Charles Bronson

Rare actors achieve to have unofficially subgenre of stunning films defines as action with their lead involvement. Jason Statham and Steven Seagal made associative own names, but didn’t starring anymore in great flicks while Charles Bronson always did. Today he would celebrate 100th Anniversary and I couldn’t not to give a word on him. 

He was a tough in reality as on screen. Once in Rome a guy with “broken English”, as said actor, put a gun to his side and required money on what Bronson said “You give ME money”. That man walked away. Bronson was among great actors participated in World War II where he fought against Japanese. Twenty-five missions as a gunner on Boeing B-29 Superfortress and earning of Purple Heart. Bronson could evince a rude behavior and was known as reclusive person in filming and rarely appeared on events and promotions of own films. I’m thinking it was in his harsh background of a coal miner whom he started at ten and worked until voluntary army enlist in 1943. Kurt Russell told a story when he was twelve years old in 1964. He knew on Bronson’s birthday and gifted a remote controlled airplane to him. The actor just looked on a boy and walked away. Few minutes later an assistant of director came to Russell and said Bronson wants to see him. Young Kurt went to the actor where heard “Nobody ever really got me a present before for my birthday”. Later Russell got a skateboard on own birthday from Bronson on which the last liked to ride too. Once skateboarding Russell was seen by MGM representor by whom got a restriction that he can’t ride on studio’s territory. Bronson who wasn’t famous then saw Russell without the skateboard asked about that and got an answer. The young actor indicated on a man who barred. Bronson asked Russell to go with him. They went with skateboards, perhaps, as said Russell, to studio’s head without stop at secretary and inside of parlor Bronson said that they will skateboarding. They used it. 

I can’t precisely recall a year when I heard on Charles Bronson at first time. It was between 2001-2003. I think it was 2001. TV was showing the ending of one of parts of Family of Cops, which I didn’t recall. Tremendous in acting and solid charisma of this man always amaze me.
He surprised by appearing and playing Igor in House of Wax. I usually get like in watching actors in roles before they became famous. Charles Bronson without hallmark mustaches performed wordless and intimidating by view and size Igor and also I was impressed in well bodybuilding.
Quite professionalism has Bronson’s assassin of mysterious organization in The Mechanic. Sixteen minutes without dialogs. Only work of a master. I with adoring in eyes watch on detailed elaboration of planning of murder. Partially, his Arthur Bishop can consider as existentialist. The Organization, on which he only depends, allows as he says “standing outside of it all, on your own”. I knew later that a scriptwriter Lewis John Carlino initially approached to it.
The Magnificent Seven, which same describes cast of this film. A greatest variation of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai with wanderers of the Frontier. I can watch from any moment, every time get pleasure from shootouts, every time has grief on characters’ death and every time get hype from Elmer Bernstein’s score. I always anger to kids whose actions turned to death of Bronson’s Bernardo.
Charles Bronson perfectly matched for Western roles. Sergio Leone said on him “the greatest actor I ever worked with”. Director invited on each film of Dollar Trilogy. Bronson declined. He disliked screenplay of A Fistful of Dollars. He hadn’t interest to play Colonel Mortimer in For a Few Dollars More. He couldn’t participate in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, because was busy in The Dirty Dozen. Eventually, Leone succeeded to take Bronson in Once Upon a Time in the West where he is a mysterious Harmonica, a man who wants meeting with Frank. Leone was terrific then in long wordless narrating. His cameras and act of talented performers without conversations can tell on characters and show their mind. A grandiose score of Ennio Morricone adds for characterization. I many times watched meeting of Harmonica and Cheyenne where Leone, as usually intrigues, and amazes in play with light in color film. Staying with one foot on trough Bronson’s personage tells everything if look on his face. Only monumental can give a feeling through a screen.
I usually sympathize to Bronson’s personage as to his trapper escapes from manhunt in Death Hunt. He can be funny without cynical jokes despite Link Stuart is less attractive personage in Red Sun and he is much talking. Charles Bronson played real personages as it was Bill Hickok in The White Buffalo who hunts on a rare animal. That’s revisionist western shows tragedy in destroying of animal type in the Wild West. I have disgust to bone cemetery in watching. It was one on nine films of incredible collaboration of Charles Bronson with J. Lee Thompson whom the actor liked for work in short terms as two takes were maximum. And it never was about poor quality. A director was daunted in making extreme episodes, which he didn’t for intentional shock or they never look as act of hooliganism. Bronson did unusual acts as in confrontation with a Latin tall guy in The Evil That Men Do in which he plays a retired CIA agent Holland left own island for stop a sadistic doctor Molloch who does torture experiments on people in working on despotic regimes. Holland shows cold merciless as I many times watch how he deals in a bar. Another his hero lieutenant Crowe choices a cruel variant for pimp Duke in Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects, which was filmed in time of danger of Japanese influence. A movie has wonderful scene when his character speaks out own thoughts to walking Japanese.
Charles Bronson performed in actual films as Death Wish series. A first flick appeared in time when New York was a creepy place due to high criminal activity and negligence of law servants as it in California now or it does migrants in the Europe. Police can’t protect from where comes reasonable question about self-defiance, which is justified. Significant scenes that Paul Kersey has understanding with people whom could report to police as it was in brilliant scene with orderly in Death Wish II. Is it possible in nowadays to meet these people? A therapy can’t fix these abominable people, because they’re evil. I catch a man from the Frontier in architect and Korean War veteran Paul Kersey, which is also a tragic person who can’t get a rest.
Death Wish is magnificent in catchphrases as “It’s my car!” from Death Wish 3. Or many times and every pleasure to hear “Yeah” in Adieu l’ami (Farewell, Friend) as it pronounces with funny act in airport. I couldn’t dislike when he smiles in films. And I sympathize in his Vincent Majestyk stubbornness to be independent what bring to war with mafia in Mr. Majestyk. His demonstrates gallantry in Mandom deodorant commercials. Moreover, Charles Bronson isn’t always a solid personality as he demonstrates claustrophobia in The Great Escape. He is an incredible actor.

I rise up a glass of red wine for Charles Bronson. Happy Birthday!