Vigilante Thriller

This is a detailed examination of vigilantism in 1970s American film from its humble niche beginnings as a response to relaxing censorship laws to its growth into a unique subgenre of its own. Cary Edwards explores the contextual factors leading to this new cycle of films ranging from <i>Joe</i> (1970) and <i>The French Connection</i> (1971) to <i>Dirty Harry</i> (1971)<i></i>and <i>Taxi Driver (</i>1976) all of which have been challenged by contemporary critics for their gratuitous copycat-inspiring violence. Yet close analysis of these films reveals a recurring focus on the emerging moral panic of the 1970s a problematisation of Law and Order's role in contemporary society and an increasing awareness of the impossibility of American myths of identity.