La polizia interviene: ordine di uccidere!

Exciting police film with Leonard Mann as Capitano Murri

This Italian police film by Giuseppe Rosati, also known as "La polizia interviene: ordine di uccidere" (in English: The police intervene to kill) and "The Left Hand of the Law", was released on June 4th, 1976 the West German cinemas.

The main role as Capitano Mario Murri (not to be confused with the Murri that Maurizio Merli would play a year later) stars the fantastic American actor of Italian origin Leonard Mann (born in Rome in 1947).

During a police operation during a kidnapping, several members of a Roman special unit die. Their superior Murri takes the whole thing personally and, after being whistled back by an important person (ACADEMY AWARD nominee James Mason as Senator Leandri), takes matters into his own hands. Great sacrifices have to be made and amazing things come to light. Other roles include outstanding actors such as Enrico Maria Salerno, Antonella Murgia, Fausto Tozzi, Franco Interlenghi, Janet Agren and GOLDEN GLOBE nominee Stephen Boyd.

The outstanding thing about this film is the main character Murri, who is played impressively by Leonard Mann. His sometimes solitary captain is an idealist who still believes in the system, does not despair after setbacks and is willing to take the initiative himself. He can be tough when it comes to protecting weaker people. In a very beautiful scene, Murri helps German tourists who are being robbed in the middle of the streets of Rome. He flattens his opponents with practiced punches, but at the same time he can also be a man of thoughtful tones. Through this main character, the film manages to penetrate much deeper into the political and social entanglements than is the case in other police films.

The cast overall is great. The best known are of course the American actors James Mason ("20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1954) / father-in-law of the singer Belinda Carlisle) and Stephen Boyd (antagonist of "Ben Hur" (1959), but also the Swedish actress Janet Agren (" "Eaten Alive" (1980)) is convincing in her small role as Gloria.

Even if this representative of the EuroCrime genre may be a little less well-known, it is worth a look, and not just for die-hard genre fans.

Intelligent and very well made Italian crime movie starring, Leonard Mann and James Mason with a generous cameo from Janet Agren. Bit of sleaze, some decent fights and road chases but essentially an involving procedural with good dialogue. Mann has great presence here and Mason is as immaculate as ever. I see Janet Agren made many films but I seem to have seen few other than Eaten Alive.

Ostensibly set in Rome, this purports to have international ramifications and although seeming a little far fetched in one sense, almost naive compared to actual current worldwide terrorist activity. Well worth catching. Good score too.

The director Giuseppe Rosati set out to make a great movie and minus a little bit of slow pacing he almost succeeded. What we have is a very good movie with a pitch perfect performance by charismatic leading man Leonard Mann (Police Capt Murri) who, I must admit, I was not familiar with prior. James Mason is also great as the less (Senator Leandri). Veteran Eurospy girl Antonella Murgia is also a doll as Capt Murri's mellow girlfriend. The only off kilter performance was by Raffaele Curi as (officer Martino) who I guess was supposed to be a bit of comic relief but was out of place with the noir feel of the film.

Don't give up on this movie as it all comes together in the last half hour, even thought the movie on Youtube has a scene out of sequence, with some vengeance scenes worthy of Charlie Bronson. No dough this movie would have been a bore fest without the fabulous performance by Leonard "the man" Mann.