Review of Mr. Majestyk (1974) by Harry W — 19 Jan 2015

With Charles Bronson headlining the film, Mr. Majestyk sounded like a good nostalgic action piece.

The story in Mr. Majestyk is a very familiar one considering it is another story dealing with a protection racket and usurping land against the backdrop of an action story. The gimmick comes into play on the basis of the fact that it is a 1970's action film which serves as a vehicle for Charles Bronson. As a fan of him for his work in The Great Escape and Death Wish, Mr. Majestyk sounded like a fun film. It wasn't what I expected, but it did maintain many of the faults that I had predicted. When I say that, I mean that Mr. Majestyk is a familiar film with a premise which has been used in the plot device of countless other crime or action films throughout history. And considering the fact that Mr. Majestyk comes from the 1970's, it also incures the same slow pace that was the standard for films at the time which means that it is no longer as exhilarating as it once was. The value for the film comes into play based on its nostalgia and how much viewers enjoy the gimmick of it as a Charles Bronson action piece.

Mr. Majestyk puts a lot of focus on its plot which slows down the effect of the feature as an action piece. And when I say that, I don't mean in the same way that it focused on the titular character of his other film The Mechanic. In Mr. Majestyk, it is all about him on the run and so the creativity in what the film can do with its action is limited. But considering how dated the film is, it is easy to see how back in the day of its original release Mr. Majestyk would be an entertaining feature. It uses an atmosphere of slow burning tension to grasp its intended feel, and as the story progresses viewers are able to get insight into just what kind of a hero the titular Mr. Majestyk is. He is a hunter, he sees enemies as inferior creatures which need to be eliminated, and Charles Bronson is the perfect fit for this part. With the country setting of the story, this makes the premise of Mr. Majestyk a fascinating one. Mr. Majestyk is one of the more realistic action films of the era as it does not go over the top with explosions or characters suriving them but rather chronicles a farmer turned into a hunter against his enemies without going over the top in characterizing his abilities. At heart, that is what Mr. Majestyk is about. It is a tale about a hunter, and in that regard it is a decent one. It is certainly a slow one and could use a bit more energy, but it has its moments. As a whole, Mr. Majestyk is a slow, dated and somewhat boring film. But Richard Fleischer's directorial work manages to give a certain kind of spirit to the film. Considering that the story involves war over a watermelon farm, it is a bit ridiculous which suggests that the source material had other themes to it which would further justify it. But while the film is bereft of these, Richard Fleischer at least does a good job of ensuring that the action in the film is strong enough.

The action scenes in Mr. Majestyk are choreographed very nicely. While there may not be enough of them, they are realistic and captured with precision as well as incorporating in a touch of blood. They all occur against the backdrop of some nice country scenery which end up establishing the setting of the story very nicely. It is good to see a story like this take place in a less commercialised location for once because the country setting is one usually reserved for horror films and so seeing it in a crime based story is an effective concept. It may not always be the most interesting but it definetely benefits from the nice scenery around everything because it provides a colourful backdrop and allows a game of cat and mouse between heroes and villains to occur within an open ranged setting. Seeing the battle occur on the sides of cliffs and through the trees is interesting as it reinforces the nature of the film as a vigilante justice tale about a farmer. There are certainly some memorable moments of visual imagery in Mr. Majestyk, and so it isn't as forgettable as it could have ended up being.

And of course, Charles Bronson makes his contribution to Mr. Majestyk clear.

Charles Bronson's leading performance as the titular Mr. Majestyk is solid. While the film doesn't give him too much in terms of script, Charles Bronson makes the role work by turning the character into the hunter that he is. Grasping his weaponry without fear, Charles Bronson steps up and delivers a powerful effort. The only emotion that Charles Bronson needs to play Mr. Majestyk is determination, and Charles Bronson brings plenty of that to the part because he puts the tension in and never takes it out even for a second. He stands strong in Mr. Majestyk and draws his weapon to his shoulder at any time without flinching, pulling the trigger fearlessly. The part isn't as complex or challenging for him and is largely just another action vehicle for him, but he certainly ensures that the viewer's time is not wasted whenever he is on screen. He is the main thing drawing viewers into Mr. Majestyk and his ability to take on an action hero with such grit and determination is likely to be the reson any viewers could recommend Mr. Majestyk as entertaining, so Charles Bronson is definitely an asset.

So Charles Bronson does his part and the action in the film is entertaining, but overall Mr. Majestyk is a slow paced and dated film with a bit of nostalgia but not enough exhilaration to really do the job.