A crude vision of rotten and collapsed society by Damiani,where he describe through a old and seasoned cop who are in clash with a young public prosecutor around corruption on political agents in property speculation,each one has a point of veiw,the cop has a realist and prosecutor read under the law,one them will see how the wheels turn...anyway a consistent and solid movie about power and justice in two different perspectives!!Nero and Balsan were in great shape in a stunning performance,highly recommended!!Resume:First watch: 1993 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD / Rating: 8.5

Honest, dedicated Commissioner Bonavia (superbly played by Martin Balsam) risks both his life and career in order to arrest wily, powerful and evasive mobster Ferdinando D'Ambrosio (a marvelously slimy portrayal by Luciano Catenacci). Bonavia clashes with shrewd, smooth and by-the-book young district attorney Traini (the always fine Franco Nero) over the questionable methods he uses to nab D'Ambrosio. Director Damiano Damiani, who also co-wrote the sharp, complex and intriguing script with Salvatore Laurani, relates the absorbing story at a steady pace and does an expert job of maintaining a serious and gritty tone throughout. The uniformly sound acting from a tip-top cast rates as another substantial plus: Balsam and Nero both excel in their meaty roles, with fine support from Marilu Tolo as D'Ambrosio's frightened old flame Serena LiPuma, Giancarlo Prete as gutsy union organizer Rizzo, Claudio Gora as crooked attorney general Judge Malta, Arturo Dominici as shifty mafia shyster lawyer Canistraro, and Adolfo Lastretti as dangerous, unhinged hoodlum LiPuma. Both Riz Ortolani's moody, melodic score and Claudio Ragona's polished cinematography are up to speed. The potent central message about pervasive corruption and travesties of justice packs one hell of a strong punch. Moreover, the film's tough, no-nonsense sensibility stays grimly true to itself to the literal bitter end. Those expecting your usual nasty and sleazy shoot 'em up action picture will be disappointed, but fans of more demanding and complicated fare should appreciate this admirably ambitious and intelligent character study of two radically contrasting law enforcers. Well worth a look.

As was the case with L'ISTRUTTORIA E' CHIUSA: DIMENTICHI (1971), this too proved different to what I had been anticipating - as Martin Balsam is the nominal police-officer hero, while lead Franco Nero is merely an investigating magistrate! When Balsam is bumped off, the film follows Nero's actions but ends on an ambiguous open-ended note. However, Balsam is excellent as the unorthodox and determined Commissioner; Nero, on the other hand, occasionally overacts as the flustered State representative. Marilu' Tolo has a small but pivotal role, and her death sequence is particularly mean.Despite the poliziottesco ambiance, it's far less action-oriented than usual but all the more classy and compelling for this reason; still, when action is required by the narrative, the film rises to the occasion. The complex plot (involving Balsam's backstory told in intermittent flashbacks) takes some effort to follow, but the rewards are reaped eventually. As usual for this sort of film, Riz Ortolani's score is a notable asset. By the way, not only is the surname of Nero's superior, a judge, Malta but other surnames here - such as Bonavia (Balsam's character) and Rizzo - are also typically Maltese!

Boom! Awesome, flawless movie. Doesn't get much better than this movie. Balsam's performance is so divine that it gives me goosebumps to this date. Highly recommended if you can find it. The pace is perfect...not too slow, not too fast. It unfolds wonderfully.