High Crime (1973)
8/10
Italian Crime Classic with Franco NERO and Fernando REY
20 January 2024
The police accuse, the judiciary acquits: EuroCrime classic with Franco Nero

Breathlessly exciting and with a pinch of social criticism, cult director Enzo G. Castellari creates a unique mix of action and paranoia thriller. This is top-class European genre cinema! An outstanding cast and the driving music of the De Angelis brothers also ensure quality.

In Genoa, the Lebanese mafia's drug dealings are increasing. Commissario Belli (GOLDEN GLOBE candidate Franco Nero) is highly motivated, but is increasingly losing patience. His superior (great: GOLDEN GLOBE winner James Whitmore) already has a whole dossier on the gangsters, but doesn't believe he has enough evidence to convince the judiciary. The inspector is hoping for help from Don Cafiero (Fernando Rey), who has become calmer but is playing his own game. The involvement of the Italian upper class (Silvano Tranquili and Duilio Del Prete as "honorable" pillars of society) becomes clear, but cannot be proven in the long term. In addition, there are Belli's private problems with his girlfriend (Delia Boccardo) and daughter (Stefania Girolami Goodwin). So there's enough cause for trouble! You could easily do without a killer like Rico (Daniel Martin)...

This film is really good! Castellari manages to combine the two most important strands of 70s thriller cinema and thus give the poliziottesco an additional boost. The action sequences in Genoa and later Marseille are great. The acting performances are outstanding. The technical quality is impressive.

Absolute recommendation!
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