Rampage 4K 1987 Ultra HD 2160p

Story Movie

A serial killer named Charlie Reece is on trial for his crimes. Lawyers insist on the insanity of the defendant. Prosecutor Anthony Fraser is against the death penalty, but his attitude changes after meeting with the family of one of the victims.

Review 4K Movie

Should a serial killer who cold-bloodedly murdered his victims be executed? In some countries, this question was not even considered. It did not matter whether the killer had motives or not, whether he was ill or mentally stable, how many victims he had, or what his status was. The death penalty applied to everyone equally, and there was no escaping the harsh sentence of the court. It was only later that a moratorium on the death penalty was introduced, and to this day there are discussions about bringing it back, rather than feeding rapists and murderers at the expense of the state, but so far nothing has changed.

The free sale of weapons and the lack of any serious checks mean that any psychopath can easily buy a gun and start shooting innocent people. Why? He makes no secret of it, citing devilish temptations and his own illness. Sounds like the ravings of a madman? But is he really insane? Of course, modern medicine is capable of detecting chemical abnormalities in the brain that indicate schizophrenia, but not every schizophrenic becomes a murderer, just as not every murderer is insane. This means that there can only be one verdict: guilty and not subject to appeal.

Alas, things are not so clear-cut in Reznaya (Slaughter), which is the name of the 1992 re-edited version of this film that your humble author watched. The maniac brutally disposes of his victims, cuts out their organs, and hides them in the basement of his house. He shows no mercy to women or children; they are nothing to him, just as the animals he tortured to death were nothing but trash. He doesn't even try to remember who he killed or how—why bother, when it's so easy to pretend to be crazy and cynically write to the spouse of a woman he murdered, asking for help and hoping for understanding. This young man, who was the sweetest and most harmless in his childhood and youth, has turned into a real monster. Alex MacArthur did an excellent job with his difficult role; his character evokes nothing but disgust and a desire for just punishment. The verdict is guilty, and whether he had any reasons other than those he fed to the public is not so important.
The prosecutor agrees. Previously a staunch opponent of the death penalty, he reconsidered his views when confronted with this case. The dead cannot be brought back by destroying the murderer, but would conscience allow an acquittal? How can the murderer be sent to a hospital, from which he will eventually be released and may continue his bloody deeds, even if he is found guilty? How could he look into the eyes of those who had lost their loved ones because someone had decided that this subhuman was no longer dangerous? His powerful and heartfelt speech in court left no one indifferent — Michael Biehn was simply magnificent. it was as if at that moment he was not just playing a role, but fighting for the souls of the innocently murdered, convincing and proving not so much to the jury as to us — that there can be no excuses for a crime of such incomparable cruelty. The verdict — guilty and deserving of the highest punishment.

This is a film that grabs you and doesn't let go, that makes you think about the imperfections of justice. It may not be one of the best examples of its genre, but it is quite capable of keeping you glued to the screen and following the developments with great interest.