Bloody Friday (1972)

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Directors:

Rolf Olsen, Lee Payant

Writers:

Valeria Bonamano, Rolf Olsen

Stars:

Raimund Harmstorf, Amadeus August, Gianni Macchia

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Raimund Harmstorf	...	Heinz Klett
Amadeus August	...	Christian Hofbauer
Gianni Macchia	...	Luigi Belloni
Christine Böhm	...	Heidi Hofbauer
Ernst H. Hilbich	...	Ernst Pylobar
Gila von Weitershausen	...	Marie Lotzmann
Daniela Giordano	...	Dagmar Neuss
Walter Buschhoff	...	Walter Lotzmann
Renate Roland	...	Helga Radtke
Horst Naumann	...	Dr. Mayer-Lippe
Totò Mignone	...	Stevo (as Ottone Mignone)
E.O. Fuhrmann	...	Oberstaatsanwalt
Ursula Erber	...	Irmgard Zukunft
Werner Heyking	...	Dr. Eminger

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

german forest | roadblock | hand grenade | nude photograph | rape | 

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Taglines:

When terrorists rob a Bank... all hell is let loose!

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Genres:

Drama | Action

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

West Germany Italy

Language:

German

Release Date:

28 April 1972 (West Germany)

Also Known As:

Bloody Friday

Company Credits

Production Co:

Cineproduzioni Daunia 70, Divina-Film, Lisa-Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There is a kickstarter currently underway to get this film restored and on Blu Ray [2015]

User Reviews

German poliziotto that is not as bad as it looks

If you consider the fact that the Italians, back in the seventies, were champions in the eurocrime exploitation genre (poliziotto), than it's no wonder they would have a go at it in other countries as well. Cineproduzione Daunia 70 (from Caliber 9) tried it in Germany with actor/director Rolf Olsen. He made the crime film Wenn es nacht wird auf der Reeperbahn in 1967, and the prostitution drama Der Pfarrer von St. Pauli in 1970, which are both quite good, so you understand why he wrote and directed it.

Bloody Friday is a more German version of the stylistic Italian poliziotto. It is tougher, more direct and also more over the top, I mean, it is sometimes TOO SILLY. The escape of Heinz Klett (great acting by Raimund Harmstorf by the way) on itself might be believable, but why would Heidi incriminate herself suddenly for her boyfriend Luigi, or would her brother do just the same for her? Just robbing a bank with a maniac, what can go wrong?

The heart of the film is this violent character Heinz. He is the cause of everything. How he bluntly accepts these amateurs for nothing less than a bank robbery, that's typical Heinz. He is like a caricature of a man, aggressive, sexist, opportunist and over confident. People who die just deserve it because they are weak, in his opinion.

Bloody Friday might look terrible at some point, but this film isn't as bad as it looks. It actually brings some surprising social undertones to the genre, which are usually lacking in poliziotteschi. The desperation from the other robbers give the film an humanistic context. Heidi and Luigi want to escape from their shitty jobs, while the brother is a deserter. It is also (very loosely) based on a real story, as Germany had to endure a lot of violence in this period – terrorism from extreme left wing organizations and violent bank robberies, not only by professionals, but also by amateurs, like in this film. I rate it 7/10.