Handgun

I was really deceived by this woke before its time movie, which I expected in the line of Neil Jordan's THE BRAVE ONE, starring a Jodie Foster more or less in the same kind of lead female character. This one is a piece of junk - not sh...though - talkative, very slow to begin, and finally lousy, cheesy. With some good scenes however, such as the shooting walk practice; I appreciated. Yes, this is purely WOKE before its time. Now in 2023, this kind of plot is very usual. But in the early eighties, it was a bit the heir of the vigilante fashion that emerged in the seventies. Bad acting and lame directing. Forget it.

This is a very worrying and concerned look at US gun control, or rather the lack of it. Written and directed by Tony Garnett, there is never any doubt that this is going to be a passionate and personal statement. Indeed at first it seemed that it was going to be too determined and well intentioned to work properly as a film but was i proved wrong? Believe it or not this almost documentary like film ends up being a rape and revenge movie. Without, I hasten to add any exploitation elements, which isn'y yo say that it is not harrowing. The rape sequence despite not being sexually explicit, has to have been the hardest to watch that I have encountered and made all the more difficult because the perpetrator, an attorney, is taking great care throughout to ensure that it is all her fault. Karen Young gives an astonishing performance, convincing as a very young and nervous child like person at the start before she converts into her role as woman of vengeance. All I can really fault the film for is some of the visuals are a little lacking in depth or imagination, the cinematography gives this the look of a TV movie and whilst it may have been so intended and get a realistic look, I think this was a mistake. That aside it is faultless and a very worthwhile watch.

Actress Karen Young (Jaws: The Revenge, Torch Song Trilogy, The Sopranos) made a very creditable starring film debut in this independent drama that is at once a tried-and-true rape & revenge tale, and an interesting look at gun culture in the United States. Young plays Kathleen Sullivan, a high school teacher in Texas who makes the acquaintance of macho lawyer / gun enthusiast Larry Keeler (Clayton Day (The Day After)). They seem to hit it off for a while, until he decides to force himself on her after a date at his apartment.

Since Kathleens' chances of actually getting justice through the legal system are slim to none, she undergoes a major change in her personality, deciding to take gun training and own her own handgun.

Although this well-intentioned and VERY well-acted (especially by Young) drama is reasonably intelligent & believable, it does ultimately lead to a predictable, inevitable finale, albeit one which does allow the viewer to feel some sense of satisfaction. Overall, the film is appreciably low-key and never over-emphatic, and its almost documentary-style approach in its second half is definitely effective.

Since Handgun (also known as Deep in the Heart) isn't too well known nowadays, I'd recommend that interested viewers give it a look - even if it's just for Youngs' compelling performance.

Seven out of 10.

This is very underrated thriller which also poses questions about America's love of guns. It is very low key and filmed almost like a documentary, and Karen Young is excellent as the victimised main character. It perhaps isn't as powerful as it could be but it is definitely worth watching.

I caught this British made but American set and themed thriller on TV. After it had been on for a few minutes i remembered that i seen this film on its original theatre release. Though essentially a low budget exploitation film with a message or two as it's justification, events since the movies 1983 release have made the film far more relevant today. What with the gun lobby at odds with the gun control debate raging in the USA, not to mention the sexual harassment question gripping the attention of this years movie awards season. There is a lot to think about, in this well made though clearly low budget but very effective little thriller, that play's out in a taught tense swift 90 minutes.