Atire Primeiro, Morra Depois

This one stars Luc Merenda as a hard-nosed cop famed for taking down the bad guys in Milan, as we see during a pretty good shoot-out/car chase at the beginning of the film. Luc's also got a good thing going with his girlfriend, but we soon get to find out why he can afford to buy her such expensive things...

Luc's a corrupt cop and is working for two mobsters who are paying Luc to turn a blind eye to all the tobacco and booze smuggling in the city. He kind of loses the rag a bit when their latest venture turns out to be gun running, but an increase in the old bribes softens that blow a little. There's a tiny bit of a problem, however. A nosy neighbour type has reported the registrations of two cars in his area that the mob would rather the police forget about, but to Luc this means going to that particular police station, which, unfortunately for him, is run by his own father. At the same time a body turns up in a steel drum and Luc now has to sort all this out before the mafia lose their already thin patience.

What makes this one a bit different from the rough cop socking people in the jaw is that Luc is basically struggling to cover up his initial mistake of having trusted the mob in the first place, and becomes a victim of his own over-confidence. There's a greater emotional depth here too as Luc's relationships with his girlfriend and father become strained as his shady dealings rise to the fore. Those looking for the brutal violence of De Leo's other films won't be disappointed either, as many characters here are outright violently murdered rather than having shootouts with each other. These films usually work better with the brutality turned up to ten anyway, although the bit with the kitten wasn't called for. As usual. This trend would get much, much worse!

I can't decide if Luc Merenda is a good actor or not because he just kind of glares at everything.

This film is ultimately very downbeat. It seems to be a sort of slow motion lesson on how crime does not pay , more specifically how if you dabble in or turn a blind eye to crime , you and a lot of other people can get hurt. And it delivers that message without pulling any punches. Some of the scenes of violence are hard to watch because of how cruel and ruthless they are.

The movie starts with a bang with a spectacular , nerve wracking car chase. After that it's mostly pretty slow , although the story does keep getting propelled forward and there is some action and also humor peppered here and there. In the last third things start picking up a lot more with yet another car chase and a whole slew of plot twists. The ending is a huge , ironic surprise. Overall, a very entertaining and satisfying movie, much better than I had anticipated.

Fernando Di Leo made another great Poliziotteschi, the cars chase are the true highlights of the entire picture, a young Police commissioner Domenico (Luc Merenda) has an fair agreement of the Milano's Mob, meanwhile the things are changing, now the drugs and arms smuggling were introduced by force, his father a honest and humble policeman didn't know a thing over his son, the Boss and his lawyer Mazzanti played by the already older Richard Conte are pushing more, ending up in retaliatory measures in both sides, including a sudden killing of his beloved father and his girlfriend, Domenico gonna crazy, fabulous picture, somehow has a little mistake on the plot, the triggering event is too shallow, when the Boss asking to Domenico a little favor that includes his proudly father in a minor and meaningless fact spoils the whole project, Di Leo should be change this weak point, certainly will be more realistic, nevertheless it's largely enjoyable and has an unexpected ending!!!

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First watch: 2019 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 7.5

I'm not the biggest fan of the Poliziotteschi genre, frequently finding the 'cops versus bad guys' formula rather dull, but Shoot First, Die Later is actually very entertaining, its 'dirty' cop protagonist being far more interesting than a traditional 'good guy'.

As played by Luc Merenda, Lieutenant Domenico Malacarne is a celebrated Milanese cop who is actually on the take from the mafia. But when the gangsters begin to ask a little more of him than he is willing to give, things take a turn for the worse, with those closest to Malacarne paying the price for the cop's shady shenanigans.

Director Fernando Di Leo expertly balances the drama with action, delivering a movie that is both gripping and exciting. Malacarne's relationship with his father—who is devastated when he learns of his son's misconduct—provides the emotional heart of the movie, while two well executed car chases and some shootouts get the adrenaline pumping. The film also features plenty of brutal violence, including two shocking murders and the senseless killing of a cat!

A suitably nihilistic finale rounds off the movie in style. 7/10 – Highly recommended for fans of the genre, and still well worth a watch for those who aren't.

Fernando di Leo does a sound job of cranking out a film that keeps you riveted to your seat, even if you (well, I) could not quite see Domenico's (played by Luc Merenda) motivation for accepting bribes from the underworld while serving as a policeman and with his father a well known and respected senior officer in the force.

Whatever the unexplained reasons, Domenico sees no reason not to profit from his personal power as officer of the law, and he has a quick trigger index finger that dispatches lives as fast as he drives recklessly through the streets of the crime-ridden city in which he tangoes with criminal figures, notably the venerable Richard Conte, who already showed all the signs of a penchant for crime back in his heyday as Hollywood star, culminating in Barzini, the top baddie in THE GODFATHER.

If you like action Italian/polizioteschi style of the 1970s, IL POLIZIOTTTO É MARCIO is a must-see. Typical cinematography of the time, undemanding editing and script. If you like something convincing in terms of character actions, you may feel a little bit let down. 7/10.