As the end of level boss of The Boss (1973-also reviewed) wrapped up the Milieu Trilogy, I was pleased to find that Raro Video had included one extra title to round up the set, leading to me discovering who rules the city.
View on the film:
Closing their box set, Raro Video present a pristine transfer, with the picture being clean and the audio being sharp, and joined by a very good making of.
Backed by an unusual tribal Jazz score from his regular composer of this period Luis Bacalov, co-writer (with Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972-also reviewed) actor Peter Berling ) / directing auteur Fernando Di Leo & The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971-also reviewed) cinematographer Erico Menczer cycle into a hard nose Italian Crime/ Poliziotteschi atmosphere, which continues to build on Di Leo's recurring motifs, with Di Leo expanding on his use of extended first-person shots from the striking opening, which Di Leo blends with slow-motion, in order for the viewer to feel right next to each sly punch and bullet to the head unleashed, exploding in Di Leo joyfully continuing to twirl glittering dancing and song sequence into the tough underworld.
Driving round with Tony (played with a razor edge swagger by Harry Baer) is his dune buggy, Di Leo loads up the set-pieces with his distinctive, ultra-stylized blunt force, rolling from break-neck motorbike chases in rush hour traffic, (which looks to have been illegally filmed) to tasty crash-zooms and jagged whip-pans hitting Tony attempting to take on ruthless gang leader Manzari (played with a wonderful gruffness by Jack Palance.)
Hanging out with Tony doing his job as a debt collector for the gangsters, the screenplay by Di Leo and Berling take a notable departure from the Milieu Trilogy, via the inclusion of (intended) comedy,most prominent in Tony's playful team-up with fellow former mob enforcer/turned wanting to show the gangsters who the real boss is, Napoli.
Despite their best attempts, the writers are never fully able to slot the comedy into the tense, unfolding Italian Crime action,due to the tries to bring jokes into the mix, resulting in everything else going into stop/start mode.
When not trying to find a punch-line, the writers brilliantly continue to explore the major themes running across Di Leo's works, from the value Tony and Napoli place on their friendship, in an underworld where loyalty can be shot down at any moment, to a fantastic Slasher-style opening, which draws Tony as someone who has no backing, as he fights to rule the city.
View on the film:
Closing their box set, Raro Video present a pristine transfer, with the picture being clean and the audio being sharp, and joined by a very good making of.
Backed by an unusual tribal Jazz score from his regular composer of this period Luis Bacalov, co-writer (with Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972-also reviewed) actor Peter Berling ) / directing auteur Fernando Di Leo & The Cat o' Nine Tails (1971-also reviewed) cinematographer Erico Menczer cycle into a hard nose Italian Crime/ Poliziotteschi atmosphere, which continues to build on Di Leo's recurring motifs, with Di Leo expanding on his use of extended first-person shots from the striking opening, which Di Leo blends with slow-motion, in order for the viewer to feel right next to each sly punch and bullet to the head unleashed, exploding in Di Leo joyfully continuing to twirl glittering dancing and song sequence into the tough underworld.
Driving round with Tony (played with a razor edge swagger by Harry Baer) is his dune buggy, Di Leo loads up the set-pieces with his distinctive, ultra-stylized blunt force, rolling from break-neck motorbike chases in rush hour traffic, (which looks to have been illegally filmed) to tasty crash-zooms and jagged whip-pans hitting Tony attempting to take on ruthless gang leader Manzari (played with a wonderful gruffness by Jack Palance.)
Hanging out with Tony doing his job as a debt collector for the gangsters, the screenplay by Di Leo and Berling take a notable departure from the Milieu Trilogy, via the inclusion of (intended) comedy,most prominent in Tony's playful team-up with fellow former mob enforcer/turned wanting to show the gangsters who the real boss is, Napoli.
Despite their best attempts, the writers are never fully able to slot the comedy into the tense, unfolding Italian Crime action,due to the tries to bring jokes into the mix, resulting in everything else going into stop/start mode.
When not trying to find a punch-line, the writers brilliantly continue to explore the major themes running across Di Leo's works, from the value Tony and Napoli place on their friendship, in an underworld where loyalty can be shot down at any moment, to a fantastic Slasher-style opening, which draws Tony as someone who has no backing, as he fights to rule the city.