Bandits à Milan

It's like an LP, this feature. On one side we see an almost documentary style of drama depicting a Milan in the throes of a (real) crime wave. On the other, we are introduced to some pretty successful perpetrators of those crimes who are robbing banks of millions of lire with impunity. The opening sequences in the company of their commissioner (Thomas Milian) are a little dry, but after about twenty minutes or so when we are introduced to the suave bandit-in-chief "Piero" (Gian Maria Volonté) who's gang adopt the simplest of facial disguises, avoid bloodshed when possible, and raid merrily - usually after carefully casing the banks in advance and ensuring there is some suitable diversion at the other end of town to distract the carabinieri. Of course, the easier it seems, the more ambitious they get and after recruiting the enthusiastic young "Tuccio" (Ray Lovelock) as their driver they embark on their biggest job yet. When that doesn't quite go to plan, the authorities are soon on their tails and things in this city turn distinctly perilous for policeman, robber and pedestrian alike as we embark on quite an epic car chase. Along the way we are treated to a lively score, some contemporary Italian artistry and a degree of confidence from a Volonté who combines menace, dark comedy and suaveness really quite effectively. After the freneticism of the second half of the film I felt that the denouement, though a little claustrophobic at times, did disappoint. It didn't dare have the courage of it's convictions which I thought a bit of a shame as the Fiats started to pile up all over the place. Once it gets into it's stride, this film doesn't hang about and it presents us with a daring brutality, Italian style, that is definitely different from your average plan, heist, chase, caper.

So, you like post-modernism eh? Try this one out, a pseudo-documentary told in a fragmented fashion that kind of starts out describing crime throughout Milan, but then shows the aftermath of a botched robbery, then the events leading up to the robbery, then the robbery, then the aftermath again. Hell, it doesn't even start to have a plot until about twenty minutes in - that's how weirdly constructed this one is.

You see, we follow Detective Tomas Milian as he uses documentary techniques to replay crimes that have happened in the past. At least I think that's what he says. We also get to see extortion rackets, gambling dens, and the burning of an escort girl before a robbery goes wrong and several innocent bystanders get whacked for their troubles (and this is where the story starts being coherent at all) - but who is behind these awful killings?

Turns out the gang have struck seventeen times before, including three robberies in one day. This gang is led by smiling, overconfident Gian Maria Volonte, who gets very philosophical about things. He even has a cover story - he runs a legitimate business during the day with his other two gang members also attending as 'employees'. They also pick up a third member in the form of young Ray Lovelock who wants to escape his boring life.

This is an odd take on the Euro-crime film, so cop Tomas Milian is basically pushed into the background to interrogate one of the robbers while the real emotional core of the film sits with Volonte, who loves his mamma and promises his wife the world, while being charming to his secretary (he gets her driving lessons) and nurturing the criminal career of Lovelock, all while laughing his head off about everything. We also spend a lot of time with character who have nothing to do with anything, like prank callers, and the escort girl from the start.

The best part about the film is the big robbery, as the gang do a lot of groundwork before the actual robbery itself, and we are shown in great detail the lives of the innocent people just about to be caught up in a world of violence. In fact, this bit is carried out so well that the rest of the film just kind of runs down to a halt. Strange.

You can see how this would have been an influence on Quentin Tarantino - the plot is all over the place, it's full of dialogue that has nothing to do with the plot, and it's rather violent. Just throw in Samual L Jackson, some funky music, and a fixation on the 'n' word and your good to go! For a very similar film, see Gangster's Law.

From cult/euro-exploitation perspective, "The Violent Four" (a.k.a "Bandits in Milan") is a very unique and fascinating landmark. Considering the subject matter, the type of characters, and the massive amount of graphical violence on display, this is - in fact - a forerunner of the numerous Poliziotesschi flicks that were made in Italy during the 1970s. However, it's generally assumed the Poliziotesschi-genre was inspired by Hollywood role-model blockbusters, like "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection", so "The Violent Four" is actually a kind of native pioneer that got neglected.

This film has everything a good Poliziotesschi must feature, but admittedly the narrative structure and plot are somewhat too chaotic. The first half hour, or so, plays like a mockumentary about the skyrocketing crime rates in the city of Milan. With police commissioner Tomas Milian acting like a sort of TV-game host, the long intro is like a collage with clips from robberies, gambling and prostitution rings, extortion and even the brutal murder of a call-girl. Only after this, the story introduces the titular "violent four"; - and again via flashback-interviews at the police station. The gang is extremely active, with sometimes three bank heists in one day, and uses a legitimate business as cover. Gian Maria Volantè, a truly brilliant actor, is terrific as the gang's leader, and Ray Lovelock stars as the apprentice in one of his first major roles.

Personally, I prefer the virulent, hard-boiled and straightforward Poliziotesschi classics that started coming half a decade later, whether or not directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring Maurizio Merli, but this is definitely a quintessential Italian cult/exploitation classic, recommended to the fans of this wonderful country's cinematic history.

Top italian crime film with my favourite actor Gian Maria Volonte playing very very good.

An ahead-of-its-time Italian crime flick that neatly prefigures the genre's heyday in the 1970s. This one follows a gang of violent robbers running amuck in Milan and the dedicated cops on their tail. A good cast includes a star-making turn from Ray Lovelock, while the documentary-style stylings work a treat and the action is well handled.