A movie that shows just how futile and phony the so called honor is between Mafiosos. Time and time again throughout this film one Mafia boss or hitman will just do what they want either for financial or self preservation purposes which is really what being a criminal is about. There is no honor in it. It's all about who gets rich or who gets dead, or who removes who from someone's way. While there are some violent shootouts in this film and some great blood squibs, the best part about this is trying to point out who the next person is to betray someone. This movie is a spider web of who is against who and whom is trying to kill whom at certain points. Henry Silva is awesome as the one Mafia enforcer who is always one step ahead. This also features a great piano-heavy, electric guitar and drum score by Luis Bacalov that gives the movie a signature soundscape. I would encourage more than one watch of this film or taking notes as it is hard to keep track of who is who and their motivations all in one watch.
The film starts with Mafia enforcer Nick Lanzetta (Henry Silva) killing several men with a grenade launcher in a theater. He then uses his silenced pistol to kill the rest of the men. Lanzetta is working for Don Corrasco (Richard Conte). He also works with Don Giuseppe D'Aniello (Claudio Nicastro). Eventually the brother of one of the Mafiosos Lanzetta killed, Don Antonino Attardi (Andrea Aureli) has another boss, Cocchi (Pier Paolo Capponi) kidnap Don Giuseppe's daughter, Rina (Antonia Santilli). This leads to all out gang war where loyalties are tested and betrayals happen again and again. At the same time Commissioner Tori (Gianni Garko) quarrels with the Questore (Vittorio Caprioli) over how to handle things from the police side of things. Commissioner Tori is eventually shown to be working with or alongside the mob at times. Pignataro (Marino Mase) and Lawyer Rizzo (Corrado Guipa) are other players revealed to be working for Don Carrasco and the other Roman mobsters respectively for each.
Now do you understand why this could be confusing upon one watch will all the players involved? Anyway, there are some great shootouts and awesome moments throughout. I enjoy one camera angle where we see Carlo and Pignataro talk where all you can see is them through the rear view mirror. There is an awesome slow motion shootout where the bodies fall in slow motion after Pignataro shoots them. That whole sequence is a tribute to Godfather christening as other men are stabbed with knives and machine gunned while trying to get away. Similar to Moe Greene's death in the Godfather one other man is killed while getting a back rub. There some other great shootouts through out and many awesome headshot-gunshot-blood-squibs as a result of silenced pistol kills. There is an awesome car stunt when Lanzetta is getting Rina and he hits a car and splits it in half.
Spoiler Section
After Rina is kidnapped things get set in motion. After Don Giuseppe goes to pay the ransom, Lanzetta kills him and takes the money. Carlo betrays Cocchi by telling them where Rina is. Lanzetta rescues Rina and Pignataro kills Carlo. The Lawyer then shows up saying that more bloodshed could threaten Don Corrasco's position and he has Lanzetta kill many of Cocchi's men. Don Corrasco eventually asks Commissioner Tori to kill Lanzetta and he fails. Pignataro helps Lanzetta kill the men who come for him. Pignataro eventually kills Don Corrasco. He is told by the Lawyer to kill Lanzetta but in a similar move to the ending of the Mechanic, Lanzetta survives and kills him. The movie ends with the Lawyer on the phone. While all this happens Lanzetta begins a troubling sadomasochistic relationship with Rina who is a nymphomaniac.
Rating: 9/10
English Dubbing Cast:
- Edward Mannix dubs Pier Paolo Capponi as Cocchi
- Frank Von Kuegelen dubs Howard Ross as Melende
- Robert Spafford dubs Andrea Aureli as Don Antonino Attardi
- Michael Forest dubs Gianni Musy as Carlo Attardi
- Edmund Purdom dubs Corrado Gaipa as Lawyer Rizzo
- Ted Rusoff dubs Gianni Garko as Commissioner Tori
Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGgmOQLIwbE
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