Weapon of Choice

On the way to achieving the cult status of the Colt .45 and .44 Magnum, the Glock semi-automatic pistol is the go-to gun for law enforcement, gangsters, firearms retailers and even jihadists. Director Fritz Ofner's quietly powerful reflection on the rise and rise of Austrian engineer Gaston Glock's in-demand weapon, first produced in the early 1980s, uncovers a heady stew of power, money, politics and violence. The fact the gun is more plastic than metal, is easy to assemble and has a reputation for not jamming explains its appeal. The name has also been an absolute rhyme-friendly bonus for rappers. Ofner initially shows how the "perfect pistol" has become part of the fabric of US gun culture with familiar stories about gang murders and innocent kids killed in crossfire dovetailing with Glock users extolling the inviolability of the Second Amendment right to bear arms. However, when he switches to the question of "Who is Gaston Glock?", the narrative throws up all sorts of financial finagling and even an attempted assassination involving "Panama Charlie" and a hammer-wielding French wrestler that's the stuff of fiction. Minimal access to the notoriously media-shy Glock and his factory adds to the mystique but also restricts more pointed criticism of what millions of his product wreaks. The late appearance of reluctant war hero Jeans Cruz at least introduces a thought-provoking reality check.