Io ho paura

Worried about the rising level of violence on the streets of Rome a police officer gets a Job as the bodyguard to a judge. However a seemingly simple case of a fatal robbery embroils the police officer in a nightmare world of political terrorism and corruption involving members of the the Italian state's security service. Released in 1977 this political thriller from director Damiano Damiani is an intricately plotted tale of political intrigue and violence,corruption,and creeping paranoia, set in a world of'trust noone '. The screenplay by Nicola Badalucco and Damiani is reasonably engrossing (like Damiani's previous political thrillers of cops,corruption and crime).

As to be expected, the beautifully acted, superbly immersive crime drama, 'Io ho paura' (1977) is yet another refined, strongly written, engagingly adult thriller from the hugely respected Italian auteur, Damiano Damiani, whose staggeringly classy output of immaculately made Gialli/poliziotteschi tends to focus intelligently on narrative nuance, probing deeper into character development, and moral complexities, rather than merely exploiting the more visceral approach of haymaker fisticuffs, car-carnage, and balletic blood spills to maintain the viewer's interest.

Disenfranchised, visibly shop-worn Bodyguard, Ludovico Graziano, played to perfection by the enormously charismatic actor, Gian Maria Volontè gradually finds his life spiralling into ever murkier, increasingly dangerous waters after fatefully accepting the far from routine position of bodyguard to Judge Cancedda (Erland Josephson). The internecine political squabbles eventually escalate to palpable life threatening dread whereby Graziano is forced to confront a truly terrifying reality! 'Io ho Paura' aka 'I am Afraid' (1977) is a damn fine motion picture, and one desperately in need of a brand-new restoration for a long overdue Blu-ray edition. It would be entirely remiss of me if I failed to mention the lushly appealing, extraordinarily effective, skin-caressingly lovely score by the incomparable music maestro, Riz Ortolani.

Damiano Damiani perhaps isn't the first name that springs to mind when listing all the greatest Italian action/cult directors of the 70's, but he definitely does deserve all the respect he can get. Whilst his more famous colleagues, like Umberto Lenzi and Enzo G. Castellari, were shooting Poliziotteschi flicks that were brimful of outrageous car chases, violent gunfights and shocking massacres, Damiani concentrated on making a handful of heavy-toned mafia thrillers that were relatively low on violence but benefited from extremely solid screenplays and realistic settings. After the tremendously compelling "Confessions of a Police Captain" and "How to Kill a Judge" – both starring Franco Nero – Damiano made this "I Am Afraid"; which is arguably his best effort and inarguably one of the most intense police thrillers ever made. The plot is rather convoluted and continuously introduces new characters, so you definitely have to pay close attention and remain alert for all the little twists, but even if you don't understand all the connections straight away (like I did), "I Am Afraid" nevertheless remains a truly compelling and suspenseful thrill-ride that you find yourself staring at with your eyes and mouth wide open. Ludovico Graziano is an adequate police officer who gets assigned as the personal bodyguard of Judge Cancedda, because with the powerful crime networks and corruption going on in the city lately, a lot of judges are being assassinated. The more time Graziano spends with the honest Judge Cancedda, the more he becomes involved in a highly life-threatening manhunt. "I Am Afraid" has practically everything a cult movie fanatic could be looking for: a deeply melancholic ambiance that makes the whole story plausible and very bitter-tasting, dubious authority figure characters, some genuine moments of violence (the elimination of the female witness through her window is a real shock), a mesmerizing denouement, a masterful Riz Ortolani score and dazzling acting performances. Gian Maria Volonté is truly amazing as the drowning copper who increasingly fears – with good reason – for his own life. Inspector Graziano is everything but a coward, but he righteously grows more afraid because there isn't anyone he can trust in his police surrounding. Volonté truly manages to translate this difficult-to-act emotion onto the viewer very well. He also receives excellent support, especially in the second half of the film, from the bombastic Italian acting legend Mario Adorf. "I Am Afraid" is undeservedly obscure and should urgently receive a proper and luxurious DVD edition, so that the many Poliziotteschi fans can add it to their favorites.

"Io ho paura" means "I am scared"... It is a terrific movie which tries to summarize some of the totally real (despite the disclaimer at the titles end, significantly put below the main title "I am scared"...) links between secret services, criminality & politics. This link we now know, has been real throughout the 70's and is not just alive now, but more complex, as it appears that it now includes also banks, mafia and masonry. Gian Maria Volonte' gives one of his best performances, playing the scared policeman who unwillingly becomes aware of secrets which he perfectly knows might lead him to his death. Riz Ortolani's score is as usual perfect. Damiano Damiani direction is secure as the movie never drops its rhythm and the ending is tough, but a great one. Damiani will later direct the serial on mafia called "PIOVRA", a huge success in Italy and abroad in the 80s. "Io ho paura" is a fantastic and unknown movie with tension, great acting, a perfect score and an alarming accusation message, still real, on the deviation of our society. 10/10

I AM AFRAID tells the story of a bodyguard who, upon the assassination of the judge he was meant to protect, comes to find out that the new judge to whom he is assigned is corrupt with ties to the mafia and high places in the Italian government, and realizes that his own life is in danger.

70s paranoid thrillers and later movies made in their mold, such as Roman Polanski's THE GHOST WRITER (2010), are a favorite of mine. American audiences think mainly of US movies like THE PARALLAX VIEW (1974), THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975), ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)-all excellent-which were inspired by the Watergate scandal.

But it turns out that sociopolitical turmoil in Europe in the late 60s and the 70s, and especially the fight in Italy against the mafia during that time, provided inspiration for some excellent films in this genre as well, and I AM AFRAID belongs to the very best examples of it.

There is an atmosphere of paranoia right from the first assassination scene a couple minutes in, and it rarely lets up. The movie does a fantastic job of allowing us to emphasize with the protagonist who, upon realization of the tangled web of darkness in which he was thrown, is nothing short of terrified. This is in no small part due to the performance of Gian Maria Volonte in the protagonist role.

The ominous drum motif supplemented with a wonderfully paranoid melody by Riz Ortolani does for this film what Bernard Herrmann's piercing string motif did for PSYCHO(1960) and John Williams' propulsive motif did for JAWS (1976).

The action scenes are beautifully staged, and story-wise, the film stands out not only for its originality and intricacy but also because it shows how the bodyguard uses his acumen to devise an ingenious yet credible way to at least attempt to save himself in the face of overwhelming forces of evil.

This is a perfectly crafted thriller by director Damiano Damiani and I recommend it highly to any fan of this genre.