El silencio del diablo

Highly intense and intriguing Poliziesco film with a good cast who gives fine performances . ¨Il Giorno della Civetta" - Italy original title or "Mafia" - , International , USA title , results to be a nice cop/political/Sicilian Mafia thriller , being professionally filmed and rightly made by Damiano Damiani . It's a hard boiled movie that packs a noir story , police procedural , intrigue , detective inquiries and a final twist in the plot . It concerns a dedicated captain what tries to wipe out the Mafiosi and bureaucratic corruption that is infecting his village . This story deals with the difficulties facing a northern Carabinieri captain named Bellodi (Franco Nero), he is a proverbial honest men , a stiff , idealistic officer and investigating a Mafia killing in a small Sicilian town in 1961 . He is helped by an upright Brigade , both of whom contend dangerous enemies , but determined in their will to fight crime and corruption . Salvatore Colasbena , a construction supplier has been killed because he refused to join the Mafia-controlled road building bunch . His widow, Rosa (a gorgeous Claudia Cardinale) , is investigated by the Carabinieri , but Captain Bellodi comes to suspect Mafia boss Don Mariano Arena (Lee J. Cobb) when he can encounter no witnesses , no evidence, only hostile obstruction by sabotage and blackmail . Captain Bellodi holding a firm belief in the law and justice system but he has no idea that his chase of the truth will stir up powerful foundations , but the Carabinieri takes on Mafia which the fight is hopeless . Everyone in the village is afraid to inform to Bellodi for fright they will be silenced forever and fearing the main Mafiosi and his hoodlums (Nehemiah Persoff) . The Carabinieri on the edge while investigate ties between the mob , politics and State departments . Important figures have a vested interest in ensuring that the very existence of the Mafia can be denied . Meanwhile , Bellodi finds corpses buried under a blanket of tar and faces several risks . But ambition , vendetta , corrupt government influences and decay reach everything and everybody .

This exciting and thought-provoking Italian cop thriller turns out to be one of the first and best films about the mafia . This heavy-going tale has an interesting and politically incorrect writing by the same director Damiano Damiani along with Ugo Pirro and especially dealing with corruption interwoven between high authorities and Mafia . Based on the Leonardo Sciascia novel of the same title , the movie dramatizes the hold that the Mafia has on Sicilian life : the blackmail, the Omertá , the power and politics . The picture displays thrills , disturbing issues , suspenseful , great visual style and is pretty entertaining , though sometimes is hard to follow . Excellent main cast as Franco Nero as a rough-and-ready captain who attempts to prove the wealthy man in the city is in the mafia , being very good played by the great Lee J. Cobb . Supporting cast is frankly magnificent such as Nehemiah Persoff as Pizzuco , Tano Cimarosa as Zecchinetta and Serge Reggiani as informer . Colorful and appropriate cinematography by Tonino Delli Colli though being necessary a right remastering . Sensitive as well as appropriate musical score by Giovanni Fusco who composed an enjoyable soundtrack .

The motion picture was well directed by Damiano Damiani . He's an expert on all kind of genres as Drama (¨Arthur's island¨ , ¨The Most Beautiful Wife" , ¨The witch¨ , and ¨Empty canvas¨ based on the Alberto Moravia novel) , Terror (Amytiville 2 : the possession) , Historical (¨The Inquiry¨) , Spaghetti Western (¨Trinity is back again¨and the prestigious ¨A bullet for the General¨) . Damiani was specialized on crime-thriller-Subgenre or Italian cop thriller (¨Confessions of a Police captain¨ , ¨How to kill a judge¨, ¨The case is closed , forget it¨, "Goodbye e amen" , ¨Mafia¨, "I Am Afraid" and ¨Warning¨ starred by Martin Balsam) . "Il Giorno Della Civetta" seems to be a ¨must see¨ for the Poliziesco fans . This is one of the crowns of the Italian Poliziotteschi (police thrillers) and Mafia film of the 1970s , along with other films directed by Enzo G . Castellari , Ferdinando Baldi or Umberto Lenzi . Rating : Better than average . Essential and indispensable watching , this highly recommended film is the same for the Italian "mafia-film" of that period.

