Roma, l'altra faccia della violenza

In Rome, as the title suggests, a spate of home invasions/robberies are taking place, carried out by some hard-arse criminals. Following the most recent robbery, these fellows are spotted and chased by the plod, including young cop Vanni (Massimo Vanni), who shortly receives a bullet to the chest. Luckily he had a picture of his wife and kid with him so his boss Marcel Bofuzzi can stare at it and vow revenge.

Meanwhile, rich guy Anthony Steffen has just bought his daughter an eighteenth birthday watch but isn't doing so well bonding with his son Giorgio, who has moved out and hates his dad for some reason. Once we've established all that, it's time for Steffen's daughter to get gunned down during a party by a group of masked robbers. Steffen vows revenge, but is sceptical of the police as they seem to be heading down the wrong road when it comes to the culprits.

Basically, there's two gangs of robbers: Your usual run-of-the-mill rough crowd and a gang of spoilt upstart kids who are killing for kicks. It's the latter Steffen tries his hardest to bring down, but these smug b'stards have rich fathers with lawyers out to cover everything up while they rape, beat, and shoot their way through Rome. Steffen of course becomes a gun-toting vigilante (eventually), but things don't work out as straightfoward as that, eh?

The best bit for me and what gave me an idea that director Girolami wasn't that bothered about the final product was when somehow Massimo Vanno was magically resurrected to take part in an action sequence set at a robbery at a train station. Either they filmed that as the intro to the film and decided to go with the first home robbery, or they just stuck that in there and hoped no one would notice. Or maybe they were trying to say that Massimo Vanni is Jesus. Which he is.

Add to that all the camera shadows and a car being driven by an old man with a moustache when it should be a young fella and you've still got a decent crime film. Anthony Steffen even puts in a good turn!

ROME: THE OTHER SIDE OF VIOLENCE is a film which feels very similar to the movies that Umberto Lenzi was putting out for the genre, altough this one doesn't feature Tomas Milian or Maurizio Merli. Instead we have Marcel Boffuzzi playing a bad-ass cop who goes gunning for criminal gangs after losing a colleague. The film was financed by Fox and the big budget shows, with plenty of action, chases and violent incidents as the young and out-of-control youths stop at nothing, including random murder and rape, to get their kicks. Strong stuff for sure, but directed with verve and style by Girolami who brings a documentary-style realism to the proceedings. Anthony Steffen co-stars.

After COP HUNTER / ITALIA A MANO ARMATA, Italian director Marino GIROLAMI made another tough gangster film. And the result is really good. What's also interesting is that ROMA: ALTRA FACCIA DELLA VIOLENZA is the only Poliziottesco that a major Hollywood studio, 20TH CENTURY FOX, co-produced.

Horrible attacks occur in the Italian capital. Inspector Carli (Marcel BOZZUFFI), who has already lost several colleagues, is feverishly investigating. Even the smart businessman Dr. Alessi (Anthony STEFFEN) has his problems: he hasn't gotten along with his son Giorgio (Stefano PATRIZI) for a long time. And then this! His beloved daughter Carol (Roberta PALADINI) is cruelly shot during one of the robberies. Alessi does not agree at all with Carli's investigations, which focus primarily on the hotspot districts of Rome. The rich smartie investigates on his own and uncovers something astonishing: it is not the proletarian Berte (Franco CITTI) who seems to be responsible for the robberies, but a pale millionaire's son like Giulio Laurenti (Jean FAVRE)...

This film is pretty good. A villain is crushed by an approaching bus, causing his intestines to splatter. And a gang of rogues are seen brutally raping two young women, which is very eerily reminiscent of the infamous Circeo massacre of 1975. That has always been the strength of Italian gangster films, that references are made to real events and developments. This film skilfully alludes to the growing gap between the rich upper class, which has benefited from the Italian economic miracle since 1960, and the proletariat that remains behind in the suburbs. But what finally elevates this Poliziottesco above the average is the force of an almost Greek tragedy. But nothing more will be revealed!

The Italian "Poliziotteschi" is already a sadly under-appreciated genre in the overall cinematic universe, but even within this secluded genre there are several downright fantastic movies that also remain unseen and underrated by the target niche. "Rome, the other side of Violence" is a prime example of a 70s Italian cop- thriller that should enjoy an enormous cult status, but regrettably remains undiscovered to this date. The film perhaps doesn't star any of the elite actors who helped forming the genre (like Franco Nero, Maurizio Merli, Tomas Milian, Henry Silva…) but the more than adequate and nevertheless familiar cast members all give away stellar performances. Perhaps the director's name also doesn't open as many doors as some others (like Umberto Lenzi, Enzo G. Castellari, Fernando Di Leo…) but Marino Girolami is definitely also a skillful and experienced professional. The plot perhaps sounds archetypal and derivative of other titles, but the scenario is nonetheless incredibly fast-paced, compelling, uncompromising and tense. On top of all this, "Rome, the other side of Violence" then also features a handful of ultra-nihilistic execution sequences and other unforgettable shock-moments. As always, the streets of Rome are infested with brutal crime and senseless violence, and the team of Commissioner Carli is busy chasing around home invaders, cop- killers and armed robbers. When a quartet of masked hoodlums invades a high-society party and barbarically murder the 18-year-old Carol Alessi, her father goes on a vengeful rampage and obstructs Carli's investigation. The case knows a breakthrough when the names of the culprits are snitched by anonymous sources. Are these betrayed crooks really responsible, or do the real suspects have to be looked for elsewhere on the social ladder? The intelligent script contains a few convoluted and powerful twists, especially towards the climax, and becomes quite harrowing in the end. Memorably nasty highlights include the aforementioned execution of the innocent young girl, a bloody death sequence underneath the wheels of a bus and a particularly extended and unpleasant rape scene. Marcel Bozzuffi ("The French Connection", "Colt .38 Special Squad") is brilliant as the stern but simultaneously emotional commissioner Carli and Anthony Steffen ("Django the Bastard", "Crimes of the Black Cat") gives his greatest performance ever as the tormented and vengeful father.

Great!!!

Great Italian pulp movie, a classic for the genre! "Roma l'altra faccia della violenza(trad.:The other side of violence)" is a police movie where violence, theft and rape are caught in a mixture of raving unconsciousness and pure havoc. With a great appearance by Franco Citti, this film stands up for one of the best Italian pulp movie ever made. Quite similar to "Roma Violenta" and "Milano Violenta" with Maurizio Merli yet not the same cup of tea. It deserves more rudeness, rawness and pathos for the audience...

Definitely a good film: those who love Quentin Tarantino should see it and love it to death. Enjoy!