A.C.A.B. - All Cops Are Bastards

I recently came across this movie. Looked it up, read some reviews and got more and more curious. Finally, this weekend, I actually watched A.C.A.B. and... well, I don't write much reviews, but decided to do so in this case. Why? Because while I was looking up this movie, I read really, really dumb, political oriented, crappy reviews. I guess left wing extremists love put down this movie, which is actually quite unfair. This is a small effort of mine in order to help the reader with a honest and simple review.

The movie is intended to be a slice of the lives of four Italian policemen, who belong to a special unit with the mission of controlling mobs. Three are veterans, one is a rookie. What we see are pieces of their lives, both on the job and at home. They all are have different experiences, and they all have serious personnel problems. The thing about showing the "slice of live" I mentioned is that the movie ends when it does, regardless of the stories reaching a conclusion. I say this because the movie could easily go on for quite longer, but the director ends it when he considers we have seen enough. Its fine, it adds to the realism, which it what is intended in the first place.

The cops portrayed in this film are sometimes excessive and tend to take matters into their own hands. What makes left wing extremists really mad is that, instead of showing cops as blood thirsty maniacs, the movie shows the context of their work and the environment they operate in. What the movie really shows is the deep, complex, problems hypocritical government policies produce.

It is an Italian film, the action goes on in Italy, but it could easily take place in most European countries with minor adjustments. Mine, Portugal, is a good example of that.

To make a long story short, it is a raw, honest portrait of police officers hard life, one that everyone with common sense ought to be able to understand and relate to. Not a big budget, not the best movie I've ever seen, but a hell of a nice one! I do recommend it!

i usually abhor people who criticize other people online,but i would advise ignoring the bad previous comments.they are judging the movie by the political belief they possess rather then the movie itself.this to me is quite stupid as not many people share the same view nor the same perception of life.

The movie is well made,and doesn't defend anyone. i found no hero and no villain,or multiple villains if you may.

I would recommend this movie for the directing and acting as well as the story-line(even if you do not agree with the perception it gives of life).

I have to admit, when I first grabbed this, it was on a recommendation from someone else, and I knew nothing about it at all, other than it was about the Police. What I got was a rather warts and all depiction of the lives of four Riot Squad Police Officers. The story begins with a new recruit joining the ranks who comes from the gutter himself, frequenting with the character types that the rest of the squad normally find themselves up against. The other topic that is explored heavily here is immigration and themes of patriotism and racism. Many layers of this are looked at and the film is especially clever at depicting the thin grey line between characters who are wanting Italy to turn to days of old and those who wish for the same but put the blame on the immigrants. Other subplots involve one character who is going through a messy divorce from an interracial relationship, another has his son joining the Italian equivalent of the National front while a third is on charges of brutality while the rookie seems to have an alternative motive for wanting the join the force. What the film lacks in a central plot thread it makes up for with its raw portrayal of these mens lives. The biggest problem might in fact be that you find it hard to sympathise with any of these characters as none of them are especially likable. On other films this would be more of a problem, but in this movie it doesn't stop you from getting into the story, because their lives are so compelling and while you may not like their characters you gradually have an understanding of where their anger comes from as your given an insight into their complex role they have to fulfil while balancing their personal and professional lives. Politicans do not give off lightly, using the police to resolve problems of their own making and then barely treating them any better than the people they often are in conflict with. They ultimately take the law into their own hands to resolve some grievances making me wonder how much such things really do go on.

Its not an easy watch, but its worthwhile, and as someone else said, even if you don't agree with the directors political stance (I'm not sure what it was, as the protesters and hooligans aren't portrayed in a good light either) its a well made film with sterling performances from the four leads. This is a side to Italy that we wouldn't normally see. All Cops Are Bastards, perhaps so, but they're human just like the rest of us.

good movie, but don't get why some of the viewers attack on extreme left wings. Let me yell you i would consider my self Left or extreme left and i really liked the film. In the film we witness these riot cops lives and psychology, in fact director hidden targets the government/state's real role on police brutality, moreover these riot cops lives like school kids in a way, they don't have proper personal lives, take the cop who is stabbed, his son hangs out with faschist, he is over 40 and no proper connection with his son, and what about the new comer who reports his fellow copper(and i think thats what real police officer should do but than again thats another thing) i think the ending was good as we see what ever they do they still got their job back, and thats the reality, i mean how many times you witness a police officer been kicked out or convicted for the 'crime's he/she has done.what ever happens they got their job back mostly. A recent example to that(not even a riot police) the police officer who shot the black guy(forget his name) in tottenham which eventually led rioting in London then all of England, but than again the police officer who shot the guy still did get away. Any way back to the film, its realistic, in fact it wouldn't be realistic to show them just bloodthirsty people, there are always morals, conditions and psychology for these action (and class culture)

The movie was an excellent insight of the Italian riot police ("celere"), through the everyday lives of 4 policemen. During the whole movie the tension is always high and it's been for me one of the rare cases where I never, at any point, took the part of the protagonists. Who are, as the title says, literally mean bastards. Despite that, it's a very powerful and emotional movie that reflects how the Italian society has degraded in the last decades (racism, violence, intolerance, corruption, etc)

The use of the photography and the music (great soundtrack!) is always well placed, adding more depth to many scenes. The movie is loosely based on the book with the same name, which is a reportage of a journalist based on true stories heard from real policemen.

I saw it at the Love & Anarchy movie festival in Helsinki, where the director was present and answered the audience's questions. I strongly disagree about the movie being pro-police or fascist. Actually, it's pretty much the opposite. In fact, it takes an almost perfect neutral point of view, trying to show the bare facts. All the opinions come from the viewer, not from the director. He (Stefano Sollima) was also pointing that out since he didn't want to express his judgment. And by the way, he's politically left oriented but the movie has nevertheless been criticized by all the sides: Police, hooligans, right parties and left parties (meaning that he managed to reach his goal...)