Die gnadenlose Jagd

I'm a big fan of these Italian crime flicks, and while Emergency Squad may not be the best one to come out of Italy during the seventies; it's decent enough and does deliver most of what I have come to expect from this sort of film. Emergency Squad does not really add anything new to the genre, and director Stelvio Massi did do better four years later with the Maurizio Merli vehicle 'Convoy Busters'. The main reason I wanted to see this film was for the fact that it stars the excellent Tomas Milian, though like Stelvio Massi; this doesn't represent his best work either. Tomas Milian plays Interpol officer Tomas Ravelli, who finds himself on the trail of a gang of crooks after a botched robbery which left a police officer dead reveals that one of them is using the same gun that was used to kill his wife years earlier. Although it's not his case, Ravelli goes after the criminals anyway to gain revenge for what they did to his wife. He later forsakes the police force, leaving him free to get the crooks by any means necessary...

One of the reasons why this isn't Milian's best work is down to the role he is playing. Almost Human clearly shows that Milian is much more at home playing sadistic criminals; so seeing him as a copper, even one that is happy to break the rules, just isn't putting him in a position to do what he does best. The supporting cast doesn't stand out as much as Milian (as usual), though it does feature esteemed stars such as Ray Lovelock and Stefania Casini. The film does feature the staples of the genre; there's a fairly good car chase, plenty of shootouts and the leading man gets to throw his weight around on several occasions. The film benefits from tight plotting and a storyline that doesn't veer off on a tangent often, as plot lines in other Polizi flicks often do. There's not a great deal of violence in the film, though that isn't a big problem as the plot itself usually contains enough to keep the audience entertained. Overall, I won't name Emergency Squad as one of the very best of the genre, but it's a decent enough film and I can recommend seeing it to my fellow Polizi fans.

Though undeniably enjoyable, the popular poliziottesco subgenre - which proliferated in Italy throughout the 1970s - is also frustrating because one can never tell the quality of a specific title until one has watched it himself (this is mainly due to the fact that this type of film has been largely dismissed by the critics, while at the same time turned into a cult by fans): the thing is that a handful of titles definitely merit a critical re-appraisal, while many others are overrated by the aficionados. Personally, during the last few years, I've sampled films which fall in both these categories - but, thankfully, EMERGENCY SQUAD turned out to be one of the best poliziotteschi out there.

Having just watched ROME ARMED TO THE TEETH (1976), whose narrative was all over the place, it's easy to see how EMERGENCY SQUAD benefits from having a tight, compelling plot line. Besides, I tend to find star Tomas Milian more interesting when playing an anti-hero (as here or in his better Spaghetti Westerns) than an out-and-out villain. The film is clearly inspired by both DIRTY HARRY (1971) - the taciturn, iconoclastic cop hero with a dead spouse - and THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971) - the desire for revenge has turned Milian's pursuit of gang boss Gastone Moschin (who, like Fernando Rey in that movie, also hails from Marseilles) into an obsession; curiously enough, the dock finale of this film anticipates the one in FRENCH CONNECTION II [1975]! Moschin (terrific as the anti-hero hood in MILANO CALIBRO 9 [1972]) is a credible villain here, also because the script has atypically made him a victim of tuberculosis.

The supporting cast is led by Stefania Casini, who has fun with her role as a ditzy gangster's moll but isn't really given a lot to do: the actress' above-the-title billing certainly suggests that her character will be more central to the main plot and that, perhaps, she'll become involved with Milian at some point - but they only get to share one scene at the very end! Also featured, among others, are Mario Carotenuto (as Milian's elderly sidekick and conscience) and Ray Lovelock (as one of Moschin's lackeys, though he exits the proceedings rather quickly in one of the film's best scenes).

Director/co-writer Massi's background as a cinematographer is evident in the film's stylish look (even if there's an over-abundance of zoom shots), and equally notable is the inventive editing technique adopted throughout (which shows a definite influence from modern American films - the overlapping of shots from successive scenes before a full transition being borrowed from EASY RIDER [1969], the juxtaposition in slo-mo of Moschin's death with that of Milian's wife at the climax from the work of Sam Peckinpah). Regular genre composer Stelvio Cipriani contributes an excellent and eclectic score, providing several variations on the catchy main theme throughout.

