Matteo (Claudio Cassinelli) is an Italian cop muddling his way through the
daily routine of chasing down drug smugglers and general scofflaws. However, his life takes a turn for the
dramatic when a hotel lobby is bombed by scag fiend Franco (Bruno Zanin) and his cohorts, Rocco (Paolo Poiret) and Falena (Valeria D’Obici).
It is difficult to discuss Luciano Ercoli’s Killer Cop (aka La Polizia
Ha Le Mani Legate) without talking a little bit about the political climate
in Italy at the time of its production. I
also feel it is necessary to state that I’m in no way an expert on the
particulars of this point in the nation’s history except for extreme
generalities, so I’ll paste together what I think is enough to give you an idea
(from some admittedly hastily assembled internet research, so take it for what
it is). This is because the film doesn’t
deal with the usual nefarious criminal element we’re used to seeing in many
Eurocrime films (which are still reflective of the time, just not quite like
this). This one deals with domestic
terrorism. Now, the Seventies in Italy
are often referred to as the Years of Lead due to the massive amount of
bombings and shootings perpetrated by activists on both the right and the
left. No one was spared, be they factory
workers, police officers, students, or politicians. The culprits were just as diverse as the
victims with affiliations from communist to fascist and everything in between
(and probably a few outside of all of them).
Supposedly, this film’s plot was inspired by the 1969 bombing of the Banca Nazionale dell’Agricoltura
headquarters (known as the Piazza
Fontana Bombing), but from what I gathered the explosion is the only actual
link between truth and fiction.
In mid-Twentieth Century Italy, one
almost needs a score card to keep track of the factions, their ideologies, and
their activities, and one would still likely wind up with one hell of a tangle
of threads to navigate. Though one
really has to wonder at what point is the line crossed between politics and
bloodshed, especially in one’s own backyard?
What I mean is, when does a person go from being an activist to simply
being a killer? While this question does
intrigue me, it doesn’t seem to intrigue the filmmakers, because it is taken as
given that this is the atmosphere in which these characters live. This is the Italy with which Matteo and
company regularly deal. Ergo, it
requires no explanation to an audience, and for people unfamiliar with this
aspect of the country’s past, it can be a bit confusing. Even blame for the hotel bombing is nebulous,
with characters on a tram blaming “the Reds,” “the fascists,” and “the
anarchists,” by turns. Since no one can
pin down who did the deed, their purpose goes out the window. It’s just another act of brutality to the
common person, the actors inconsequential since there seems to be no overt discussion
about the incidents after they occur (except in their narrative role). The incidents themselves are the sum total of
the perpetrators’ statements. We assume
that Franco, Rocco, and Falena are leftist militants, simply from their home. Rocco and Falena are shown briefly watching a
news report about the bombing. Their
apartment is small, their attitude casual, bohemian in some respects (as we’ve
been taught to identify through film watching).
Again, we are given no introduction to the characters, and the scene
doesn’t linger long enough to fill in any details. It’s only after the very young Franco appears
at this apartment that we understand that the three are in collaboration. Meanwhile, Papaya (Sara Sperati), Matteo’s confidential informant and casual lay, is a
weed-smoking college student. She passes
rumors and intelligence to him, but she is somewhat reluctant, considering
herself on the side of the left-leaning students rather than the right-leaning
police. It’s an indication of the
obstacles a cop like Matteo has to overcome to seek justice, as well as being
indicative of the society on a whole.
Despite their being the hands though,
the bombers are not masterminds of any stripe.
At the time, there was the notion in Italy of a “strategy of tension”
being played on the country. This refers
to the theory that there were nefarious forces at work behind the scenes,
fomenting violence to their own ends.
Since communism was growing in popularity in Italy, naturally Western
forces (read: the United States) would want this tamped down. After all, this was at the height of the Cold
War. It makes sense, then, that agencies
like the CIA and so forth would use whatever methods they needed to in order to
keep Italy capitalist. That said, while I
know of no concrete evidence this was actually done in Italy, I wouldn’t be
surprised in the slightest if it had been, but still… The puppet masters behind the bombing are not
identified to the viewers. Their minions
are, to be sure. But the actual power
brokers pulling the strings are enigmatic.
They are shown in single shot scenes, their faces never revealed (with
the exception of their assassin played by Giovanni
Cianfriglia), though they also make no real effort to remain in the shadows
of the frame.
Two of the main characters wear
eyeglasses, and for me this is a statement that the general populace (left and
right) cannot see the truth (though one is also clearly more myopic than the
other). And still the villains’
motivations remain ambiguous. They state
that only a pylon was supposed to be blown up as a protest. Why?
For the right? For the left? We’re never told, and therein lies the
interesting bit. The bosses use the
leftist students to do their dirty work.
The fact that they claim no credit (even though it was a botched job to
begin with) or speak at all in terms of their movement’s purpose implies that
there is none outside of the anarchy created for their own ends (maybe they’re
just anarchists?). This is further
reinforced by how they deal with the fallout, and it’s hinted that this was the
plan either way.
Yet in the midst of all these
maneuverings, there are still honest men.
Aside from the aforementioned Matteo and Luigi, there is Minty (Arthur Kennedy), the gruff but earnest
judge in charge of the investigation. He
is a no-bullshit, all-business type of guy, and he doesn’t play politics or
suffer fools. Naturally, this irks those
who do, and even despite Minty’s strict adherence to the law, it’s shown that
he is still blocked and duped by these exterior/extraneous forces. This is not to say that he is gullible enough
to be completely hornswoggled but certainly just enough to be frustrated by his
partial failures. Still, we get the
feeling that he has been here before, and he will be here again. In a way, this mirrors Matteo and his very
on-the-nose love for Herman Melville’s
Moby Dick. Nonetheless, the “white whale” he and Minty
pursue is one worth chasing. This is not
merely a quest for vengeance. This is a
search for justice. That this is
ultimately confounded to some degree echoes the vexation of the country and its
people, subjected to forces beyond their control, unable to conquer them, but
resigned to their roles alongside them.
MVT: The story is not what
you would expect from this genre. It is
not action-packed, but it is extremely compelling from the opening to the ending. That there are elisions of time and
exposition in the narrative may cause confusion, but (at least for me) it makes
sense by the end (mostly).
Make Or Break: The hotel bombing
is the standout. It is clearly done on a
small budget, but each of its cuts achieves a nice sense of verisimilitude and
sustained horror. The wide shot at its
culmination sums up all that needs saying as well as providing the through line
that will touch the characters’ lives for the rest of the film.
Score: 7.25/10
No comments:
Post a Comment