Humans have fascination with revenge, whether it is because we like imagine ourselves getting revenge on those we despise, or because it is so foreign to us it's interesting, the truth that remains is revenge movies always sell. Some of the most famous revenge movies such as Kill Bill and Mad Max were huge box office success, Mad Max actually held the record for the most profitable movie for 20 years. So what I'd like to do is shed some light on lesser known revenge flicks, in hopes they might gain a little more recognition.
A year ago John Wick released in theaters and boasted an unexpected profit. Considered a main stream comeback for Keanu Reeve's, this film followed John Wick, a former hitman who changed his ways after marrying his wife. Some time she passes away to an illness, arranging for John to receive a puppy posthumously. After bonding with the pupper John house is broken into and he is assaulted, his car is stolen, and most damaging to him, his dog is killed. Losing his last connection to his wife John returns to his former ways and begins to hunt down the assailant, who happens to be his former boss's son. John's carries out his revenge in adrenaline fueled one night rampage, pulverizing anybody that gets in his way.
Five years earlier Law Abiding Citizen premiered. This film follows a similar trail as John Wick in which our protagonist is bent on revenge after his home is broken into and his wife and daughter a murdered. However after the arrests of these men the legal system fails to convict one, pushing our protagonist, Clyde, over the edge. This is when the two films differ, Clyde lacks the skill set John did. Being an engineer, Clyde opts to silently plan for his revenge, waiting ten years until one of the assaulters is to be lethally injection and switches it out the chemicals that cause him immense pain. Clyde also kidnaps the unconvicted killer and tortures him on video. Finding evidence that links him to the murders, the same attorney that worked for Clyde is now trying to convict him. However Clyde holds the upper hand in studying law for ten years, he knows they will need a confession from him to convict him. He uses this a bargaining tool and continuisly ups the anti. Taking out everyone that failed to do him justice, including innocents.
We see these two films take a very different route. One has a man going on an all out assault in one night to get back at those who wronged him, but never anyone else if he has to. Compare that to Clyde, who sits and wait and plans for ten years, to methodically pick off every single person who was involved with the legal preceding. Clyde's wait makes him grow insane, he is not afraid to pick off bystanders to make a point, he has become no better than the men he is fighting against.
No comments:
Post a Comment