The Film
Most of us are familiar with the Death Wish Charles Bronson. However, very few (at least in the U.S.) are aware of the British criminal named Charles Bronson. Bronson is sort of his story.
Bronson was actually born Michael Peterson. While serving a 7-year prison sentence for theft, Peterson punches and bites his way to a 30-year stint in solitary confinement. This is where he creates the alter ego of Charles Bronson -- and yes, considers himself somewhat of a celebrity.
Of course, he is completely twisted, and so is this movie. Bronson plays like A Clockwork Orange meets Pink Floyd The Wall. There's music and there's lunacy and sometimes the music conveys the lunacy. If you don't have a weak stomach, it's well worth a peek, if not solely for Tom Hardy's (RocknRolla) raw and creepy portrayal of the title character.
The Picture 
Bronson's 1.85:1 transfer is gritty, which is pretty much what we'd expect from prison life. Shot in both Super 16mm and 35mm, the film displays some grain as well as a lot of dark imagery. Of course, blood splatters often, giving off some nice detail in the process. There are completely bizarre moments in the film, most notably the "dance sequence," when a few brighter colors manage to peek through. For the most part though, this film isn't pretty, and the high definition image on Blu-ray Disc conveys that creepy feeling very well.
The Sound
Some of the audio in Bronson isn't as impressive as we'd like, but it puts you plenty close to his world. The acoustics, most notably during Bronson's monologues, are downright freaky. The DTS-HD Master Audio track delivers dialogue well for the most part, except when Hardy's heavy accent gets in the way. It also blasts an interesting selection of music, such as the Pet Shop Boys in the aforementioned dance scene. However, that dialogue is where the movie shines and sometimes, at least with Bronson's rendition of "Please Release Me," really sings. Still, some of those punches, of which there are many, could have packed a bigger whallop.
The Extras
Before we delve into extras, we wanted to note a possible issue with the navigational features on this disc. Bronson offers the convenience to stop and resume play without missing a beat -- like we've gotten used to with DVD, but which has always been problematic for BD-Java Blu-ray Discs. Awesome, right? Well, not always. On our first viewing, we had to stop the movie half-way through (toddlers aren't big Bronson fans). Upon return, we received the on-screen option to pick up where we left off, only to get "stuck" on that option.
Our remote wouldn't allow us to choose yes or no or do anything else. Manual controls weren't helping, either. We popped out the disc, tried again, and got the same result. We unplugged our Samsung BD-P1500 and the network connection. Nothing seemed to work. After some thought and hair loss, we decided to upgrade the firmware on our player -- something it was, apparently, sorely needing. Once this was completed, the disc played fine and allowed us to stop and start as much as we needed. If you are having similar issues, try to upgrade your firmware before throwing your remote at the TV.
Finally, we were able to finish the movie, as well as access the extras. Bronson's making-of featurette actually makes us happy there's no commentary featured here. Most of the people involved in the production speak in droning monotones, which makes this short piece (as well as the possibility for commentary) come off very bland. The real meat here is in the Interviews, which provide more than you should know about this film's production.
Also, if you can sit through it, there's 17 minutes of "Charles Bronson Monologues," which has the often incoherent ramblings of the real man playing over stills from the movie. The recording was apparently made in prison, making it sometimes hard to hear and also very illegal. It's not all that riveting, but does give you a great idea of exactly what/who we are dealing with for subject matter.
Final Thoughts
If you really want to hear about a man with a death wish, you might enjoy Bronson. Just be prepared: It's not light fare, with plenty of violence from beginning to end. Sadly, the film never gets too deep into what exactly made the real Bronson/Michael Peterson so much larger than life. However, a stunning performance by Tom Hardy is what truly makes it a must-see.
Product Details
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