La polizia incrimina la legge assolve (1973)

An Italian police inspector matches wits with a powerful European drug ring. As he comes closer to the top of the underworld organization, his odds of survival decrease.

Director:

Enzo G. Castellari

Writers:

Maurizio Amati (story), Tito Carpi (screenplay)

Stars:

Franco Nero, James Whitmore, Delia Boccardo

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Franco Nero	...	Vice-Commissioner Belli
James Whitmore	...	Commissioner Aldo Scavino
Delia Boccardo	...	Mirella
Fernando Rey	...	Cafiero
Duilio Del Prete	...	Umberto Griva
Silvano Tranquilli	...	Franco Griva
Ely Galleani	...	Chicca
Daniel Martín	...	Rico
Paul Costello	...	Cammarano
Luigi Diberti	...	Belli's Assistant
Mario Erpichini	...	Rivalta
Zoe Incrocci	...	Scavino's Wife
Bruno Corazzari	...	Scavino's Assassin
Massimo Vanni	...	Killer
Joaquín Solís	...	Tony, Cafiero's Servant

Storyline

An Italian police inspector matches wits with a powerful European drug ring. As he comes closer to the top of the underworld organization, his odds of survival decrease.

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Plot Keywords:

slow motion scene | car chase | sequel | second part | italy | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Italy Spain

Language:

English French Italian

Release Date:

12 August 1973 (Italy)

Also Known As:

High Crime

Filming Locations:

Genoa, Liguria, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Capitolina Produzioni Cinematografiche, Star Films Country, Star Films S.A.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min (video)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Contains "End of Part One" and "Part Two" title cards.

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Alternate Versions

Both versions released in America on video are missing the ending credits and the final shot of Belli stading by the ocean. Instead, it merely cuts to black.

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Connections

Referenced in Grindhouse (2007)

User Reviews

the Italian cop film which started it all...

This was the first break-through success of a Poliziotti Italian crime movie and spawned several dozen imitations. Possibly the best film ever made, High Crime delivers the goods like few other movies, blending some experimental filming and editing techniques in with some good performances, solid action sequences, great music, and some pretty stunning photography by Alejandro Ulloa. Unlike a lot of other crime flicks made around the same period, this film isn't sympathetic at all to the villains. They are cold and heartless thugs who's so anything to keep themselves out of jail where they rightfully belong. This film is completely fascist and right-wing in its undertones, yet maintains an engaging level of emotional impact throughout. The scene where Franco Nero discovers his daughter dead made me almost want to cry... and Castellari expertly handles the flashbacks and knows just when to use slow motion in all the right spots.

This wasn't the film which set the trend in Italian crime films (see Violent Professionals) but it was an excellent film which caused their widespread (yet short-lived) popularity. Certain elements (like the getting-in-car-gun-down) were endlessly repeated in the genre by Castellari himself as well as his father Marino Girolami, who totally ripped off the ending of this film in ROMA VIOLENTA, a much more typical film in the genre with Maurizio Merli, who although is not as good an actor as Franco Nero, is much more intense as the leading man in these sorts of films.