that deserves to be held in considerably higher regard.
