Fighting Back

Although nearly ten years removed from the original Death Wish (1974), producer Dino De Laurentiis went back to the well again for Fighting Back (1982), the story of a Philadelphia neighborhood that fights fire with fire, led by a charismatic Italian grocer pushed too far.  And why not?  The crime rate was still a trending topic of concern.  And, perhaps more importantly, Bronson was due to pick up his gun again for Death Wish 2, this time without Dino’s involvement.  So, the famed producer put together his own tale of vigilante justice with director Lewis Teague behind the camera to try to recapture the ripped-from-the-headlines magic.

 After crime hits his family from all sides, John D’Angelo (Tom Skerritt) starts a neighborhood patrol aimed at intimidating the very thugs who have taken over his block.  Newspapers and politicians take notice, alternately hailing him as a hero, a racist or a threat to the Constitution.  Armed with baseball bats and walkie talkies, John’s guardian angels walk on the edge of the law…and sometimes roll right over it.  But is the homegrown vigilante in danger of becoming what he fears most?

 

Fighting Back actually leans further into prestige picture territory than straight-up exploitation, like William Lustig’s Vigilante released the same year.  Sure, there are some effective shock tactics (that snipped finger in the hold-up sequence is a doozy) and the entire production has the feel of a Roger Corman biker flick. But there’s an attempt to say something deeper about systemic racism in America that actually undercuts the cheap entertainment value…no matter how honorable the intentions.  Fighting Back tries to have it both ways, but can’t commit to either approach.

 

The casting of Tom Skerritt is an odd choice, one that lends the film some credibility but cheats it of charisma.  He fades into a packed background of much more vibrant character actors – not to mention a cameo from Yaphet Kotto – and never comes close to pulling off his part as a second-generation Italian grocer!  But as the film questions his character’s motives, introducing an element of corruption, ambition and racism, his portrayal finally finds its happy place.  The script throws in several moral and ethical road hazards that director Lewis Teague (Alligator) promptly rolls over like speedbumps, missing out on an opportunity to give Fighting Back the edge it lacks.  

 

Age has probably improved Teague’s film somewhat, capturing a snowy time capsule of the short-lived early ‘80s vigilante craze full of pimps, prostitutes and gangbangers who look like they just got out of wardrobe.  Fans of the shot-on-location grit popularized by Friedkin will find a lot to like here.  Just don’t dig too deep or you’ll come up empty.

 

Arrow Video’s limited-edition Blu-ray certainly delivers the goods with a great transfer, 30-minute sit down with Lewis Teague, another interview with camera operator Daniele Nannuzzi, collector’s booklet, fold-out poster, trailers, TV spots and more.

 

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