THE HORSEMAN looks like a student film dedicated to showing what fun it can be to torture your enemies with whatever garden implements you have at your disposal. Hey, don’t get me wrong: I actually own a copy of DEATH WISH V, and I enjoy it, probably for what many people would say the wrong reasons. However, I don’t believe said film was intended to be taken as a piece of high art or a serious statement. Exploding remote control soccer ball: there’s something I didn’t get for Christmas!

On the other hand, online self-appointed experts (oh, the irony!) have been quick to anoint THE HORSEMAN as some slice of cinematic brilliance. Ostensibly, Steve Kastrissios sold his house to finance this film. I guarantee you that house is cursed.

Okay, so the main character’s daughter was involved with some rather sordid types…but did they really take advantage of her? It seems like another instance of the parent doing a lousy job of raising a child, then when the daughter overdoses on heroin as she engages in a wild sexual orgy, it someone else’s fault, because the girl had no will of her own (I point out the girl in question was aged at least eighteen years and certainly knew right from wrong).

Obviously, the film tapped into the most primal bellicose feelings of the reviewer: audience manipulation at its most shameful. However, a thinking audience member (what a novelty!) would know sometimes young women gets themselves involved in hedonistic lifestyles, damn anyone else, because 18 year old girls know everything, life is one big drug-fulled binge!

The problem with this film is not so much its gross depiction of vigilatism, but rather its abandonment of individual responsibility. You can argue Christian was showing “individual responsibility” by going after anyone remotely connected to the death of his daughter and turning them to chopped liver, but at no time does he attempt to exhaust more rational, effective options. And there was no consideration that his daughter was, ultimately, responsible for her own fatuous lifestyle.

With other revenge flicks, I can see from where the protagonsit is coming. I could accept Charles Bronson in DEATH WISH…I could even accept Raquel Welch as HANNIE CAULDER! These films had understandable psychological frameworks and both movies played upon the theme of the protagonsit “becoming the very thing he/she despises” and the consequences of becoming such. They made you think about the dangers and impracticalities of going vigilante. Contrast that to THE HORSEMAN, where Christian, much like his messianic namesake, comes across as Superman, utilising an array of torture devices that seem to be inspired by the works of Rube Goldberg’s hitherto unknown evil twin brother.

If you wish for THE HORSEMAN to be your catharsis, I’m certain you could do better watching any of a number of 1980s action films, countless of which are more fun than this dull, dull, dull load of crud that will do nothing to restore general public confidence in Australian cinema.

Can’t wait for those two-week runs…

I’m glad I read this because everything I have previously seen about the movie made me to believe it was something else. I plan on checking it out upon DVD release.

Also, and I think this is my biggest problem with the movie (aside from the lack of character development), I take issue with the treatment of the hitchhiker who reminds him of his daughter. I feel as if it negates everything he’s fighting for and actually accomplishes. Yes it makes the movie darker and less compromising, but it also makes it less engaging and fulfilling.