Mr. Majestyk is one of my favorite Charles Bronson action films. The plot which is a bit complex for an action film does not get in the way of any of the action. By the way Bronson whose real name was Buckinski must have been happy to play a person of Polish ancestry in this one, I believe it is one of the few times he did.
Bronson is Vincent Majestyk former army ranger who is now running a watermelon ranch. He's being squeezed by time because he needs to get his melons picked and to market in a matter of days and a local strong arm guy played by Paul Koslo tries to muscle him into hiring his crew.
Big mistake for Koslo, but not right then because he has sheriff Frank Maxwell arrest Bronson. While in jail Bronson also runs afoul of big time hit man Al Lettieri and when Lettieri finally escapes he's out to get him.
Bronson's willing to live and let live, but Lettieri crowds him and he's not given a choice. So he settles matters in the usual Bronson way.
Lettieri was really coming into his own during the early Seventies with villainous roles in The Godfather, The Getaway, and McQ. A year later the cinema lost him, a real tragedy because he was superb in any part he played.
Two women figure prominently in the proceedings. Linda Cristal who is an organizer for the United Farm Workers who Bronson aids and she in turn becomes pretty valuable to him. The second is Lee Purcell who plays a more modern version of a gangster moll from the Thirties.
Over 30 years since I first saw Mr. Majestyk in the theater and I still love the way Bronson turns from the hunted to the hunter.
