More realism from Damiano Damiani which means no car chases and only slight violence. Plus the film is too damn long! Nearly two hours of drama. On the plus side, it's a film in an exploitation genre that is about a film itself being exploited for political purposes. Let's plunge into the plot for several paragraphs, after which I'm going to expose my balls.In Palermo, Franco Nero is a journalist/filmmaker type who believes the best way to get to the people is through the medium of film, and therefore he has just released a very political (and arty) film about a corrupt magistrate who is eventually killed for his crimes. Nero's film is gathering a huge amount of attention, but the actual magistrate who seems to be the target of the film isn't too happy, and neither is his wife. It's through Nero's eyes that we're introduced to the complicated tier system of the justice side of Sicily, and lo and behold it does seems a crooked as a Curly Wurly that's been forgotten in the trousers of a child on a sunny day.Nero's only true friend (besides the political left-wing journalists and that woman he's bumping uglies with) is mafia guy Renzo Palmer, who seems genuinely to like Nero, but then again when he gives Nero a lift to the airport, it's rather iffy that at that exact moment the actual magistrate gets the old bullet to the head in a car park. This sends the whole society of Palermo into a frenzy, as the proles think that Nero's film has influenced someone to take the law into their own hands, and everyone in the justice system starts turning on each other and blaming each other for the murder...This takes Nero on a very long journey to find out who actually killed the judge or whatever he was, and on the way he gains new friends and burns bridges with old ones. This is a Damiano film - it all plays out just like it could in real life and if you're familiar with his films, you won't be too surprised by the ending. It's also (yet again) a kind of murder mystery, so if you're mental you could call it a giallo too. Due to the realism, a long time passes from the first murder to when other folk start getting bumped off, so it's just as well we've got some decent acting talent to keep us going. Of course, Nero does his usual emotional, passionate routine that I never tire off, but I'm also glad to say that yet again Renzo Palmer stands out as the cocky, yet honourable, Mafia guy who is Nero guardian angel. The relationship between the two seems almost genuine. I can't be bothered looking up the name of the magistrate's wife but she was good too. All in all, it's a slow, long film displaying very little Eurocrime clichés, but it's also a welcome break from those clichés too!

During the 70s several films related to life in Sicily and Mafia's misdoing were made, most of them starred by Franco Nero. Probably this was the best acting period for Nero. The present film is a bit different from the others, its plot is original and I found it quite interesting. Giacomo Solaris (Nero) is a film-maker very much interested in all Mafia's deals. As a result of his work he came to some conclusions and assertions with a film he made regarding a Sicilian magistrate, and from here the plot starts and you will follow it in a labyrinth of issues. The film is also interesting because it shows the differences of the people speaking Italian from the North with the Sicilian population. For example, Nero pronounces Italian well while the Sicilians have a particular accent due to the influence of their local dialect. It also reflects well the environment in Sicilian towns. May be a modest film compared to others but good to see it.

I really love Damiani movies, I think that he is the best director from Italy that deals with the Mafia and political crimes, in a very realistic approach. His movies are always an intellectual feast for the mind. Unfortently Perché Si uccide un magistrato is not the case. The movie is to say the least boring and long. The story idea is very interesting, Franco Nero plays a director whose last film foreseen the murder of a supreme judge. It is the old question of propaganda cinema, is it really effecting and makes a difference. But as the story evolves we meet so many character's and politician, that it is getting confusing at times and misses the point. Franco Nero is charming as usually but even his passionate acting could not lift this movie from his problems. I was also expecting for some Italian grim action, but I was disappointed to find non, and I mean it. I cannot recommend this movie, but I can recommend on 2 other political/Mafia movies of Damiano 1) "A confession of a police commissioner". 2) "A man on his knee". If you can put your hands on them you will be rewarded.

Giacomo Solaris (Franco Nero) has just made a film about the hypocrisy in the judicial system focusing on one particular judge and his ties with the Mafia. As life often imitates art, the real life judge he used as a basis for his character is brutally murdered just as in his movie. Solaris begins to weave his way through a web of corrupt politicians, mobsters, and those with a grudge against the judge to find the killer.My rating for How to Kill a Judge is probably not a very good indicator as to the quality of this film. It's not that How to Kill a Judge is all that bad or anything, it's just that I was hoping for a different movie. How to Kill a Judge is a fairly entertaining drama with interesting characters, good locations, and a nice twist at the end. Franco Nero is as solid as ever and his scenes with Francoise Fabian are the standout moments of the film. There's some real chemistry between the two. The simplicity of the ending was refreshing, especially after having watched Franco go through the complicated and tangled web to reach the finale.But, as I said, this is not the movie I wanted. I was hoping for an over-the-top polizia thriller similar to something like Syndicate Sadists or Almost Human. Instead of an action packed cop film, How to Kill a Judge is so dialogue heavy that it often gets dull. And, it doesn't help anything that the movie goes off in several different directions without any real purpose. A tighter script and a little more action would have gone a long way to making How to Kill a Judge the movie I was looking for.