The plot, meanwhile, shows the gang cleverly take up various disguises to accomplish their criminal schemes (dressing up as undertakers, members of a film crew and priests during the course of the film); interestingly, the scene in which they hold a family hostage will be reprised in Milian's subsequent and better-known effort in the genre, ALMOST HUMAN (1974) - where he actually plays the psychotic leader of a gang of crooks. Also, the vulgar humor associated with the genre only makes itself felt in the scenes taking place on the set of an erotic movie and, later, in a hippie commune; in fact, the film's tone is generally quite serious - but this doesn't mean that the hard-boiled dialogue, which so characterizes the poliziotteschi, has been downplayed (thus raising the occasional chuckle, especially among those fluent in Italian).

I watched this via a recording off Italian TV but as the reception wasn't perfect - not to mention the fact that I was surprisingly impressed by the film - I'll have to pick up No Shame's reportedly solid R1 DVD release somewhere down the line...

Nice outing with Tomas Milian as a two-fisted cop , being well accompanied by a good cast with special mention for Gastone Moschin . Enjoyable Italian Poliziotteschi packed with noisy action , thrills , shooutous , car pursuits and lots of violence . It deals with cop (Tomas Milian), who's usually clashing with his superior (Mario Carenuto), he's consumed with the desire to get revenge on the gangster (Gastone Moschin) who shot his wife to death during a hold-up . The crook in question is nicknamed the Marseilles who is attempting to join his gang (Raymond Lovelock, Leontini , Guerrini , Ilaria Guerrini) to commit another robbery so that he assembles funds for his own retirement along with his girlfriend (Stefania Casini) .

Formula thriller with plenty of action , crisply edition , tension , intrigue , suspenseful , and loads of violence in exploitation style with reminiscent to "Dirty Harry" and ¨Charles Bronson¨ films . A cop movie set in the Seventies , being realized in Italian style , and made by the prolific and cult director Stelvio Massi at his best . Here he delivers frenetic action , thriller and violence enough along the nail-biting flick . There is a good stuntwork with car chases and grisly killings , many of them hardly shot . It belongs to the Italian Poliziesco theme , a cult/exploitation sub-genre , essentially developed in the Seventies and including ordinary trappings such as lasting car chases sequences , virulent fights and a lot of murders executed in cold blood . The film is interesting enough , though it has some flaws , gaps and failures . This Squadra Volante 1974 results to be one of the best among the whole saga of the cops played by Tomas Milian , adding usual seasonings about this particular role . In the end , Ravelli must deal with Marsigliese in a thrilling chase , causing a real pandemonium and including a surprising confrontation at a pier . Stars Tomas Milian dressed in Hippie style and performing on a personal quest for raw revenge against the murderers that killed his wife during their getaway from a bank robbery. Here he plays Ravelli , a tough cop similar to his classic role Nico Gerardi , but Ravelli results to be less humorous than Nico . Milan was a sympathetic actor , well known for his several Spaghetti Westerns . After the tremendous success of Sergio Leone's A Fistful of dollars (1964) starring Clint Eastwood, Milian grubbed up his own image and propelled himself to stardom in similar fashion in such classic "spaghetti westerns" as The Bounty Killer (1966) , A fistful of Dollars (1966) with Lee Van Cleef , Face to Face (1967) , Django Kill... If You Live, Shoot! (1967) and ¡Corre, Cuchillo... corre ! (1968). He later turned to comedy , playing the recurrent characters of petty thief Monnezza and Serpico-like police officer Nico Giraldi a peculiar top undercover cop who often uses unofficial means to track down delinquents without avoiding his attitude of rude man, this is an attractive role who he performed in a variety of crime-comedy pictures playing in the manner of Serpico . Main and support cast are pretty good as Tomas Milian is terrific as the tough police inspector who comes closer to the top of the criminal organization by using expeditive means against delinquents , then his odds of survival decrease . Along with an attractive support cast in which stands out Gastone Moschin as a ruthles mobster , Mario Carotenuto as superior inspector Lavagni , Ray Lovelock , Enzo Andronico, Giuseppe Castellano and gorgeous Stefania Casini playing a blonde and silly bombshell .

