Milão Calibre 9

Fernando Di Leo was a well-respected director who near-perfected the poliziotteschi genre during the 1970's, taking a genre spear-headed by the likes of Italian film-makers Umberto Lenzi and Carlo Lizzani and delivering tough-as-nails stories about brutish men in a brutish world. Milano Calibro 9, or simply Caliber 9, is one of Di Leo's most highly-regarded works, kicking off his Milieu trilogy (followed by Manhunt and concluded by The Boss) for which he is now best remembered for. And the film is terrific - inspiring future directors such as John Woo and Quentin Tarantino, Milano Calibro 9 begins with an explosion of violence that serves as a warning of what is to come.

After a heist that saw a wad of money go missing and the criminals behind it either dead or behind bars, shadowy mafia boss The Americano (Lionel Stander) is left fuming, turning his city upside down in search for his cash. Career criminal Ugo (Gastone Moschin), one of the participants in the robbery, is released from prison and is immediately reprimanded by his psychotic former boss Rocco (Mario Adorf), who fingers Ugo as the culprit. Denying any involvement and trying to go straight, Ugo finds himself pulled back into the criminal world he thought he had left behind by the mafia and the police, the latter trying to pressure him into turning informer. Hooking up with his friend Chino (Philippe Leroy) and girlfriend Nelly (the gorgeous Barbara Bouchet), Ugo plans to turn the tables on his former gang while he still has a fraction of leverage.

The film is not without it's problems - occasionally the narrative sags when the action is away from the city's violent underworld, and the sporadic political discussions between the veteran Commissioner (Frank Wolff) and his left-wing underling seem relevant but out of place - but Milano Caliber 9's quality lies within its tone and exhilarating brutality. The opening sees the manic Rocco beat up suspects, tie them together in a cave and blow them up with dynamite. Although the film doesn't maintain the excitement of this early scene, it truly comes alive when the characters - an ensemble of odd-looking barbarians - threaten each other with words, fists, knives or guns. Moschin proves to be a stoic anti-hero, but Adorf steals the show as the arrogant loud-mouth Rocco, resembling Super Mario in a tailored suit and a neater moustache. The twists and turns keep coming right until the end, and left me wanting to see more from a film-maker who has, up to now, completely evaded me.

Every criminal in Milan thinks that small time crook Ugo Piazza (Moschin) has stolen $300,000 from local crime lord the Mikado (Lional Stander), from Mikado's sadistic enforcer Rocco, who has already brutally tortured and killed three people involved with the cash, to Ugo's own girlfriend, exotic dancer Barbara Bouchet. Most people even believe that he had himself thrown into jail for three years until the heat died down, but Ugo denies everything.

That doesn't stop Rocco harassing the hell out of him, however. First he's taken to a scrapyard to have the crap beaten out of him, then Rocco and his goons turn up at Ugo crap hotel and destroy the place, but Ugo still denies taking the cash. Ugo goes to his old partner Phillip Leroy for help, but the man can only offer him money and advises him to go see the Mikado (although he does give Rocco a kicking for good measure).

The Mikado, knowing that if Ugo has the money, then there's no point in killing him, hires him as a runner and has him work for Rocco, but things go from bad to worse when a red-clad figure who has been following Ugo kills one of the goons, steals more cash, and sets in motion a series of events that ends in a bloodbath. I suppose this being 1972 they had to throw in a mysterious killer somewhere.

This all sounds like your usual Euro-crime movie, but there also an ongoing socio-political debate between two cops (An animated Frank Wolff and a subdued Luigi Pistilli) about the differences in the rich and the poor, and the North and the South of the country. This is reflected in the Mikado's speech about the old and new mafia, and how honour is not practised by the 'new' criminals, which is something that comes back to haunt the film's bleak ending.

Just about every actor involved here stands out. Phillip Leroy tries to live in peace but his hand is forced by events beyond his control – his weary resignation at what he has to do in the end is a highlight, Gastone Moschin is no oil painting but as the quiet, brooding lead plays a very good burned out criminal, but Mario Adorf blows them all of the screen as the manic 'moustache Pete' who may be violent and cruel, but still knows how to stick to the code of honour. His character is no fool either, as a tense, and mostly silent scene between Ugo and himself in a police station shows.

The soundtrack is a killer too! Although not my favourite Poliziotteschi film (for that is what they are called), it's probably my favourite Fernando De Leo film. Oh! Special mention to the set design of Barbara Bouchet's flat – amazing use of black and white.

This was one of two films released after Frank Wolff's suicide. His co- star here, Luigi Pistilli, would also go on to commit suicide after receiving bad reviews and having a public meltdown (much later, in 1996). On a happy note Phillip Leroy and Mario Adorf still walk the Earth!

