Mr. Majestyk (1974)

A well written and made, slow burning action movie with Bronson being Bronson even while playing the part of a melon picker. It works because they keep it simple. Dude is mad at him and wants hi dead. Bronson does not want to die but doesn't want to kill either. Eventually he's pushed too far and BAMMO, you get the action climax. Solid stuff that doesn't reinvent the wheel but gives a good 90 minutes of entertainment.

"Mr. Majestyk" is one of Bronson's best. There is action, good direction and Al Letteri is a marvellous villain (mixing with the real underworld probably helps). The plot is kept fairly simple which is the right way in my opinion. Bronson who plays a farmer of melons, faces a threat from the local mob who wish to take over his land. Knowing him, he won't exactly feel threatened - just a tad annoyed! Hold on to your seats, this film comes thick and fast!!

Having betrayed the trust of a contract killer who he fled a transportation vehicle with, a hardened melon farmer reluctantly agrees to act as a 'bait' for the police who believe that the killer will take revenge in this Charles Bronson action vehicle. Made in the same year as 'Death Wish', Bronson is in equally as fine form here, and while the film does not offer anywhere near as touching a portrait of a man forced into violence, there is a lot to be said for the genuine passion that Bronson shows for his crops and his sympathy for the migrant workers he employs. The action sequences are expectedly good too, though the script could have done with a bit more work. It is hard to believe that Bronson just expects the contract killer's girlfriend to drive the two of them to prison without any arguments at a key point. The plot also relies heavily on the hit-man being impulsive and unpredictable, which does not quite gel with the notion of him being so successful in both his profession and ability to evade the law. A half-baked romance between Bronson and one of his workers adds little to the film too. Most filmgoers will, however, come here for the action and with four wheel drive chases across the desert, tense shoot-outs and a grisly scene in which a policeman is killed while on the toilet, it is all highly memorable stuff. The novelty value of Bronson as a farmer is worth mentioning too. It seems odd that the filmmakers could not come up with a more inventive title than its main character's name, but working under open skies in the fresh air, maybe his profession really is majestic.

"Vince Majestyk" (Charles Bronson) owns a watermelon plantation in Colorado and needs migrant workers to help harvest his crop. As it so happens he sees a car pull up with some migrants and after witnessing some blatant discrimination to a young Mexican woman named "Nancy Chavez" (Linda Cristal) decides to hire them on the spot. However, when he gets to his plantation he finds that a weaselly hooligan named "Bobby Kopas" (Paul Koslo) has already hired some people without his permission in an attempt to cut in on his business. A fight breaks out and Vince is arrested which greatly impacts the few days available for him to get his produce to market. Even worse, as he is being transferred to another facility, the bus he is on is ambushed by the mob in an attempt to free a psychotic hit man named "Frank Renda" (Al Lettieri). As bullets are flying all around him, Vince manages to drive the bus to a secluded area in the country with the plan of turning the assassin over to the law in exchange for his freedom. Unfortunately, Frank escapes and now nurses a vendetta which has tragic consequences for Vince and those who are closest to him. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this turned out to be a better movie than I was initially expecting based largely on the realistic plot and the overall performance of Charles Bronson. Likewise, the presence of two beautiful women like Linda Purcell (as "Wiley") and the aforementioned Linda Cristal certainly didn't hurt either. In any case, this film wasn't too bad all things considered and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.