Polices parallèles

So far I've seen five of these 70's Italian crime thrillers, 3 of them being straight up, Don Siegel and William Friedkin-influenced "cop on the edge with an axe to grind" Dirty Harry rip-offs. Out of those three, all of which are great, this has got to be the one with the coolest story-line (the other two being "High Crime" and "Violent Naples," to give you an idea of the standard here). While it is neither perfect nor entirely realistic, it is action-packed, bloody and riveting, a cocktail of elements common to the genre. And this particular "cop-on-the-edge," played by Luc Merenda, is so on-the-edge that he "poses" as a pimp muscling in on prostitution rackets with the facility of an old pro, gets innocent bystanders killed without hardly batting an eye, and cold-bloodedly executes surrendering criminals in front of the entire police department!

While he lacks quite the level of charisma and intensity delivered by Franco Nero or Maurizio Merli, Merenda holds his own. The primary reason he is able to do so here (the two secondary are Sergio Martino's competence in directing pulse-pounding action and the fact that the extremity I've come to expect from these films is as present here as anywhere) is the sucker-punch, no, make that downright subversive plot-line. Without giving too much away, suffice it to say that what appears to be shaping up into a slanted portrayal of fanatical domestic terrorists (not that groups like the Red Brigade need any slanting to look bad, just that dishonesty bugs me even if it's on the right side) proves later to be something entirely different. The ending of this film, while it would be typical in another context, blew me away.

To top it off, you've got a killer score by the mad De Angelis brothers (if you've seen "Keoma," note that it helps that the only song with words isn't translated into English), and the only fatal car crash I've ever seen in an action movie where the car doesn't inexplicably burst into flames. Three cheers for this gleefully brutal mayhem-fest with the added plus of an intelligent plot!

MILANO TREMA boasts some nice Milan location work and some very well-handled action sequences by Sergio Martino. The proceedings however get a little bogged down with a few too many subplots, unlikable characters, and lots and lots of talking about politics. Ernesto Gastaldi was one of the best of Italy's genre movie screenwriters, always able to inject some realism and dimensionality even into the small bit players. There's even some successful intentional humor, particularly during Luc Merenda's successful infiltration of a bank heist racket even though he's (a former?) chief of police.

The car chases in this film really take the cake though as some of the best of the genre, and quite early in the cycle too. Footage from the chases popped up in numerous other crime films, particularly Umberto Lenzi's. Also, a lot of the same henchmen would pop up in film to film from here on out. While at first I was irked that the two bumbling goons (Claudio Ruffini and Sergio Smacchi) who get tasked with tailing Merenda around just disappear without any resolution, I was delighted to see teamed again (possibly as the same characters?) in such films as THE CYNIC THE RAT AND THE FIST.

Granted, the success of this film, along with HIGH CRIME led to an explosion of Italian crime movies over the rest of the decade. The two films share much in common including featuring a fisticuffs- loving inspector using extreme methods to rid his city of crime to the tune of Guido and Maurizio De Angelis music. Oh yes, and Silvano Tranquilli appears in both, though his character here much less intimidating.

Renowned genre maestro, Sergio Martino's aptly monikered, 'Violent Professionals' is another uproariously entertaining, ball-bustingly bellicose poliziotteschi classic that is frequently praised on a goodly number of Euro-crime threads, and its lofty position in rabid poliziotteschi fan's hearts is well deserved. 'Violent Professionals' undiminished ability to attract a multitude of Euro-cult fans is certainly due in no small part to the exciting 70s actioner's colourful celebration of gratuitous violence, and bravura ballistic carnage that adds so much pep to the exhilaratingly diverse exploitation oeuvre of gonzo director, Sergio Martino.

This appetizingly blunt, snub-nosed poliziotteschi comes replete with all the bloodthirsty thug-trashing bacchanalia to make it a resounding keeper!!! Granted, Luc 'smart hair of death' Merenda lacked the hypertensive, barbarian machismo of, Nero & Merli, he nonetheless cuts a beguilingly svelte figure amongst all the supercharged vehicular slaughter! Euro-crime's most debonair deadbeat-dropper, Luc Merenda, always manages to emerge from dutifully disseminating balaclava-clad thugs with his enviably coiffed thatch of lustrous hair immaculately intact! For me, dangerously dishy, Luc Merenda will ALWAYS remain the suavest-looking of the Poliziotteschi douchebag destroyers, a delectably dapper vendor of death, Euro-Crime's deadliest fashionista!!! Even as one of the most avid, Maurizio Merli freaks, Sergio Martino's muscular 70s Euro-crime thriller, 'Violent Professionals' ranks strongly against the very best by, Umberto Lenzi or, Stelvio Massi!

Typical Italian police movie of the Seventies. The baddies (and sometimes the goodies) meet a violent death. Bandits, hostages, police shooting at anything and anybody, hand grenades fly through the air.... Entertaining car chases in the Milan of the period, particularly if you like spotting old cars! Sound-track unmistakably Seventies!

The hunky Luc Merenda stars here as Giorgio Caneparo, one of your standard "Dirty Harry"-type police detectives who has his own way of doing things. Motivated to righteous fury by the brazen murder of his loyal boss DelBuono (Chris Avram), he infiltrates the Milan underworld to seek answers.

Giorgio is nicely set up right at the beginning when he decides to put down some child-murdering scum who escaped authorities. It's a hoot to watch this character as he goes about his business: robbing a hooker at gunpoint, beating the stuffing out of her pimp, torturing an informant, etc. Yet, Merenda has plenty of charisma to spare in portraying this offbeat hero.

The script by the prolific Ernesto Gastaldi can get incoherent at times, but making up for that is the filmmaking savvy of Sergio Martino, who brings life to this cool example of Eurocrime cinema. There is gunfire, and sleaze, and a few chase scenes that are extremely well done. The chase scenes are the best part of the film.

The performances are right on the money, with Richard Conte co-starring as a mafioso who recruits Giorgio as a getaway driver, ignorant of his true identity. The very sexy Martine Brochard has a decent role as a potential love interest for Giorgio. Dubbed "Maria X" by him, she's witty and bright, yet not completely forthcoming about her lot in life.

Enlivened by a wonderful score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis, "The Violent Professionals" is not among the very best of this genre, but it does show its audience a pretty good time. It wears its influence right on its sleeve, right up to the final sequence.

Seven out of 10.