Italian 1960's-1970's Eurocrime dramas with a political sentiment to them, and about the
unholy connections between the state, the mafia and the church, have been my preferred
film fodder this autumn of 2023. These films were also often based on the writings of the
great Leonardo Sciascia.

1. Il giorno della Civetta (The Day of the Owl) Direction and co-script: Damiano
Damiani. production: Italy-France 1968.
widescreen 1.85:1, italian or english audio version with english subtitles, italian version
109 minutes and enlish version 103 minutes, DTS-HD MA mono, region A+B

Based on the novel "Il giorno della civetta" by Leonardo Sciascia Franco Nero's role
figure Captain Bellodi resembles Gian Maria Volonte's Paolo Laurana in the 1967 "A
ciascuno il suo" (see Gialli and Eurocrime page 2). This is explained by the fact that
these films are based on the novels by the same author, Leonardo Sciascia.
They've the same themes as the Mafia, the Politicians, and the Church in cohorts with
each other. But you better prepare yourself for Feel Bad about the evils of the Elite ...
and this is not Hollywood, here the evil always win. Just as in real life.

In the 1970's Italian filmmakers dealt with this theme in a series of fine and openly
political films and often based on the writings of Leonardo Sciascia. Films as: This,
Damiano Damiani's 1968 "Il giorno della Civetta (The Day of the Owl" or his 1975
"Perché si uccide un Magistrato (How to Kill a Judge)" , Elio Petri's "A ciascuno il suo
(We Still Kill the Old Way)" or Fransesco Rosi's 1976 "Cadaveri eccellenti (Illustrious
Corpses")

The Story:

Out in the Sicilian countryside a lorry driver from a construction site is shot and
killed by a patiently waiting killer. The victim is Salvatore Colasberna, the owner of
the construction company and there has probably been a witness to the murder.
Another mob related murder.
Salvatore was grumpy and disliked but honest and he built with real cement and
didn't mix it with cheap sand. He also won the contract of building the road and
refused letting anyone else (shady connected entrepreneurs in on the project).

Franco Nero plays the Carabineer Captain Bellodi who leads the investigation and
he's young, ambitious and non-corrupt. But the witness is hiding somewhere and
no-one is helping him, not even the brothers of the victim. Silence.
Claudia Cardinale plays Rosa Nicolosi, the wife of the missing witness and Lee J.
Cobb plays the local Don, Don Mariano.

Captain Bellodi's office window fronts Don Mariano's house and balcony, with
the city square in between, and they stare at each other with the battle lines being
laid. Bellodi starts playing mindgames with Don Mariano to stir things up and to
make someone talk. Who will win, the criminals or the honest cop ?

Extras: Franco Nero about The Day of the Owl (17 minutes, 2022, italian with subs)
Franco Nero, Ugo Pirro, Lucio Trentini: 2006 Documentary (27 minutes, italian
with subs), Claudia Cardinale discusses her life and career (22 minutes in french
with subtitles, from Belgian "Hep Taxi!" 2017), Identity Crime: Genre expert Mike
Malloy (20 minutes, 2022), Casting Cobb: A tale of two continents (33 minutes,
2023)

 

2. 1. L'istruttoria é chiusa: Dimentichi (The case is Closed: Forget it )
Direction and co-script: Damiano Damiani, production: Italy 1971
widescreen 1.85:1, italian or english audio with english subtitles
DTS-HD MA mono, region A+B.
The Soundtrack by Ennio Morricone and Walter Branchi

Dark and depressing prison crime drama about an upper class architect, Vanzi
(Franco Nero) awaiting his sentence for a Hit and Run car accident sitting in jail.
At first his jail life goes easy as he's rich and everything can be bought in a
Sicilian jail, for the wealthy. But when he refuses to snitch on an inmate Pesenti
(played brilliantly by Riccardo Cucciolla) he annoys the Marshal (the boss guard)
and the guards starts to torment him.

Pesenti is about to give witness against some powerful and connected people
in a trial regarding a water dam accident killing a 1000 people, and he can't be
bought. The film is dark and very well acted by all, also John Steiner impresses as
a psycho killer, and YES, this film felt like something written by Leonardo Sciascia

Extras: Franco Nero interview (14 minutes, 2022), italian with subs), Enrique B.
Corrado Solari - assistant director, Antonio Siciliano - editor Archival 2015
documentary (28 minutes, italian with subs), Life and Work of Damiani Damiani
(35 minutes, 2023), Trailer

3. Perché si uccide un Magistrato (How to Kill a Judge), Direction, co-script: Damiano
Damiani, production: Italy 1975. widescreen 1.85:1, italian or english audio with english
subtitles LPCM DTS-HD MA mono, region A+B

A Brilliant Crime Drama with an amazing performance from Franco Nero (i've never seen
him better). These three Damiano Damiani films plays like a quintet with Elio Petri's 1967
"A ciascuno il suo - We Still Kill the Old Way" and Fransesco Rosi's 1976 "Cadaveri
eccellenti - Illustrious Corpses", all in the atmosphere of Leonardo Sciascia's writings.
Soundtrack by Riz Ortolani

.

Franco Nero plays the journalist filmmaker Giacomo Solaris who has made a
controversial film where he throws accusations against the Judge Alberto Traini
with allegations of Traini having connections with the Mob, and even of the
judge orchestrating the murder of a witness.
The Film ends with Traini being killed by his mafia acquaintances. Giacomo
Solaris (a homage to Tarkovskij) is a leftist journalist combined filmmaker and
"How to kill a Judge" takes place in the highly politisized turmoil of the Italian
mid-70's. With the hate against the Establishment Solaris film agitates the masses
and whips up a fury against Judge Traini, and soon Traini is found murdered.

But, as people, filled with bloodlust, celebrates Traini's death Solaris feels
guilty that he may have caused the judge's death. He didn't have any real
proofs against the judge and Traini may have been un-corrupt after all.
This may be a Giallo, so Solaris starts sleuthing - Whodunit ?
His sources of information comes from leftist journalistst, a corrupt police
officer and his connected businessman friend Terrasini (Renzo Palmer).
Francoise Fabian plays the wife of Judge Traini (played by Claudio Gora).

Extras: Franco Nero discusses the film (13 minutes, 2022, italian with subs),
Lessons in Violence: Video essay by David Cairns (22 minutes, 2023),
Interview with writer Alberto Pezzotta (34 minutes, 2022, italian with subs),
English and Italian trailer