O Império do Crime

Umberto Lenzi tried his hand at just about every popular type of film in Italy during the sixties, seventies and eighties, and while he has some very nice entries on his list of directorial credits; it has to be said that he isn't the best director to try his hand at the likes of Giallo, zombie and cannibal movies. However, when it comes to crime films; Lenzi comes into his own, and just like Almost Human a couple of years earlier, Violent Naples is an entertaining and nasty little crime thriller. Like every film in this sub-genre, the major influence comes from the masterpiece American film 'Dirty Harry', and here we follow a copper not too far removed from Clint Eastwood's famous character. Commissario Betti is your typical disgruntled cop that favours violence over proper police procedure. He's fed up with the way that Naples is being run by the criminals, and so sets his sights on The Commandante. However, this man isn't easy to bring down, and since Betti is receiving no help from his fellow townsmen, the task of ending crime in Naples is left to our leading man.

The title of the film leads the viewer to expect lots of violence, and Lenzi certainly doesn't disappoint in this respect. We've got bowling balls to the head, a young woman having her face scraped off on a moving train, a man impaled on a sharp fence and many other such delights. Overall, it has to be said that this film isn't very original, but Lenzi injects some freshness into it with a barrage of exciting chase scenes (the best of which take a point of view shot from the front of a motorbike) and violent shootouts. The good thing about these Polizia movies is that they are played out for pure entertainment value, meaning that Lenzi is free from trying to be arty, and can pack in as much violence as he likes; a fact which is often capitalised on. The film benefits from a strong Italian cast, including Maurizio Merli; who may be no Clint Eastwood, but still delivers a strong and entertaining lead performance. John Saxon gets to join in the fun also, and there's also a place for fellow American actor Barry Sullivan, in the role of the villain. Overall, if you're into Italian cop movies; this isn't one to miss!

Well, look no further! "Violent Naples" is the second entry in the masterful Commissario Betti trilogy, released in between "Violent City" and "A Special Cop in Action", and it's the only one not directed by Marino Girolami. Die-hard Poliziotteschi fanatics needn't worry, though. Quite the contrary in fact, because the man who took over the director's seat is none other than Umberto Lenzi: Italian cult director genius and particularly experienced in the field of Poliziotteschis. I tend to repeat myself when reviewing titles in this particular sub-genre of cinema, but "Violent Naples" is once more a brilliant cop thriller with harsh violence, exhilarating action sequences, fascinating characters, gritty atmospheres, mean dialogs and a splendid soundtrack. Straight from the opening credits, with a camera attached on the hood of a car that is rushing through the traffic-infested city to the tunes of awesome Franco Micalizzi music, you have the guarantee that Lenzi & Co will deliver 95 minutes of non-stop excitement. Commissioner Betti (no first name) gets transferred to Naples because this crime-laden metropolis is in desperate need for his unorthodox but highly efficient methods. Betti takes every case very personally and obsessively hunts down all type of criminals. He's equally intolerant for jewelry thieves, home-invading rapists, armed bank robbers and mafia kingpins that run a relentless protection racket. In the highest regions of the Naples crime hierarchy, there's a bit of a feud going on between Francesco Capuano and the nicknamed "Commandante", and Betti terrifically uses this to bring them both down. The highlights of the film are numerous and nearly impossible to list! There's the race across town on a motorcycle, which has to bring a dangerous but slick bank robber from the scene of the crime towards his waterproof alibi at the police station in less than ten minutes, or the vicious battle inside an upwards train carriage (that poor woman). Unforgettable as well are the bowling ball massacre and the impalement of Luciano Rossi's ugly mug on a fence. There isn't a whole lot structure in "Violent Naples" and it doesn't look as if Betti ever sleeps, but action addicts will get everything the wish for … and more!