Being the first of a series of expose' films directed by Damiano Damiani and starring Franco Nero, this was more sober than the rest - with few of the typical "Euro-Crime" trappings - even receiving some accolades when it emerged; it's really a police procedural, with the only action sequence occurring at the very beginning.

The film is also among the first to deal with the Mafia - though it's never mentioned by name - with the characters governed by their own sense of honor and Sicily's distinctive rustic feel lending vividness to the setting. As with the other Damiani/Nero films, the downbeat ending offers no easy answers.

Apart from a dynamic score by Giovanni Fusco, it features an above-average international cast - Claudia Cardinale (as the defamed wife of an eye-witness to murder, who has gone missing), Franco Nero (as the rugged young cop), Lee J. Cobb (as the 'boss'), Nehemiah Persoff (as one of his associates) and Serge Reggiani (as a stoolie); the hilarious contribution of Gaetano Cimarosa as the wisecracking hit-man is also noteworthy.

For more years than I care to think about, I have strongly felt that anything shot/written by the venerable, hugely versatile Italian film-maker, Damiano Damiani is well worth any film fans attention; and as far as I'm concerned, his exemplary, compellingly acted, immaculately crafted crime thriller, 'Day of The Owl' is most certainly no exception to that rule. The uniquely refined entertainment quotient of, 'Il giorno della civetta' elevated by its dazzlingly stellar cast, featuring that implausibly charismatic icon, Franco Nero, the uncommonly beauteous, Claudia Cardinale, a barnstorming, Lee J. Cobb, and another fine performance by the singularly underappreciated character actor, Nehemiah Persoff.

It could be argued that, 'Il giorno della civetta' (1968) aka 'Day of The 'Owl' might also be regarded as one of the earliest examples of the gritty, soon to be ubiquitous, hyperbolically violent Italian police procedural, that would luridly devolve into the more overtly reactionary, action-orientated, Fiat-fragging, blood-spattered poliziotteschi genre which we fans know and love so dearly! As with many other thrilling, Damiani titles, his richly layered, elegantly nuanced Mise-en-scène focuses far more on dense, relatable character development, seamy political machinations, and spell-binding plotting, than tumultuous car chases, and skull-wreckingly vicious haymakers! (Aye!! That would be you, Maurizio Merli!) Even if one were not all that familiar with the more boisterous end of 70s Italian exploitation cinema, maestro Damiani's ceaselessly fascinating dissection of Mafia corruption should still prove to be a most edifying viewing experience!

The first great thriller by director Damiano Damiani, followed by many remarkable films in the 70s, such as "Io ho paura" with Gian Maria Volonte and "Un uomo in ginocchio" with Giuliano Gemma. "Il giorno della civetta" has a marvelous cast: Franco Nero just risen to stardom with "Django" (1966), Claudia Cardinale can be seen here a year before "Once Upon a Time in the West", and veteran tough guy Lee J Cobb. Sciascia's story about the murdered boss of a building company fits Damiano's way to illustrate his view on society: too many people are looking for the easy way out and keep their mouths shut. Simple, direct, honest - few films have so much credibility. Still, for an understandable commercial reason, Mrs Cardinale's role became bigger than it was in the novel.

Italian films have always been the ebst of the best concerning the Sicilian Mafia, or even any Mafia in Italy; Camorra, Ndrangheta.... It brings something authentic, accurate, even more efficient and riveting than any US action flicks. Francesco Rosi, Damiano Damiani and Pasquale Squieteri were the masters on those topics. This one is one of the best examples of what I say. It s a fiction, but facts. It is not an action crime film, such as those Italian film industry made during the late sixties and especially the seventies: the famous poliziottescos, all violent, brutal, misogynist at the most, nothing to do with the films made by Damiani, Squieteri or Rosi. In those Poliziottescos, you have gunfights, car chases, tortures scenes galore till you get fed up. I prefer the Damiani style, more minimalist but true, showing informers, details on corruption, embezzlements, swindles. Acting absolutely flawless. Once more in his career Lee J Cobb, after ON THE WATER FRONT and PARTY GIRL, plays a mob boss.