Not a giallo but a fine italian poliziottesco from 1969 and made by Fernando
Di Leo and this before he made the amazing Eurocrime
thriller classics - Milano Calibro 9 in 1972, The Italian Connection in
1972 and The Boss in 1973 (please read more about these
superior crime thrillers, the films that made Di Leo the Don Siegel of
Italy, on Giallo Page 2 and scroll down to the fantastic US Raro
Video box release, and with actors as Mario Adorf, Barbara Bouchet and
Henry Silva).
The film starts with a disturbing scene, the gang rape
and murder of a young school teacher, a scene that must've been strong
stuff
when this film was made in 1969. The perps are young teenage boys, social
outcasts and even criminals that social workers have put
in the class to fulfill their social and legal obligations, and with the
teachers working there for idealistic reasons.
And, are they a bunch of ugly fu--ers these teenage delinquents, when
lined up they really look "real" and that's a good thing with
a film like this. They all acted well and especially the boy who played
the role of Carolino Marassi (Marzio Margine).
Police inspector Lamberti (Pier Paolo Capponi) investigates
the brutal killing of the teacher and all of the "pupils" attending
class
that fatal day are arrested. When interrogating them Lamberti notices
that they all tell the same story - they have seen and know
nothing. Lamberti is warned by his superiors to not touch or in any way
harm the little angels, and he has to find a strategy to
make someone talk to him, to do something outside of the rule-book.
What he do know is that a bottle of extremely strong anisette was brought
into class by someone, and inspector Lamberti suspects
that the murder may have been planned in advance. Someone that wanted
them to be drunk and out of control.
This film is not a giallo but more of a police procedure film but do have
a giallo element in the latter part of the movie.
Susan Scott or Nieves Navarro does not drop her clothes here for once
and plays a the social worker Livia Uzzaro who hangs around
inspector Lamberti. Probably as an assistant to him during the investigation.
Unfortunately she has not much to do in her role and
she mostly stares mysteriously. Is she a red herring, or is she his girlfriend
? Did Di Leo forget to write her any lines ?
I would have liked this fine Spanish actress to have a more meaty part
in this film.
The DVD presents the film in anamorphic widescreen with
italian or english audio 2.0 with english subtitles (to italian audio),
region
all. Extras without english subtitles: Documentary "Quei bravi ragazzi"
interviews with i.a. Pier Paolo Capponi and Di Leo (19 minutes
2004 in italian), Documentary "Fernando Di Leo alla Cinematequa"
(15 minutes in french), Gallery, Filmo- and Biography Di Leo
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