Death Hunt (1981)

Now this is just the sort of film I like: a lean, mean, taut and pared-down thriller, made without any of the gloss and gimmickry we usually associate with Hollywood productions. It's a simple story of confrontation, of one man versus many, of the kind we're very familiar with (very similar to FIRST BLOOD in fact, as both films detail men going 'back' to nature and confronting overwhelming numbers of well-armed opponents). Just in case you were wondering whether the film could get any more macho, a cast list that reads like a who's who of tough male actors enforces that this is a guy's film all the way.The slim storyline works a treat. Bronson is perfectly cast as the grizzled trapper, and the icy, rugged terrain seems as if it's reflected in his stony features. He's given about the same number of lines as Schwarzenegger was in THE TERMINATOR, but the script makes up in quality what it might lack in quantity. Bronson certainly has his work cut out, as facing him are a whole host of notables: Lee Marvin has one of those great roles as a sympathetic opponent who's actually got more in common with Bronson than his own side, while Andrew Stevens reminds us of why he got cast in big-budget films before his star waned. Also on hand are the likes of Bronson regular Ed Lauter as a redneck, Carl Weathers as another tough guy (possibly a dry run for his turn in PREDATOR?), sleazebag William Sanderson and even Angie Dickinson in a cameo.This film has a ton of action to complement the short running time, and the thrills never stop coming. The opening sequences remind one of DANCES WITH WOLVES, as Bronson befriends a vicious dog in an act that proves his undoing; we're then treated to an extended siege sequence at his mountain cabin, which is my favourite part of the movie. After this, the film becomes an enduring chase across the superbly-shot snowy terrain with one or two great twists thrown in along the way. It ends on a high, too, making this one of my Bronson favourites – right up there with the likes of BREAKHEART PASS and trash-fest DEATH WISH 3!

If you can look past the legion of historical inaccuracies, you'll probably enjoy Death Hunt, a bringing together of Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson, along with Angie Dickinson in a story of a wrongly-accused trapper harassed and chased by the RCMP and a posse made up of men, none of whom has an IQ above that of a pine tree.The 1931 story, filmed fifty years after the fiction (who would accuse the script of being factual?) showcases Marvin and Bronson at the near-end of their useful careers. Ol' Lee growls and grumbles at having to train a rookie Mountie (Andrew Stevens) and never cracks so much as a sweat. You can tell that he was informed to play his character as the caricature Lee Marvin (and not the vibrant and edgy Marvin of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Cat Ballou, and Point Blank). What you get is an impression of Marvin, by Marvin.Bronson fares worst, simply because he's given nothing to do except look athletic and kill posse members. He's fascinating to watch, not because he says or does anything overly important, but because you keep hoping the Bronson of The Magnificent Seven and The Dirty Dozen will appear . . . and slap the sillies out of the bad guys.It never happens.Yet, Death Hunt is an entertaining, if lazy chase film. Considering the murderous inflation of the year it was shot (1980), DH looks genuine on the cheap. My quibbles are with the tight shots (to hide whatever anachronistic scenery couldn't be dealt with) and the overly-dramatic musical score.The next time it shows on AMC, catch it. The R-rated film comes to the little screen almost completely intact. I saw the movie on HBO back in the early eighties and my impression of what has been hacked out is just a few crudities and a boob or butt. The gory violence appears intact. The only reason I mention this is that if you sit down to watch this with your 13 year old or above kiddies, you won't have too much cringing to do.Not a bad two hours to blow, with a couple old friends named Marvin and Bronson!

The Yukon territory in 1931. Rugged, laconic loner trapper Albert Johnson (a splendidly terse and stoic Charles Bronson) saves a badly wounded canine from a brutal dogfight. The guys involved in the dogfight decide to pay Johnson a visit. Johnson shoots and kills one of the men in self-defense. Tough Mountie Sergeant Edgar Millen (a strong, steely turn by Lee Marvin) tries to arrest Johnson, but he gets away and so begins one of the deadliest manhunts in history. Director Peter Hunt relates the gripping story at a steady pace, vividly evokes the Great Depression period setting, stages the action scenes with rip-roaring flair, and frequently punctuates things with startling outbursts of raw, bloody violence. Bronson and Marvin both excel in the leads (their one big confrontation scene is a taut, crackling doozy); they receive fine support from Andrew Stevens as eager, by-the-book, fresh-faced rookie Alvin Adams, Carl Weathers as the jolly Sundog, Ed Lauter as gruff, huffy troublemaker Hazel, Angie Dickinson as the sweet, enticing Vanessa McBride, Henry Beckman as wily veteran tracker Bill Lusk, August Schellenberg as the hot-tempered Deak De Blearque, Maury Chaykin as the scruffy, dim-witted Claurence, Len Lesser as the grizzled Lewis, Scott Hylands as cocky airplane pilot Hank Tucker, and Willam Sanderson as the clumsy Ned Warren (he gets his arm caught in a bear trap). James Devis' slick, expansive cinematography, Jerrold Immel's rousing, majestic score, and the desolate wintry landscape all further enhance the overall sound quality of this cracking good and stirring picture.

This was one of the last movies that featured real men playing men. From the late 80s onwards, it was the likes of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt who took over. And now they're even trying to establish wimps like Leo Di Crapio and Matt Damon as tough action heroes. Laughable. Still, sheep all over the world have accepted them, proving that the dumbed-down masses will accept ANYTHING as long as the hype is intense and long enough.Marvin and Bronson were a remnant of the last generation of leading male actors who actually look like alpha males. Just picture Affleck as a tough Mountie, or Ryan Philippe as the tough trapper. However, the good casting isn't the only plus in DH. The scenery is rather nice, the action is okay. It's a straight-forward but pleasant enough movie.One weird thing, though: what the hell was that gay scene all about? The one in which the gang leader force-kisses Marvin's young apprentice. This isn't exactly a prison movie.