An ex-con attempts to go straight but cannot escape the influence of his old crime bosses. Underpinning everything is the matter of a missing $300,000 that he is under suspicion of stealing. The mob and the police want him to reveal all, while he protests his innocence.

Milan Calibre 9 is one of crime specialist director Fernando Di Leo's most famous movies. He was probably the best director in the Italian poliziotteschi and is responsible for several other classics of that sub-genre, such as The Boss and The Italian Connection. Like those, this one is also a fast paced, tough and violent flick with some excellently staged action scenes. The big shoot-out at the outdoor garden party stands out as an example of the latter. But mainly the story is driven more by interesting characters and a fairly complex plot with several twists and turns.

The Milan setting itself is used well, with a good sense of place. Unlike the other Italian thriller genre of the 70's, the giallo, the poliziotteschi were virtually all set in Italy itself. Many, like this one, featured the city in question in their title. They were more realistic than their more stylised gialli counterparts and I guess they connected with their audience in a slightly different way in that they provided thrills along with observations about contemporary crime concerns. Milan Calibre 9 like other Di Leo crime films has some such social commentary. The corruption in the justice system and the degradation of the mafia are subjects that are touched upon.

It benefits from a very strong cast. Mario Adorf is in his element as the sadistic gangster Rocco, he owns every scene he is in. Barbara Bouchet is as exquisite as always, she plays a night-club dancer who is introduced to us in a mouth-wateringly erotic dance routine. Lionel Standler is very convincing in the role of the sinister crime boss The Americano; while the two cops are played by reliable Italian genre film regulars Luigi Pistilli and Frank Wolff.

All in all, this is a quality action-thriller that remains relatively obscure. It's a very good example of what the Italian crime movie was all about.

This concerns an upright ex-inmate called Hugo Razza : Gastone Moschin, just out of prison being coerced to resume his old style of life when is accused for hiding a cache about 30. 000 dollars. As he meets an old employer : the psycho Mario Adorf giving overacting, he works for an American drug syndicate boss : Lionel Stander, both of whom think Ugo has hidden a stash of money and wish to retrieve at whatever cost. Furthermore, two stubborn cops : Frank Wolff, Luigi Pistilli, go after him.

Violent poliziesco with thrills, high body-count, grisly killings, twists and turns. Interpretations are pretty good, Gastone Moschin is very well as a sober, slow-talking ex-con who is forced to resume his previous criminal life when his former colleagues believe he knows the wherebout of a stolen cache that should have gone to an American gangster . Support cast is frankly excellent as Mario Adorf playing a psychopatic mobster with penchant for sick violence and enjoying torturing who will stop at nothing to get his purports, the always gorgeous Barbara Bouchet as a strip-tease dancer, Frank Wolff as an obstinate commissioner, Luigi Pistilli as his helper who has a visceral hate for wealthy people , Ivo Garrani as a blind, honorable mobster called Don Vicenzo , Mario Novelli or Anthony Freeman as a henchman named Pasquale and Lionel Stander as revengeful drug ringleader called The American or Mikado.

It contains a moving and thrilling musical score by prestigious Luis Enrique Bacalov, who got an Academy Award for The postman and Pablo Neruda. And atmospheric and evocative cinematography by Franco Villa. The picture was well written and directed by Fernando Di Leo. He was an expert writer and filmmaker. Firstly, he wrote notorious Spaghetti Westerns as Fistful of dollars, For a fistful of dollars more, Ringo , The return of Ringo, Johnny Yuma, 7 guns for the McGregor, 7 women for the McGregor, Sugar Colt, Johnny Yuma, Joe implacable, The ruthless four, Wanted. Turning in direction he made sex comedies as Loaded guns, Italian sex, La seduczione and Victims of lust. Outstanding in Poliziesco subgenre, often starred by Henry Silva, Richard Conte, Mario Adorf, Luc Merenda, including as follows : I boss, The American connection, La mala ordina, Shoot first die later, Running guns, Madness, The boys who slaughter, Razza violenta, Killers vs Killers, among others. Rating 7/10. Better than average Italian cop movie. Essential and indispensable watching for this sub-genre buffs.

This is an undeservedly little-known gangster movie. The story resolves around the traditionally motive of loyalty, betrayal, and the strange moral code of the Mafia (in Italy), but we are never quite sure what ending the story is going for. The film keeps up the pace nicely throughout and the excellent doubly-twisted ending comes as a total surprise.

Gastone Moschin is very good in the lead as the apparent excon and victim of the Mafia's attention, but the acting prize goes to Mario Adorf's Mafia Lieutenant. He also has the best line, right at the end - which I cannot give away as it would spoil the suspense.