L'escorte

This tidy Italian film appears to be an honest snapshot into the corruption some people must deal with on a daily basis; although the plot centers around an outside judge who is supposed to uncover corruption, the view becomes fascinated with the daily lives of those who protect him, the trusted ones whose lives are put on the line every time they walk outside to get into a car, when they drive down city streets, when the shield the man they are there to protect.

Each of these "escorts" (hence the title "Scorta") is given a distinct personality, and we come to care for them, particularly a contrasting pair, one an angry loner with a dark agenda of his own, and one a family man trying to make a name for himself in law enforcement. We come to care for these two more than we care to watch another bloodletting, the possibility of which lurks around almost every frame of the film: corruption runs rampant, and thus this is not a simple film about the good cop triumphant over the bad gangster.

Some people complain regarding the ending, as it appears not to be nice and tidy, the viewer left with the satisfaction that two hours spent watching can leave them feeling happy. I would suggest that the film gains power by creating a vacuum where each of us is led by the writer and director of this film to make us deal with a little reality. Judge for yourself! It's a worthwhile film with a penetrating score by Ennio Morricone.

This is an example of what Italians call an "Armored Life". Judges who are fought by their willingness to bring justice to the people of Italy and the risk of losing their lives or their loved ones. The story of a magistrate who practically spends his daily life with the five men of his escort in the effort to shed light the Mafia's organizational structure and its brain trust.

Two realities: Judge De Francesco, his men and an almost invisible enemy who serves them shocks of adrenaline instead of coffee every morning when they start their day. Amendola and Cecchi skillfully portray a reality still unknown to many and very familiar to many of those who were or are still involved with the fight against organized crime in Italy. Very realistic in each detail.

If you like cop vs. gangster movies, but are tired of the usual stuff, in which it seems the writer or director is trying desperately to both imitate and outdo some of the recent semi-hits, you should see this.

There is violence, suspense, possible betrayal- all the elements that make crime and crime-fighting fascinating, and yet there is never a sense of straining to create excitement. The characters, the events seem totally natural.

The atmosphere of the movie is often intimate, like some of the better war movies-- because the essence of the story is people being together in danger: the Mafia-fighting judge and his escort (bodyguards).

The film has a beginning and end, but its realism helps to naturally imply the past and future of the struggle in Sicily.

Angelo and Corsale are two of a team of escorts for a Judge in Sicily. They replace a Judge who was murdered with his escorts by the mob. As Judge De Francesco continues his predecessor's investigations the escorts are put under increasing pressure as the threat from the mob become greater.

This film is an excellent look at two things, one is the macho world of escorts and the stress that they are under. The second is the world of corruption and organised crime in Sicily. The two lead escorts are of different worlds - Angelo is more aggressive while Corsale is a family man who is more precise and organised. The men are not the focus of the story and they don't bounce off each other in the way they would in a Hollywood movie - they have conflict but it is not of the major sort and isn't merely a plot driver. The most exciting element of their work is the fact that they have to be on edge constantly - a parked car on their escort route leads to a dramatic build up in case it's an ambush - they constantly need to be on guard and expect an attack at any time.

This constant tension is well put across and you find yourself expecting action through the whole film. When the violence does come it is sudden and unexpected - just as it would be in real life. The tension is fed by Ennio Moricone's pumping urgent score that plays for many of the escort scenes and makes a film low on action seem absolutely action packed!

The lead performances are mixed - Claudio Amendola is a little of a caricature as Angelo, but Enrico Lo Verso is good as Corsale. Carlo Cecchi is also good as Judge De Francesco who must cope with the fact that his job puts his life in daily danger.

Overall a dramatic little film that looks at the risks related to the job of being an escort, but also leaves you with a downbeat conclusion about the effect that the mafia has on life in Sicily as the full extent of the corruption is made clear.

'Scorta,La' is a pointless and deceptive political thriller that really lacks force, intensity and good drama situations. A group of bodyguards is commited with the defense of a serious and honest judge that fights against the mob and the organized crime in South Italia. An interesting premise that receive a shallow treatment by Mr. Tognazzi and his screenwriters. The ending is inconclusive and completely not satisfactory. Some good footage on Sicilia. I give this a 5 (five).