When looking into this film before watching it I kept seeing
it referred to as a giallo film, those Italian films that featured a killer
being hunted by police or more often someone affected by their murders. While
watching it I found it felt less like a giallo and more like one of the police
action films that seemed to pour out of Italy in the 70s known as Poliziesco
(police thriller). The end result will be up to each viewer to decide.
The film opens with a young woman on the run, a prostitute
who is followed and found and quickly killed by a sunglass wearing killer. A
man she bumped into at a dance hall begins looking into her death and it isn’t
until later in the film we discover he is police detective Paolo Germi (Claudio
Cassinelli). Recruiting the help of a
street thief named Giannino he begins a rather strange investigation of the
situation.
Germi is unlike most detectives in that he has his own way
of doing things. He inserts himself into the criminal world and isn’t averse to
opening fire when need be or slugging his way out of a situation. While not
quite the vigilante style that audiences have come to associate with characters
like Dirty Harry he does tend to ignore a number of laws while seeking out who
the killer is.
Along the way Germi learns that there is more to the case
than a simple murder of a prostitute. It all revolves around a teenage
prostitution ring and the powerful man behind it all. You know that a face off
will eventually come, the only question being who will walk away from it
unscathed?
The film features two items that fill a lot of screen time,
one different than most and the other part and parcel of the genre. The humor
in the film is what is unusual, even more so when it’s not limited to Germi’s
sidekick but includes him as well. A running gag about him constantly breaking
his glasses is a nice twist. The second and more common item is a lengthy car
chase and this film has more than one. One of them brings these two elements
together as Germi and Giannino toss the doors of Germi’s car at a pursuing
police car since Germi is undercover.
In the end the movie is an enjoyable film to watch and
entertains from the beginning to the end. The end itself is quite satisfying
after having watched the rest of the film. Cassinelli never had the chance to
make his way to starring in U.S. films because his life was cut short in a
tragic helicopter crash 10 years after this film was made. He shows the
potential to become a world class star here and it’s sad he never had the
opportunity.
Arrow Video has done their usual bang up job for this
release. To start with they’re offering a brand new 2k restoration of the film
from the original camera negative meaning you get the best picture quality for
this film ever. Extras include a new commentary track by Troy Howarth (the
author of SO DEADLY, SO PERVERSE: 50 YEARS OF ITALIAN GIALLO FILMS), new
interviews with director Sergio Martino and cinematographer Giancarlo Ferrando,
a reversible sleeve with newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon and with
the first pressing only an illustrated collector’s booklet with new writing by
Barry Forshaw.
Click here to order.
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