Fighting Back (1982) Paramount/Action-Drama RT: 96 minutes Rated R (language, strong violence, brief nudity, drug use by teens) Director: Lewis Teague Screenplay: Thomas Hedley Jr. and David Zelag Goodman Music: Piero Piccioni Cinematography: Franco Di Giacomo Release date: May 21, 1982 (US) Cast: Tom Skerritt, Patti LuPone, Michael Sarrazin, Yaphet Kotto, David Rasche, Donna DeVarona, Gina DeAngeles, Jonathan Adam Sherman, Pat Cooper, Jim Lovelett, Joseph Ragno, Sal Richards, Frank Sivero, Lewis Van Bergen, Jim Moody, Peter Brocco, Patch Mackenzie, Pete Richardson, Ted Ross, Josh Mostel. Box Office: $6.4M (US)
Rating: ***
Maybe there’s some bias behind my high rating for Fighting Back, a Philadelphia-set vigilante actioner directed by Lewis Teague (Alligator). That’s my neck of the woods. To be precise, the action is set in a small South Philly neighborhood that’s become plagued by crime. The locations used by Teague are perfect for a gritty movie like Fighting Back, a button-pusher that’s less simplistic than the average Death Wish sequel. It makes an effort to address vigilantism in a serious and realistic manner.
It opens with a family moving out of the neighborhood because it’s become too dangerous. It’s a fact acknowledged by delicatessen owner John D’Angelo (Skerritt, Alien), a lifelong resident who still takes pride in his neighborhood despite the increase in crime. It hits home when his pregnant wife Lisa (LuPone, Witness) confronts a vicious pimp (Richardson) assaulting one of his girls before a crowd of looky-loos. He and his guys give chase and cause a car accident that results in a miscarriage. Next, the local drug store is robbed while preteen son Danny (Sherman) and elderly mother Vera (DeAngeles, Cousins) are there. One of the thugs cuts off Vera’s finger for her wedding ring.
Having had enough, John organizes a neighborhood watch with the assistance of his best friend, city police officer Vince Morelli (Sarrazin, The Seduction). Their initial objective is to make the neighborhood safe once again by chasing away the dirtbags that have taken over the local park. It’s also a personal mission of revenge as John is looking to take down Eldorado and the creeps who maimed his mother.
Of course, things don’t go as smoothly as planned. They’re accused of racial discrimination by Ivanhoe Washington (Kotto, Alien) who operates a neighborhood patrol of his own. Some of the local politicians don’t like the idea of civilians taking the law into their own hands and making the police look bad. Even the local Mafia has questions about John’s intentions. Does he intend to interfere with their business?
Meanwhile, John and his guys go after the criminals terrorizing the area. They let them know in no uncertain terms they’re no longer welcome in the neighborhood. Eventually, two things happen: (1) John is persuaded to run for councilman and (2) a major tragedy hits the group. It causes many people, including several members of the police department, to support John and his efforts.
As you can see, Fighting Back has more on its mind than the usual Charles Bronson revenge flick. We see the impact John’s activities have on his personal life and their legal ramifications. We see how his actions have a ripple effect throughout the community and the political structure of the district with the present councilman worrying that John is after his job. With all the public support he’s received, it’s only a matter of time before he’s approached with the idea of running for office.
This is one of the many interesting aspects of Fighting Back. It makes a valiant effort and largely succeeds, but why dwell on the movie’s more cerebral aspects? What you really want to know is whether it’s a good action movie or not. The answer is yes; this movie kicks ass! There’s one unforgettable moment in this movie when John breaks the arm of a drug dealer who’s been selling smack to the neighborhood youngsters. One of Danny’s friends almost dies from an overdose. John goes after the lousy bastard with a baseball bat. Of course, this opens up a whole new can of worms when the dealer implies his supplier is backed by the Mob.
The other memorable scene is when the vigilante squad cleans out the park. Armed with baseball bats and other blunt objects, they force all the drug dealers, pimps and perverts out of there. It’s an exciting sequence as people from the neighborhood get involved in the fracas. I’ll bet you want to know if John gets his revenge against the creeps that hurt his family, don’t you? That’s something that I won’t reveal. Just consider this, the audience expects a big payoff and they’re not going to like any movie that doesn’t provide it.
The performances in Fighting Back are uncommonly good for a genre flick intended to provoke a bloodthirsty response from the audience. Skerritt is a good actor and makes a good lead here. You can see he’s one pissed off Italian deli owner. In fact, it’s palpable. It’s not enough street trash has invaded his neighborhood; they’ve made personal attacks against him that can’t go unpunished. The detective on the cases has the usual complaints about being overworked, understaffed and not having enough evidence. I’ll refrain from airing my views on this point.
I normally like Yaphet Kotto (Alien), but I had a difficult time liking his character here. I understand that he believes John’s actions could be perceived as racial discrimination and wants nothing to do with his neighborhood patrol. He even refuses to help John track down the creeps who maimed his mother. I thought that was just cold. Unfortunately, John does affirm Washington’s claim in a crucial scene. It raises an interesting point about racial profiling and discrimination. Teague doesn’t explore with any great depth, but it gets the individual viewer thinking. If a filmmaker can accomplish that, he’s obviously done something right. Sarrazin is very good as the friend whose chosen profession makes it questionable to actively participate in activities that might not be 100% legal. LuPone has some strong moments as the wife affected by street crime.
What we’re talking about with Fighting Back is a vigilante actioner that tries to be more thoughtful about its subject and mostly succeeds. At the same time, it provides the violent thrills one expects from such a film. It’s a little uneven at times, but it still manages to be effective on both fronts.
