Un citoyen se rebelle

The comments largely have it right, though not always the right conclusion. Many said, "not the usual revenge flick", and a few of the less sentient commentators dissed Franco Nero's performance. Put it all together and that's precisely why this gets 8/10 from me. MUCH better than anything Charles Bronson did, and I think better than a lot of the Spaghetti Western "revenge" movies. Nero's character isn't invincible. He's not even very good at it. But that gives it a realism that owes more to Italian horror films than to the westerns. Perhaps that's why Barbara Bach is in it. Could have changed her name...

Very much a period piece, if it seems a bit much at times, you need to read up on what Italian society was like when this was filmed. A strike every other day, a bombing on the off days, petty crime rampant, sex drugs and rock 'n roll everywhere, police on the take, mafia shakedowns about anywhere, kidnappings, extortion... If you're not going to make a primo revenge flick in that milieu, I guess you never will. The Italian title is more descriptive. "A Citizen who Rebels".

Il cittadino si ribella (1974), directed by Enzo G. Castellari, is a gritty and engaging entry into the vigilante justice genre. Starring Franco Nero as the protagonist Carlo Antonelli, the film offers a raw and visceral portrayal of a man pushed to his limits by a society rife with crime and corruption. The premise, while not groundbreaking, is executed with a distinct Italian flair that sets it apart from its American counterparts.

The film's strongest asset is Franco Nero's compelling performance. Nero convincingly captures Antonelli's transformation from a mild-mannered engineer to a determined avenger. His portrayal is nuanced, balancing vulnerability and intensity, which adds depth to a character that could have easily fallen into clichéd territory. The supporting cast, including Giancarlo Prete as the hardened ex-convict Tommy, also delivers solid performances that enhance the film's gritty realism.

Visually, Il cittadino si ribella excels with its dynamic cinematography and gritty urban settings. Castellari's direction is adept at creating tension, particularly in the film's numerous action sequences. The car chases and shootouts are well-choreographed and thrilling, providing a visceral punch that keeps the audience engaged. The film's score, composed by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis, complements the action with its energetic and evocative themes, further immersing viewers in the film's intense atmosphere.

However, the film is not without its flaws. The narrative sometimes feels uneven, with pacing issues that can detract from the overall momentum. Some plot points are resolved too conveniently, which can undermine the film's gritty realism. Despite these shortcomings, Il cittadino si ribella remains a compelling watch, offering a raw and unfiltered look at one man's fight against crime and the personal costs of vigilantism. It's a film that resonates with the frustrations of its era.

After being taken as a hostage and beaten by three vicious bank robbers, an "average guy" (Franco Nero) becomes outraged by the refusal of the police to take drastic action and decides to go on a personal war against the underworld. The script of this slick-looking, violent tale is standard crime-movie stuff, but director Castellari manages to put in some stylish shots and to stage a gripping final shootout. It's almost as if you're watching a spaghetti crime thriller. (**)

"Street Law" (1974) is one of Italian genre director Enzo G. Castellari's many crime thrillers. Italian superstar Franco Nero plays an ordinary citizen who is temporarily taken hostage and beaten by a group of sadistic bank robbers. He tells his story to the police who blow him off after accusing him of being reckless in fighting back with such dangerous criminals. Good old Nero decides to take the law into his own hands and stage a war with the thugs, against the wishes of his girlfriend (Barbara "Mrs. Ringo Starr" Bach) Director Castellari is credited as being one of the pioneers of the crime/police thriller genre in Italy. He proves to be ingenious in his simple mastery of action sequence staging. His use of Peckinpah-style slow mo is also damn exciting. The editing and cinematography are also very striking! Another plus is the catchy rock score by Guido and Maurizio De Angelis that adds real punch to the great opening credit sequence.

"Street Law" isn't exactly a stand-out or a distinctive piece of cinema in the endless array of action movies from around the world, but Castellari sure as hell is!

The best part of this film is definitely the scene where a filthy and beaten-up Franco Nero has to outrun a '66 Mustang in a junkyard, complete with a really good long lens slow motion shot of Nero running toward the camera with a car right behind him.

The plot details Nero's quest to bring three bank robbers (Romano Puppo, Nazzareno Zamperla, and Massimo Vanni) who took him hostage and beat him up to justice. To do this, he blackmails a local street thug (Giancarlo Prete in a good role) and forces him to show him around the underworld and eventually find them to exact vigilante justice on them. What sets this mundane tale apart are the frequent changes-of-alliance and doublecrosses, as the action sequences are relatively weak (considering it's a Castellari movie). STREET LAW is not really that violent either when compared with most other Italian crime films. (Compare Romano Puppo's final scene here with a similar scene in Lucio Fulci's CONTRABAND.)

Guido and Maurizio De Angelis's score is certainly similar to their work for the many Bud Spencer / Terence Hill films (though not under their usual Oliver Onions pseudonym), but to me sounds a lot better. While the songs are weird and use seemingly every possible instrument and sound in the book, the "Good Bye My Friend" song is a great song even though the lyrics in most of it make no sense. The same can be said of "Driving All Around". Nero once again plays the same character he plays in every movie, but his character is not totally developed (though that may have been hurt severely by the confusing re-editing of the US version that I saw) and his relationship with his girlfriend Barbara Bach is barely touched on. While the plot is simple, it often becomes uninteresting, and certainly doesn't have the more epic feeling of Castellari/Nero's previous film High Crime. Castellari's next film (the goofy but surreal CRY ONION) tried to capitalize off this one, with Nero once again up against the same trio of thugs along with another over-the-top De Angelis score, though any similarity with this film ends there.

Watch for an amusing cameo by charismatic American actor Mickey Knox (who made a career as a dubbing voice in many Italian movies and Japanese Anime cartoons) as a gangster who runs a gaming parlor.

Not a great film, but colorful and different enough to make it entertaining to most casual viewers.