The Evil That Men Do (1984)
Columbia DVD (region 4)
d. J. Lee Thompson; pr. Pancho Kohner; scr. David Lee Henry, John Crowther; novel. R. Lance Hill; ph. Xavier Cruz; m. Ken Thorne; ed. Enrique Estevez; cast. Charles Bronson, Theresa Saldana, Joseph Maher, Jose Ferrer, John Glover, Raymond St. Jacques (90 mins)
Although actor Charles Bronson became a popular star in American film in the 1970s, his longevity is attributable to his partnership with two English directors. The first and arguably best known of these provocative teamings was with director Michael Winner for Chato’s Land, The Mechanic, The Stone Killer and the first three Death Wish movies, bringing the actor into the 1980s and perfecting his vigilante persona. Whilst these films were only begrudgingly critically accepted (and never exactly championed), Bronson’s second spell of such creative collaborations – with veteran director J. Lee Thompson – beginning in the 1970s with The White Buffalo, St. Ives and Caboblanco and continuing through the 1980s, have found no ready supporters. Even recent published works on Thompson’s career tend to gloss over his American work. That is a shame for the resultant 1980s films in particular – including 10 to Midnight, Messenger of Death, The Evil That Men Do, Murphy’s Law and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects – are a resoundingly misanthropic and even subversive body of work, taking the Bronson image about as far into moral ambiguity and even perversion as it could go. Indeed, much of the hostility to these films was on moral grounds and the subsequent tendency was to dismiss them as mere exploitation. Within that most disreputable field, however, some of these films are outstanding.
The Evil That Men Do stars Charles Bronson as a retired killer. He is approached by a man (Jose Ferrer) to come out of retirement for one last assassination – the target being a known torturer (Joseph Macher) who has been instructing South American governments in the use of torture (as a political weapon) with apparent American sanction. Bronson is at first reluctant but even this killer’s sense of moral outrage is breached by Macher’s actions (which are described in an unbearable scene of videotape confessions). Thus, Bronson poses as a married tourist (to an especially selected Theresa Saldana and her child) in order to get into Guatemala where Macher and his abnormally devoted sister are hiding, protected by brutal bodyguards. Bronson develops a plan to target the main bodyguard, finally hoping to kidnap Macher’s sister in order to force him out into the open. However, this plan soon goes awry and Bronson must face the retributive vengeance of the world’s most feared torturer, intent on getting information on Bronson and the people who have helped him. Macher even appeals to the American authorities to assist him in getting rid of Bronson and finding himself a safe refuge. Bronson fears Saldana may be the next target and realizes he may have allowed his emotions and his professional priorities to intermingle. Bronson’s fears prove well founded when Macher has specific demands. read more