Uomini si nasce poliziotti si muore

You just know you're in for one hell of a thrill-ride when the movie you're watching opens with a 10-minutes-long chase sequence on motorcycles; through the crowd-infested streets of Rome and ending with a shocking execution that truly goes against all the rules of ethically correct police work. "Live like a Cop, Die Like a Man" is a work of genuine 70's exploitation, scripted by the multi-talented Fernando Di Leo and directed by the almighty Ruggero Deodato. Deodato is, without a doubt and hands down, the KING of exploitation cinema! A couple of years before he dedicated himself to the notorious jungle adventures ("Jungle Holocaust", "Cut and Run" and, of course, his ultimate masterpiece "Cannibal Holocaust") and brutal revenge-horror ("House on the Edge of the Park"), Deodato made his one and only "Polizieschi" movie, but it's definitely memorable & unique enough to rank among the best in the sub genre. "Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man" is an indescribably sadistic and cynical film and it's very different from the usual efforts in the "Polizieschi" genre. These raw and explicit Italian crime-thrillers always introduce macho cop characters that shoot first and ask questions later, but at least they usually have good reasons for their very unorthodox investigation techniques. They either want to avenge a murdered friend or colleague, or they're on a tight time-schedule to rescue kidnapped children or recover a stolen treasure. (Al)Fred(o) and (An)Tony(o), the two protagonists in Deodato's film, are different. They simply cross the thin line between justice and delinquency because they enjoy it! Much more than any other entry in the Polizieschi sub genre, "Live Like a Cop, Die like a Man" glorifies extreme violence and nearly encourages people to take justice into their own hands. Fred and Tony terminate unarmed & defenseless gangsters, force female suspects into having sex with them, burn down fancy cars and invade private clubs for no real reason and they carelessly endanger the lives of civilians. And whilst they're performing their "jobs", they never for one second stop to pay attention to their good playboy-looks and macho charisma. This film is fast-paced and multiple isolated sequences are terrific (the hostage-situation! The bank robbery!), but the script as a whole sadly lacks continuity and depth. There's no actual plot, as Fred & Tony are simply hunting down Rome's biggest crime boss, Roberto Pasquini, and they eliminate a lot of his accomplices and random street scum during their 'assignment'. Most other Polizieschi flicks have a slightly more intelligent script, but "Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man" primarily benefices from sickening violence, gratuitous sleaze and unscrupulous controversy. The editing is sharp, the lurid 70's music is fabulous and Deodato's profound direction is brilliant and ultimately praiseworthy. I read somewhere that the motorcycle chases amidst crowded shopping streets and during broad daylight were filmed without official permission. Your name simply has to be Ruggero Deodato if you risk endangering the lives of unsuspecting civilians only to shoot credible and realistic footage of Rome!

This is one of Deodato's earlier films. Deodato is best known as the director of the notorious film "Cannibal Holocaust". With a script by Di Leo and masterful direction by Deodato, you get a film that is violent, ruthless and exciting. One can easily see the influence on contemporary directors like Tarantino (a huge Di Leo fan). This film also has a lot in common with movies like Dirty Harry, where a cop uses extreme measures to deliver justice and always has his boss coming down on him for being too violent in doing so. Except in this film it is two guys who team up to clean the streets. The viewer will be surprised at the amount of violence in this film when considering the year it was made. If you can locate this film, its worth watching.

Ruggero Deodato is a director known for making hard films, filled with violence and cynicism. His impressive cop thriller, "Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man", is no exception. Alfredo and Antonio belong to a special branch of the Rome police department. They are given the hard cases, having to deal with the lowest criminal scum around. Their methods of dealing with the criminal element are certainly not standard procedure, as we see early in the film. The 'bad guys' who have the utter misfortune of having to deal with Fred and Tony, do not get handcuffed and have their rights read to them. Deodato, most known for a contemptuous piece of cinema called 'Cannibal Holocaust', has fashioned a stylish crime drama, filled with interesting and unusual characters. The viewer gets to know the two vigilante cops, who seem to be operating on the same wavelength. They cruise around on a motorcycle together, kill and torture bad guys together, even live together. They share the same cynical attitude towards life and death. There is a real bond there, and that relationship elevates this to a higher level. It is fun to watch these two in action, cocky and sexist bastards that they are, but somehow likable. Filmed with a great deal of energy and style. The opening scene, a wild motorcycle chase through the streets of Rome, sets the tone for the rest of the film. And the music is worth mentioning, some great background music, typical of the 70's time period, compliments the action. Deodato often had a strange habit of using the most inappropriate music to go along with the extreme violence happening on the screen. Soft ballads were often heard as people got beaten and murdered, or sexy disco music complimented a brutal rape, such as in "House On the Edge Of the Park". It somehow makes the brutal imagery all the more sick and twisted. For 'Live Like A Cop' actor Ray Lovelock who portrays Antonio, sings the main theme for the film. Great stuff. In America at this time, a TV show called 'Starsky & Hutch' was doing well. A cop show that featured two handsome partners, one blond and the other dark haired, much like the two heroes of this film. Perhaps that TV show was an influence, but the movie was made before 'Starsky & Hutch' was shown on Italian TV, so who knows? Up until recently "Uomini Si Nasce Poliiziotti Si Muore" was super-rare, almost impossible to find on video. Now there is a new DVD from an Italian label, 'Raro Video', that is well worth tracking down. Featuring a choice of original Italian language or a funny dubbed English track, and including an interesting interview with Ruggero Deodato and actor Ray Lovelock, who both discuss the film. Highly recommended for fans of 70's exploit films and crime films. There were countless cop thrillers to come out of Italy in this time, but this stands out as one of the best, and certainly one of the most brutal.

This one really pushes the envelope on "ends justify the means" police tactics, even compared to the other Italian cop-thrillers I've seen. The two protagonists are cops who belong to an "anti-gang" squad...that means, in this case, that they actually act like gangsters. They're nihilistic, sexist a-holes. They like blowing things up for fun. They shoot criminals BEFORE they commit crimes. A gangster wants them out of the picture and has one of their colleagues shot; from there on, they actively engage in gang warfare. That's the plot.

The dialog is not at all clever. The premise is set up lazily and has no authenticity to it. The musical score is light-weight, typical 70's cop-thriller fare.

It's consistently entertaining, however. Whether laughing out loud or gasping in shock, I was never bored. There's plenty of eye-popping violence on a level with "Violent Naples" to satisfy fans in that department. The ending is very abrupt, surprising, and cool; it gives the whole rest of the movie a darker tone.

I definitely recommend it to fans of violent, Italian cop-thrillers from the 1970's, or any violent cop-thrillers from the 1970's, or good, trashy movies in general.

Ruggero made every cops fantasy here.

Ray Lovelock and Marc Porel (RIP and WAY too young) play a couple of plods on an elite part of the squad. And you know what THAT means.

They cruise around on motorcycles basically clipping anyone who even gives them a fishy eye. Catch a guy trying to steal a purse? Beat him senseless. Then shoot him. The man to man violence was over OTT.

Then there's the sex. Of course they get to bed many loose women. The kind of loose women that seem to be all over Rome in these kind of flicks. Although that's the big city. Tokyo? The same.

And the chief is one of those "I see nothing" types. Until he has no choice.

Chase scenes, shootings, fistfights, 70's waka-waka guitar and haircuts, it's there ad infinitum.

Porel died too soon. He was good looking enough where he could have had a real career. Lovelock was doing his usual.

Hard to find, but if you do, it's worth a gander.