La salamandre

How did it go so wrong? How can a film with such an impressive cast (Franco Nero, Christopher Lee, Eli Wallach, Sybil Danning, Claudia Cardinale, Martin Balsam, Paul Smith - the torturer in "Midnight Express" - as, you guessed it, a torturer, etc.) and such colorful location filming around Italy (Rome, Milan, Venice, etc.) be such a bore? Probably because the story is slow-moving and unengaging, and has no real climax. Another obstacle for the viewer is the difficulty to buy people like Lee and Balsam as Italians. Nero is always likable, and Danning is stunning (even if she's in completely "unrevealing" mode here), but these two are barely enough to keep you focused on what was excellently described by another reviewer as "a political thriller without thrills". (*1/2)

The ingredients are here for a passable political-thriller but the approach used to tell the story is numbingly routine. Investigator Franco Nero pursues his case simply through a series of interviews, thus allowing the movie to present its roster of marquee-names -- Christopher Lee, Eli Wallach, Claudia Cardinale, etc. -- in a succession of talky, static scenes that lack interest and vitality. (Though these interviews provide an opportunity to show off a series of impressively furnished and decorated rooms.) And then, when it comes time for Nero to present his solution to the case, he does so by showing to a group of people a movie which simply re-caps information gleaned from his interviews!

Attempts to liven up the proceedings with spurts of action merely serve to emphasize the overall dullness of the movie. For example, when Nero falls into the clutches of a villain known as "the Surgeon" who is determined to torture information from him, we only see Nero -- stripped to a jockstrap and strapped to a chair -- being given an injection with a hypodermic needle. Surely this is one of the most boring forms of torture ever shown on the screen.

This film felt more like a made for t.v movie. It does pace slow for about the first 30 min or so. You see the funeral of a general, intro to all the big players. Nero goes around interviewing them, some of it is too talky and drags out, a couple more deaths occur and he goes into hiding with the help of Anthony Quinn to continue his investigation, it leads up to a really good climax. One of the best bits of dialogue comes from Martin Balsam talking to Nero about a story of wanting cigars and what happened when he went home. Quinn character is great too as your never really sure who's side he's on. Great performances by Martin Balsam, Anthony Quinn, Eli Wallach, Christopher Lee,Franco Nero, Claudine Cardinale, and the sadistic "sergeon". John Steiner performance is not as top notch, and Sybil Danning I felt kinda phoned it in. Over all decent watch.

it was one of favorite films of my childhood. today, it is only a promise. large, noble, interesting but prisoner of good intentions. the impressive torture scene, Franco Nero as Prince Charming, presence of Claudia Cardinale are little sparkles of a work without axis. sure, a thriller not must be a masterpiece but in this case it is a lost seed of fantastic tree. because story is fragile and almost boring. because central impression is to be at a great lunch without forks and knifes. and the script may be only improvisation . sure, it may be a cruel verdict. but after years, only gloomy memories about a nice film saves this movie.is it enough ? may be. in a little measure.

When the Chief of the Italian Defence Staff is found dead, it is put down to an heart attack and the nation mourns. Colonel "Dante Mattuci" (Franco Nero) is drafted in to handle what ought to have been a peremptory investigation, but it is soon clear to him that there is much more going on here than meets the eye. Pretty quickly, he is enveloped in a conspiracy to take over the state - but who might be behind it? His boss "Prince Baldasar" (Christoher Lee); the General who succeeded him "Leporello" (Eli Wallach) or perhaps the wealthy kingmaker "Manzini" (Anthony Quinn). The production is a bit all over the place, here, but the cast work well on this quite well paced story of internecine politics. Nero is efficient, as are Wallach and Quinn, and the story moves along quickly amongst some beautiful surroundings. The ending lets it down a bit - it is just too implausible given what has gone on before, but though flawed it is still a decent thriller that pulls together some good supporting stars - Claudia Cardinale and Anita Strindberg provide the glamour, if not a great deal else - and is still worth watching on the telly on a wet Tuesday afternoon.