Coup de sang

Breaking Point: Bob Clark's lost vigilante epic finally gets a shameful full frame release from the ornery bastards at Fox, most likely in an attempt to cash in on the man's fatal car wreck. Bo Svenson, a full and lanky vertical 7'8", is taking his stepson home from an intense sports game when he sees two gangsters beating a poor man right outside his home. He interferes like a true neighbor would, bludgeoning the attackers with his gargantuan fists. Predictably, after the Bo's testimony, the mob sends out torpedoes to rub him out in some truly baffling hit-man reasoning and logic like throwing a Molotov cocktail at a man standing right next to a river. There's nothing here that distinguishes itself from any other Death Wish clone or Walking Tall entry, with minuscule action scenes peppered throughout the final third. If you're lucky enough to stay awake that long, you'll be treated to a magnum facial, a 2x4 used as a spear and Svenson flipping a house over a cliff. Robert Culp plays a weary police officer that's half Boggs and half, well, nothing. Love the music credit which actually lists a computer for the synthetic score!

This is one more example of the seventies manufactured stuff, using the same ingredients: violence, revenge, vigilante and so on. It was the peak period, late seventies and early eighties. This one is not obviously the worst but not the best either. Bo Svenson is Ok for the role, he did his best, but film director Bob Clark remains blank in this work, though he is far more gifted for his Sherlock Holmes' yarn: MURDER BY DECREE and also BLACK CHRISTMAS or even DEAD NIGHT.

Bo Svenson witness a beating, which turned into a murder and now he is in the witness protection program headed by Robert Culp. He was "tricked" into testify against John Colicos's oganization, which backfires when the system fails and now Colicos wants Svenson dead. Good action at times, sloppy editing (one scene we have Svenson leaving, then quickly cuts to a middle of a car chase), cheap but a early (for its time) electronic syntherizer music, and the film has that slow Canadian 70's film feel to it that sort of put you to sleep. Supporting cast like Stephen Young or even Culp has little to do, and minus one sort of rape scene with nudity, and some foul language, the film is easy to cut for T.V, as the violence is rather mild. This movie actually opened wide for 20th century fox, but is not on video (except Canada), but seems to be a cable classic recently. Being a Svenson fan, it's great to see the film again, but something tells me the film was originally longer. I think its Svensons BEST non "Walking Tall" film, and Svenson does pick up a Bufford Pusser 2x4 wood as he hits one of the bad guy behind the tent in the last 10 minutes. Recommened to 70's action fans. And for a panavision film, the director didnt utilize the format well, as practically every shot is kept in the middle, as to not lose any image when viewed on TV!!

Bob Clark is (or better, was, since he died with his son in a tragic car accident a handful of years ago) a multi-talented director, with on his repertoire several cult-classics in various & versatile genres, like comedy with the "Porky's"-franchise, seasonal family entertainment with "A Christmas Carol", mystery with "Murder by Decree" but most notably horror with the sublime "Black Christmas", "Dead of Night" and "Children Shouldn't Play with Death Things". In the mid-70s, he also took a swing at the contemporary very popular (thanks to the success of "Death Wish") revenge/vigilante exploitation sub-genre with the terrific "Breaking Point". It's perhaps one of Clark's least known and praised efforts, but definitely a marvelous addition to the world of 70s exploitation cinema!

"Breaking Point" arguably suffers somewhat from a slow and hesitant start, since there isn't a whole lot happening in the, say, first half hour, but the rest of the film is an unhinged 'edge-of-your-seat' thrill-ride. Philadelphia family man and judo-school owner Michael McBain witnesses a brutal mafia execution, in a dark alley near his house, and is able to identify the assailants. McBain's testimony could put the corrupt and murderous construction tycoon Vincent Carbone in jail, but doing the right thing also means putting himself and his family in grave danger. When the trial doesn't turn out as favorable as expected, Carbone wants to make an example out of McBain and wipe out his family and friends. The family must even partake into the Witness Protection Program and relocate to Toronto, but eventually Michael reaches his titular breaking point and returns to Philly to confront Carbone and his sadistic henchmen himself.

The simplicity and straightforward action/suspense is what makes "Breaking Point" so great. Bo Svenson gives a terrifically realistic and identifiable performance as the good-hearted McBain, while the villains (notably Carbone and his curly-headed goon Carlito) are ultimately evil and loathsome. There isn't an overload of violence, but the violence that is featuring is stone-cold, grim and very graphical. The scenes inside the train depot, for instance, are stupendous! Bob Clark also clearly demonstrates his talents during these scenes, with several camera and editing effects to help increase the tension even further. Almost evidently, there are also a number of flaws and improbabilities in the script. Notably the real father's behavior is highly implausible and irritating, and McBain walks in and out Carbone's private estates surprisingly simple. But hey, you will gladly overlook the shortcomings (I did, at least) for the sake of entertainment.

BREAKING POINT is a fine action movie, cleverly directed by the late, great Bob Clark. It's uncommonly moody and tense for the genre, with several moments of jarring violence and some suspense sequences that look like they're out of a horror movie (Clark cut his teeth on horror pictures, and made some great ones, e.g. DEATHDREAM and BLACK CHRISTMAS).

Bo Svenson, giving an effective and likable performance, stars as a family man who, while out walking down a dark, snowy street at night with his stepson, encounters two gangsters beating a man to death. He gets involved, and chases the gangsters away, but it's too late, as their victim succumbs to his injuries. A police detective (Robert Culp, who's always dependable) convinces Svenson to testify against the gangsters in court, and promises to put him into witness protection. Svenson and his family are relocated, but when the case against the gangsters falls apart, Svenson is wanted by the gangsters' vengeful boss. Eventually, Svenson must decide if he wants to keep running with his family in tow, or go after the crime boss himself.

The film is a relatively low budget Canadian production, so you won't get expensive-looking car chases or city blocks exploding, but the tension is palpable throughout, and the action scenes on parade (few as they are) are expertly handled and have an unusual amount of impact, owing to an uncommonly high amount of character development (it's very easy to be concerned about the Svenson character's well-being) and a deliberate - but effective - pace.

As of this writing, the Fox Video DVD (which was available in the early '00s, for a shockingly short amount of time) is long gone, and fetches sizable prices in the online used market. However, it is worth tracking down for action fans, especially those who hold Svenson's turn as Buford Pusser in the WALKING TALL sequels in high regard (BREAKING POINT is a far more accomplished film). It is an action movie that is in dire need of re-release, and rediscovery.