Bezenby Whereas Westerns films now and again contained social commentary and sly digs at Italian life and the politics of the late sixties, and the main message of the Gialli was 'boobs and slow motion lesbian scenes with Rosalba Neri are cool', the Poliziotesschi were set mainly in the real world: that of a corrupt Italy where the laws protect the criminals, kidnapping and ransoming are endemic, politicians and the police are regularly bribed, students and unions are suppressed and the public are at the end of their tether. Although some of these films are Dirty Harry rip-offs, others (like Enzo Castellari's Street Law) show the public having to take the law into their own hands, or mobsters themselves trying to escape the life of crime (like Duccio Tessari's Tony Arzenta). These films were successful in the mid-seventies until being frowned upon as right-wing (usually the films involving rogue cops blowing away everybody) and condemned by Italian directors themselves, like Michele Soavi, for instance. Like the gialli, however, they never really died out totally. In fact, they seem to have a bit or resurgence in TV series form lately.Execution Squad is a film I wasn't familiar with but added to my never ending list of Italian films to watch anyway. I was quite surprised to find it a fully formed, politically charged thriller with an amazing performance from Enrico Maria Salerno. Nice! The ever-weary looking Salerno plays inspector Bertone, head of homicide in Rome, and the first time we see him he's reluctantly released a smug mobster for the umpteenth time. Making matters worse is a double murder by two young guy that leads to the kidnapping of a young lady. Growing pressure from the public and the press leads Bertone to give a demonstration to a bunch of journalists as to how the police have their hands tied, including Merlin's Law, which explains why whenever you see a hooker or a rent boy in an Italian movie, they are standing out on the streets! Bertone's woes increase as he's falsely accused of assaulting the smug mobster, and even his retired predecessor cannot reassure him that everything's going to be alright.Things take a turn into darker territory when the plot changes to focus on a sinister bunch of vigilantes who appear halfway through the film and start executing some of the criminals mentioned above. Bertone's priorities change and it seems he's the only one out to give the criminal are fair chance at a trial, no matter how heinous their actions are. Maybe the straight laced Attorney (Mario Adorf in a much more subdued role than Milano Calibro 9) isn't so much of an obstacle after all, but who knows how deep the corruption runs, or how much people support these vigilantes…I was really impressed by Enrico Salerno's turn as the crippled gunslinger in Bandidos, and in this film he brings that same kind of resigned melancholy to a contemporary role. He seems to know how things are going to end up, but does it anyway as he believes everyone should face the law. His character is a policeman who is wiser than everyone else, but that wisdom comes with the knowledge that wisdom is futile in the face of mob mentality. Even with all the politics, Steno doesn't skimp on the action. Plenty of car chases, gunfights and such like to keep you going. Poliziotesschi films somehow manage to raise the bar in the violence stakes too, and this one is no different. I winced at the scene where one character is pushed under a speeding police car. There are better Poliziotesschi out there, but I wouldn't miss this one either.

Leofwine_draca EXECUTION SQUAD is an Italian polizia movie with a serious, political subject matter. The story takes a while to get going but once the main plot is in motion it becomes very interesting with a strong moral dilemma streak running through it. The tale is about a gang of police, both active and former, who form a secret society of vigilantes who happily go around executing criminals both small and big time.Into this mess lands Enrico Maria Salerno as dogged cop Bertone who is on the trail of a couple of robbers who have left two corpses in their wake. Salerno soon finds himself driven to the edge when he gets caught up in the vigilante killing spree as he is pursued by lawyers, his own superiors, and a whole gaggle of reporters. EXECUTION SQUAD displays a mature approach throughout, adding in the quota elements of nudity and violence but keeping them to a bare minimum. There are a couple of decent action bits (including a great motorbike chase) but for the most part this is methodical and intriguing. The downbeat, pessimistic angle of the production adds to its realistic feel.

unbrokenmetal This movie tells the story of a secret organization of former police officers, who go beyond the law to kill notorious criminals without trial. One police inspector (intense performance: Enrico Maria Salerno) tries to stop them, but the attorney (Mario Adorf) is not convinced by his conspiracy theories, so the inspector is basically on his own and can trust nobody.Sounds a bit like Clint Eastwood's 'Magnum Force' which was released more than a year later, though. So in 1972, 'La Polizia ringrazia' must have seemed provocative and quite original. More than just a crime story, it is discussing political and social subjects such as death penalty, when the inspector points out they had that during the years of fascism which nobody would want back, or the press conference on the bus about the protection of prostitution. Director Steno is mostly known for his comedies with Toto or Bud Spencer - such a dark, pessimistic movie was unusual for him. The menacing soundtrack courtesy of Stelvio Cipriani adds to the effect, as the simple, repetitive, almost brutal chords suit the violence on the screen. An intelligent work of cinema that stands the test of time 40 years later very well, because it mostly avoids the genre clichés.

rundbauchdodo Director Steno (birth name: Stefano Vanzina) is best known as a director of comedy (e.g. films with Bud Spencer and Terence Hill), but this crime thriller is everything but a comedy. It tells the gripping story of an organized vigilante group that kills criminals who couldn't be convicted by the police.Enrico Maria Salerno is brilliant as the police officer who tries to discover the big ones behind the vigilante group. Mario Adorf is convincing as ever - once more portraying a rather dubious district attorney. This Italian-German co-production is also remarkable for singer Jürgen Drews who plays one of the criminals that fall victim to the vigilantes.All in all, "La Polizia Ringrazia" delivers impressive social comment and handles the topic with a complexity one rarely sees in a crime thriller. Highly recommended.