It contains atmospheric and evocative cinematography by Sergio Rubini . As well as thrilling and moving musical score by Stelvio Cipriani . The motion picture was well written by notorious specialist Dardano Sacchetti and professionally directed by Stelvio Massi in his peculiar style . Stelvio is considered to be one of the best Italian cameramen , then he moved to directiong , making a nice career, shooting all kinds of genres , such as Thriller : Taxi Killer , Ready to Kill , Balkan Runner , Black Angel . Wartime : Hell's Heroes , War Dogs . And specially Poliziesco : Poliziotto solitudine e rabbia , Dirty Gang, Fearless Fuzz , Commissario di Ferro, Speed driver , Poliziotto va e uccidi , Hunted City , Speed Cross, among othrs . Rating : 6/10 . Decent talian Poliziotteschi/ thriller .

"Squadra Volante" (aka. "Emergency Squad") of 1974 is an underrated Poliziottesco which gets less attention than it deserves. Sure, this is no notorious Italian Cop highlight en par with "Almost Human", but it is nonetheless a raw, action-packed, and highly entertaining film starring two of the Italian crime cinema's greatest, Tomas Milian, one of my personal all-time favorite actors, and Gastone Moschin, who is immortal for his role in the arguably greatest of all Italian Crime flicks, Fernando Di Leo's masterpiece "Milano Calibro 9". The main reason why some people seem to dislike "Squadra Volante" is due to the fact that they compare it to Umberto Lenzi's notorious Poliziotteschi-highlights "Almost Human" (1974) and "Rome Armed To The Teeth" (1976) that were made around the same time. Tomas Milian was outstanding in the role of the sadistic criminal Psycho he played in Lenzi's films, but, as far as I am considered, he is also the perfect choice to play the rough-and-ready copper he plays here.

A violent holdup in the city in broad daylight leaves a cop dead. Inspettore Tomas Ravelli of Interpol is immediately convinced that the assault was the work of the same criminals responsible for the death of his wife, who was killed in Marseille some years ago... Milian is once again outstanding in his role of the mustached, cigar-smoking tough-guy copper he plays. Gastone Moschin is equally great in the role of the bad guy the ruthless criminal Marseiliese, who is troubled by his chain-smoking habit. The supporting cast includes Italian Genre-cinema regulars Ray Lovelock ("Almost Human", "Macchie Solari", "Roma Violenta",...) and Giuseppe Castellano ("Milano Calibro 9", "Manhunt", Almost Human",...). Stefania Casini is sexy, but almost annoyingly dimwitted as Marsiglese'S bimbo girlfriend Marta. While "Squadra Volante" is not nearly as (brilliantly) gruesome as Umberto Lenzi's Poliziotteschi from the time, it is nonetheless a rough and violent film in which a lot of blood flows. The action is raw and well-made and enthralling, and while the story may not be the most original, it is definitely more than well-executed. Director Stelvio Massi was mainly a very good cinematographer, and this is also visible here as the camera work is very good. The score by Stelvio Capriani is also great. Overall, "Squadra Volante" is no Poliziottesco masterpiece, but it is definitely a very good, action-packed film with an excellent cast that I highly recommend to all my fellow fans of Italian Crime cinema.

Interpol agent Ravelli (Tomas Milian) gets a new clue after five years of investigating a robbery where his wife got killed accidentally from a stray bullet. It leads him to a master criminal called Marseilles, who is trying to keep away from the police after his latest robbery partially failed. Revenge is in the air...

Pleasurable crime film. Milian, as usual, gives a good performance as a policeman whose only goal in life is to avenge his wife's death. Good locations, OK casting and a great sense of street credible grit not forgetting good pacing. Slightly more original script wouldn't have hurt, either.

Released on video in Finland in the eighties.