Plot from Imdb: "A chief of detectives, homicide section, kills his mistress and deliberately leaves clues to prove his own responsibility for the crime."
Beware: Masterpiece !!!
Can you get away with murder because you're one of the main piece of the repression system ?
Elio Petri is a very political director but I think this one goes way beyond his left-wind view of society. It's universal and apolitical. This movie describes the incestious relationship between the people supposed to enforce the law and the politics of State. The relation between what is supposedly politic crime and average crime is blurred and open the door to any abuse from the state. Very daring and demonstrative movie, it's point stays true until today: if the average citizen is not controlling the work of some state branches, like police, justice and/or army, the State can become a fascist state.
Elio Petri is also a great director, so the movie is never boring, nor dull. The style of this one could be related to the Giallo but it 's not strictly one. The other aspect are really well done and stylish: the framing, the editing witch incorporate lots of flashbacks from the love affair between the murderer/cop and his victim. Ennio Morricone's soundtrack is, again, a masterpiece and I'm surprised this tune is not more well known. The interpretation is great and Gian Maria Volonte is giving the performance of his life, as the psychotic Chief of homicide. Another must-see and a great reminder that, if we let's our guard down as citizens, the worst can happen, as the system can be corrupt at any time and turn against us. This movie is in my all-time top 10.
Extract "Repression is civilization" with English subtitles:
Amazing soundtrack main theme by Ennio Morricone:
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