Milano rovente (1973)

Director:

Umberto Lenzi

Writers:

Franco Enna (screenplay)
Ombretta Lanza (story)

Release Date:

21 February 1973 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A Milan produce vendor, whom moonlights as a pimp, faces off against a ruthless and greedy French gangster whom wants to unite the organized crime ring of Italy.

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Italy | Pimp | Shooting | Poliziottesco

Cast

Antonio Sabato	...	Salvatore "Toto" Cangemi
Philippe Leroy	...	Roger Daverty
Antonio Casagrande	...	Lino Caruso
Carla Romanelli	...	Virginia
Alessandro Sperli	...	Billy Barone
Franco Fantasia	...	Chief Inspector Contalvi
Tano Cimarosa	...	Nino Balsamo
Marisa Mell	...	Jasmina Sanders
Piero Corbetta	...	Doctor
Vittorio Pinelli	...	Orso
Tony Raccosta	...	Lupo (as Domenico Raccosta)
Claudio Sforzini	...	Ricciolino
Carla Mancini	...	Gabriella
Luigi Antonio Guerra	...	Policeman
Vittorio Sancisi	...	Daverty Henchman

Also Known As:

Burning City (Europe: English title)
Gang War in Milan (International: English title)

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

USA:R | Italy:VM18 | France:-16

Filming Locations:

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Company:

Telemondial

Pretty fun if you like Italian "polizieschi" in general

As other reviewers have said this Umberto Lenzi "polizieschi" really pales compared to the director's earlier "Almost Human", which was one of the best of the entire genre, and Anthony Sabato is indeed a poor substitute for the great Tomas Milan. But this one does have its moments. This movie is about a "gang war in Milan" (the English title) between Sicilian pimps and French-connection drug dealers. The leader of former group (Sabato)brings in another menacing Sicialian godfather "Billy Barone" (Alessandro Sperli, who gives by far the best performance here) who ultimately turns out to be an even bigger threat than the "Frenchies".

Most of the violence here is actually aimed at the prostitutes who get raped, beaten, have acid thrown in their faces, etc (although the testicles of one male character do suffer an unfortunate encounter with a car battery). The violence against women may be kind of turn-off for some, but it's also pretty standard for this genre. Marissa Mell is kind of wasted as the protagonist's gold-digging upper-class girlfriend, but the luscious Carla Romanelli (who played the sexy maid in "The Sensuous Nurse") is good as a sympathetic streetwalker.

The film is enjoyably amoral. The police are almost irrelevant, and the gangsters are all equally vicious and double-dealing (and all of them are perfectly willing to traffick drugs). This is not one of the great Italian polizieschi, but it's pretty fun if you like the genre in general like I do.