Caliber 9 (1972) Milano calibro 9 (original title)

Director:

Fernando Di Leo

Writers:

Fernando Di Leo (story) and
Giorgio Scerbanenco (book)

Release Date:

25 February 1972 (Italy)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Thriller

Plot:

Just out of prison, ex-con Ugo Piazza meets his former employer, a psychopathic gangster Rocco who enjoys sick violence and torture...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Torture | Drugs | Police | Violence

Cast

Gastone Moschin	...	Ugo Piazza
Barbara Bouchet	...	Nelly Bordon
Mario Adorf	...	Rocco Musco
Frank Wolff	...	Police Commissioner
Luigi Pistilli	...	Mercuri
Ivo Garrani	...	Don Vincenzo
Philippe Leroy	...	Chino
Lionel Stander	...	Americano
Mario Novelli	...	Pasquale Tallarico
Giuseppe Castellano	...	Nicola
Salvatore Arico	...	Luca
Fernando Cerulli	...	Portiere dell'albergo di Ugo Piazza
Giulio Baraghini	...	Brigadiere
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Franco Beltramme	...	The American's Henchman
Rossella Bergamonti	...	Street Woman
Bruno Bertocci	...	Corriere François Doremat
Empedocle Buzzanca	...	Uomo anziano che prende parte allo scambio iniziale
Fortunato Cecilia	...	Vincenzo Affatato
Ernesto Colli	...	Alfredo Bertolon
Alberto Fogliani	...	American Henchman
Ettore Geri	...	Barman
Imelde Marani	...	Donna bionda che prende parte allo scambio iniziale
Sergio Serafini	...	Police Officer
Alessandro Tedeschi	...	Corriere tedesco
Giorgio Trestini	...	Franceschino
Mira Vidotto	...	Street Woman (as Diomira Vidotto)
Artemio Antonini	...	The American's Henchman (uncredited)
Salvatore Billa	...	Gum-Chewing Henchman in Office (uncredited)
Angelo Boscariol	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Marina Brengola	...	Street Woman (uncredited)
Sisto Brunetti	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Omero Capanna	...	American's Henchman (uncredited)
Fernando Di Leo	...	Man at Phone Booth (uncredited)
Cesare Di Vito	...	Police Official (uncredited)
Gilberto Galimberti	...	American's Henchman (uncredited)
Luigi Antonio Guerra	...	Hitman (uncredited)
Giuseppe Leone	...	American Henchman (uncredited)
Domenico Maggio	...	American Henchman (uncredited)
Marco Mariani	...	Police Official (uncredited)
Gianni Milito	...	American Henchman (uncredited)
Gastone Pescucci	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Mauro Vestri	...	Police Officer (uncredited)

Directed by
Fernando Di Leo

Writing credits
Fernando Di Leo		(story, screenplay and dialogue)
Giorgio Scerbanenco		book

Produced by
Armando Novelli	....	producer

Original Music by
Luis Bacalov
Osanna

Cinematography by
Franco Villa

Film Editing by
Amedeo Giomini

Production Design by
Francesco Cuppini

Costume Design by
Francesco Cuppini

Makeup Department
Antonio Mura	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Pietro Ceccarelli	....	production manager (as Lanfranco Ceccarelli)
Vincenzo Salviani	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Franco Lo Cascio	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Goffredo Salvatori	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Enrico Biribicchi	....	assistant camera
Claudio Morabito	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marcella Moretti	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Tomasso Gramigna	....	first assistant editor

Other crew
Luciano Appignani	....	production secretary
Sormani	....	tapestry
Vivalda Vigorelli	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Cineproduzioni Daunia 70

Distributors

• AMLF (1974) (France) (theatrical)
• Alpherat S.p.a. (1972) (Italy) (theatrical)
• CineHollywood (CH) (19??) (Italy) (VHS)
• Koch Media (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Manhattan Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Raro Video (2011) (USA) (DVD) (box set)
• Raro Video/Nocturno (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Videoasia (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Milano calibro 9" - Italy (original title)

Runtime:

USA:88 min | Finland:97 min | Italy:100 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Germany:16 | Italy:VM14

Company:

Cineproduzioni Daunia 70

Trivia:

First part of Fernando Di Leo's "Milieu Trilogy" also including The Italian Connection (1972) and The Boss (1973).

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Il solitario (2008)

Interesting attempt at a neo-noir/polizioto fusion with political undertones

Milano Calibro 9 is story-wise closer to neo-noir, complete with femme fatale, a laconic and weathered protagonist and unexpected plot-twists but in the same time is plagued by the usual workmanlikeness that plagues many poliziotos. Di Leo's direction lacks the unique touch, visual and otherwise, that elevated Melville's films from simple pulpy potboilers to auteur works. So even if the movie attempts to break the mold of typical poliziotos, the direction makes it look like the kind of films it tries to distance itself from. In the same time, it's not near as crazed, violent and action-packed as say Lenzi's poliziotos, although a climactic shootout and a couple of beatings make their presence felt. The political aspect is pretty heavy-handed, to the extent that it is almost entirely and explicitly manifested through the dialogues between Luigi Pistilli's "criminals are the effect, not the cause" left-ist inspector and Frank Wolff's typical hard-assed police captain. I don't know how you like your social or political commentary but I prefer it as subtextual as possible. Milano Calibro 9 is very on-the-nose so I didn't find it particularly endearing but at least it feels different from typical genre characters.

On the good side, Gastone Moschin's understated performance as Ugo Piazza is fantastic and thankfully makes up for Mario Adorf's atrocious overacting, Barbara Bouchet is gorgeous as usual and also gets to show her dancing skills in a bikini, the music is cool and the plot twists near the end are effective in their unpredictability. The story is interesting enough I guess but as a whole the movie left me unimpressed.