Violent City (1975)
"Roma violenta" (original title)

A detective sick and tired of the rampant crime and violence in his city, and constantly at odds with his superiors, is finally kicked out of the department for a "questionable" shooting of... See full summary »

Director:

Marino Girolami

Writers:

Vincenzo Mannino (screenplay), Vincenzo Mannino (story)

Stars:

Maurizio Merli, Richard Conte, Silvano Tranquilli

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Maurizio Merli	...	Commissario Betti
Richard Conte	...	Lawyer Sartori
Silvano Tranquilli	...	Capo della Squadra mobile
Ray Lovelock	...	Biondi
John Steiner	...	Franco Spadoni 'Chiodo'
Daniela Giordano	...	Lover of Betti
Attilio Duse	...	Mar. Antinori
Giuliano Esperanti	...	De Rossi (as Giuliano Esperati)
Marcello Monti	...	The Chink
Consalvo Dell'Arti	...	Violante
Luciano Rossi	...	Delivery Man
Pippo Pollaci	...	Pollaci
Marco Stefanelli	...	Grocery Store Robber
Brunello Chiodetti	...	Santini
Ruggero Diella	...	Boy Killed on Bus

Storyline

A detective sick and tired of the rampant crime and violence in his city, and constantly at odds with his superiors, is finally kicked out of the department for a "questionable" shooting of a vicious criminal. However, he is soon approached by a representative for a group of citizens who themselves are fed up with what they see as criminals going unpunished, and they make him an offer he may very well not refuse.

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Plot Keywords:

criminal | violence | brutality | revenge | bus | 

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Genres:

Action | Crime

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Details

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

13 August 1975 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Violent City

Filming Locations:

Incir De Paolis Studios, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Flaminia Produzioni Cinematografiche

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Final film of Richard Conte.

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Goofs

While Biondi is given physical therapy for his paralysis, he wiggles his toes slightly on his supposedly paralyzed leg.

User Reviews

VIOLENT ROME (Marino Girolami, 1975) **

The first in a poliziottesco trilogy featuring Maurizio Merli as Commissioner Betti; the first and last entries were directed by Girolami under the alias of Franco Martinelli and the second by Umberto Lenzi.

As such, this one certainly set the template for the others: its plot involves a gang of crooks who commit four armed robberies throughout the course of the film (from a bus, a supermarket, a restaurant and a bank) - where the culprits, sloppily, contrive to always leave behind a victim - which sends the iconoclastic cop (obviously inspired by Clint Eastwood's Inspector "Dirty" Harry Callahan) on their trail. The action sequences - which also take in several beatings, a rape (committed in front of the girl's ageing father) and car chases - are certainly capably staged which, propelled by a pounding score from Guido and Maurizio De Angelis (better known as "Oliver Onions"), give the film an unrelenting pace that ensures it never slips into boredom despite its being predictable at every turn!

The second half, however, is quite interesting: Merli quits the force after shooting a hood (John Steiner) in 'cold-blood' - apparently, it little matters to his superiors that the latter had done the same to undercover cop and Merli protégé Ray Lovelock, who remains paralyzed for life! - but is called into 'service' for a different kind of justice by a small band of former victims, led by lawyer Richard Conte, who have turned vigilante!!