Cult director Umberto Lenzi is probably most famous for his shocking Cannibal films "Cannibal Ferox" (1981) and "Mangiati Vivi" (1980). These are of course memorable films and more than worth watching for every exploitation fan, but, as far as I am concerned, Lenzi's greatest films date back to the 70s. Especially his mean-spirited and ultra-violent Poliziotteschi are absolutely essential to every lover of Italian Cult-cinema. "Napoli Violenta" aka. "Violent Naples" of 1976 is another action-packed, adrenaline-driven, ultra-violent and delightfully politically incorrect cop-thriller that no fan of Italian genre cinema should consider missing. While it is, in my opinion, just not quite as brilliant as Lenzi's foregoing Poliziottesschi "Milano Odia: La Polizia Non Può Sparare" (aka. "Almost Human", 1974) and "Roma A Mano Armata" (aka. "Rome Armed To The Teeth", 1976"), which is mainly due to the lack of the great Tomas Milian, who played sadistic criminals in these two films, this is yet another great and outrageously brutal Poliziottesco from Lenzi.

Genre-star Maurizio Merli stars in the role of Comissario Betti for the third time (the first two Commissario Betti films were Marino Girolami's "Roma Violenta" of 1975 and "Italia A Mano Armata" of 1976, two priorities on my list of films that I haven't seen yet). Betti, who is known for his unorthodox methods hates criminals as much as he hates crime, and he has does not keep his beliefs a secret. When he comes to Naples, where he has worked earlier, the local criminal underworld, above all the Camorra, the Mafia of Naples, are already getting nervous, as they know that the Comissario, who has no mercy for criminals, is dedicated to clean up... Merli is once again great as the mustached and unorthodox copper Betti, who treats criminals in a way that makes Dirty Harry look like a social worker. The cast also includes the great John Saxon, and Barry Sullivan in the role of a Mafia-boss called "Comandante". The supporting cast furthermore includes many familiar faces for Italian genre fans, such as Guido Alberti as the chief of police, or the butt-ugly Luciano Rossi as a sadistic mugger. The score by Franco Micalizzi, who also delivered the score to "Roma A Mano Armata", is once again very good, and the camera work is fast-paced and great. "Napoli Violenta" is generally a violent film, and it has several moments of outrageous brutality. I will not give away more, but I am sure that most of my fellow Poliziotteschi fans will enjoy the film as much as I did. Brutal, gripping and breathtaking, "Napoli Violenta" is a film that fans of Italian Crime/Police films can not afford to miss!

Untarnished Euro-crime favourite, 'Violent Naples' aka 'Napoli Violenta' (1976) is yet another thrillingly bellicose, fruitful cinematic coupling betwixt the mightily short-fused, Maurizio Merli & steely powerhouse Poliziottesco director, Umberto 'Cannibal Ferox'. Lenzi. This time out the irrepressible, routinely roundhousing rage of Commissioner, Berti (Maurizio Merli) angrily finds gory grist to his ever-more violent mill by unearthing the criminal machinations of rapacious drug overlord, Francesco Capuano (John Saxon).

Needless to say with thrill-master general, Umberto Lenzi behind the wildly-spinning wheels of this rampaging Poliziotteschi juggernaut, Lenzi's brutal fistful of molars, 'Violent Naples' excitingly escalates to a fever pitch of tumultuously unexpurgated thug trashing, Berretta blasting mayhem! The stolid performances of craggy-looking, Barry Sullivan, and devilishly handsome Euro-cult hero, Silvano Tranquilli offer a temporary reprieve from the hyper-masculinity of, John Saxon and Maurizio Merli! The musical icing on this spectacularly Moorish Euro-crime treat is capably provided by maestro, Franco Micalizzi, his electrifying crime-funk score robustly complements the wrathful modus operandi of commissioner Berti, going pell-mell after the scum and villainy like some incandescently vengeful, PCP-crazed, Dirtier-than-Harry cop! Berti's histrionic approach to justice evokes the catastrophic tableau of a blood-mad bull run amok within the genteel environs of a Fortnum & Mason tearoom!

Umberto Lenzi's "Napoli Violenta" is a first class cop movie that really shocked me.It's exciting and really memorable with some nasty bits of violence(including a fence post impalement and bowling ball facial).Maurizio Merli is great as a veteran cop named Betti.He sets out to clean up a protection racket run by the Commandant(Barry Sullivan).Along the way,Betti befriends a little boy whose father is murdered by the criminals.Since Merli passed away in 1989,"Violent Protection" attained almost a cult status in some places.There are some great car chases and plenty of exciting gun-play.So if you're a fan of Italian crime genre give this one a look.Highly recommended.