User Reviews

A gritty and downbeat polizia flick from Italy which, whilst hardly providing entertaining viewing, packs a mean punch in its depiction of doomed cop Inspector Murri and the nihilism surrounding him. Unlike other entries in the genre (notably those directed by Umberto Lenzi and Stelvio Massi), Giuseppe Rosati's movie concentrates on characterisation and intricate plotting at the expense of flashy action and exploitation, two staples which are here kept to a minimum.

Thus the plot concentrates on the leading character of Inspector Murri, a kind of cross between Franco Gasparri's Mark and Maurizio Merli's Betti in that he still believes in criminal justice and goes around ass-kicking when the opportunity arises, but isn't afraid to take things more laid-back and use his mind more than his fists in times of struggle. Murri is played very well by Leonard Mann, who gives his character a fair degree of depth especially when dealing with the suffering and misfortune that Murri experiences throughout the production.

The plot itself is pretty complex and demands close attention from the viewer. It concerns a secret criminal organisation who kidnap rich folk as a cover for darker deeds. Murri discovers to his cost that the conspiracy is far-reaching and ends up a wiser, but older and sadder man by the time the end credits role. The rest of the characters in the movie (as well as Murri) are fleshed-out and believable. These include Antonella Murgia as his ill-fated girlfriend Laura and Franco Interlenghi as wise buddy "Colombo". The main bad guy parts are taken by two veterans, Stephen Boyd and James Mason, the latter adding plenty of authority to his part as the softly-spoken senator with a dark secret. Exploitation starlet Janet Agren appears as a sexy female cop for all of two minutes screen time.

Despite being a plot-focused film, there is still time for some cool action, just not as much. A fine choreographed car chase sets the plot in motion nicely and is followed by a good fist fight between Murri and multiple opponents and a couple of car bombings and shoot-outs. The nudity and bloodshed are kept to the relative minimum, but the last half an hour is still pretty shocking with some bloody slow motion machine-gunnings. By far the best scene in the film shows Murri seeking vengeance and taking out an entire criminal retreat with the aid of his machine-gun, a real show-stopper. Not a very exciting or pacy movie but instead one to make you think and wonder about the police and their foes.