Director Fernando Di Leo comes up trumps once more with this excellent Italian gangster movie, blessed with an unusual and tricksy plot which is always unfolding and totally unpredictable from start to finish. Whilst the plot is different to the rest of the Italian 'polizia' type crime films, I'm pleased to say that all the genre elements that fans know and love - the music, the characters, the action - are present and correct. Snappy dialogue is mixed in with some fine action set-pieces, including an extended shoot-out in a garden which has to be seen to be believed and probably inspired John Woo's action movies.
Strumming guitars make up the lively score which nicely complements the on screen activities. The opening five minutes of this film are simply spectacular, breathtaking, with stylish camera-work and Di Leo's trademark explicit violence involving a woman being savagely beaten and a victim having an unfortunate close shave in a barber's shop. The film that follows is utterly involving and has great casting in form of the leading character, Hugo Piazza, as played by Gastone Moschin. Lacking the youthful good looks that Luc Merenda and Franco Nero brought to their own particular crime films, Moschin is a revelation here and miles away from his mannered bumbling policeman character in the comedy/giallo THE WEEKEND MURDERS. Playing his role understated and subdued, Moschin scores a hit with his realistic and sympathetic character, a kind of mysterious anti-hero you never learn too much about. A great and unusual leading role and one that pays off.
The film involves Moschin's fortunes as he finds himself being harassed by some greasy Italian Mafia types. After his tough friend Kino beats them off, Moschin rests easy but it's not long before he has to go and face up to the godfather, played by the ancient Lionel Stander. Stander decides to re-employ Moschin to keep an eye on him, despite the fact that he suspects him of stealing 300,000 dollars in loot. From then on, Moschin must go about setting up dangerous drug deals and cold-blooded murders until it all predictably falls apart. The last twenty minutes of this movie are tremendously exciting and end with a couple of unforeseeable twist endings that knocked my socks off.
The cast is full of Italian faces familiar to any genre fans. The love interest is played by the welcome Barbara Bouchet, whose finest moment is when she gyrates in a bikini in a sleazy nightclub - the camera is there to follow every trace and curve of her body for the viewer's appreciation. Genre regulars Frank Wolff and Luigi Pistilli lend solid support as policeman and hit-man respectively and scumbag Bruno Corazzari is great as an unfortunate Mafia aide. Best of all, however, is Mario Adorf in a supporting role as psychotic gangster Rocco. Adorf would go on to star in Di Leo's MANHUNT(incidentally a movie that's just as good as this one) but he's just as good here playing the total opposite of his later character, a stressed-out, Joe Pesci type who enjoys torturing people and keeps breaking down. A great role and a nice character twist at the end there for him too.
Genre fans looking for a nice bit of GODFATHER-inspired action will find much to love about this movie. Di Leo's trademark explicit violence is present in some cold-blooded murder scenes including a guy getting bumped in the bog and even the ruthless drive-by shooting of a blind man! The ending is classic stuff and as a whole the film is totally successful with only minor flaws that are easy to ignore. Another Italian classic and a film to be tracked down.
Strumming guitars make up the lively score which nicely complements the on screen activities. The opening five minutes of this film are simply spectacular, breathtaking, with stylish camera-work and Di Leo's trademark explicit violence involving a woman being savagely beaten and a victim having an unfortunate close shave in a barber's shop. The film that follows is utterly involving and has great casting in form of the leading character, Hugo Piazza, as played by Gastone Moschin. Lacking the youthful good looks that Luc Merenda and Franco Nero brought to their own particular crime films, Moschin is a revelation here and miles away from his mannered bumbling policeman character in the comedy/giallo THE WEEKEND MURDERS. Playing his role understated and subdued, Moschin scores a hit with his realistic and sympathetic character, a kind of mysterious anti-hero you never learn too much about. A great and unusual leading role and one that pays off.
The film involves Moschin's fortunes as he finds himself being harassed by some greasy Italian Mafia types. After his tough friend Kino beats them off, Moschin rests easy but it's not long before he has to go and face up to the godfather, played by the ancient Lionel Stander. Stander decides to re-employ Moschin to keep an eye on him, despite the fact that he suspects him of stealing 300,000 dollars in loot. From then on, Moschin must go about setting up dangerous drug deals and cold-blooded murders until it all predictably falls apart. The last twenty minutes of this movie are tremendously exciting and end with a couple of unforeseeable twist endings that knocked my socks off.
The cast is full of Italian faces familiar to any genre fans. The love interest is played by the welcome Barbara Bouchet, whose finest moment is when she gyrates in a bikini in a sleazy nightclub - the camera is there to follow every trace and curve of her body for the viewer's appreciation. Genre regulars Frank Wolff and Luigi Pistilli lend solid support as policeman and hit-man respectively and scumbag Bruno Corazzari is great as an unfortunate Mafia aide. Best of all, however, is Mario Adorf in a supporting role as psychotic gangster Rocco. Adorf would go on to star in Di Leo's MANHUNT(incidentally a movie that's just as good as this one) but he's just as good here playing the total opposite of his later character, a stressed-out, Joe Pesci type who enjoys torturing people and keeps breaking down. A great role and a nice character twist at the end there for him too.
Genre fans looking for a nice bit of GODFATHER-inspired action will find much to love about this movie. Di Leo's trademark explicit violence is present in some cold-blooded murder scenes including a guy getting bumped in the bog and even the ruthless drive-by shooting of a blind man! The ending is classic stuff and as a whole the film is totally successful with only minor flaws that are easy to ignore. Another Italian classic and a film to be tracked down.