Page 91 - Alternative Europe Eurotrash and Exploitation Cinema Since 1945

C H A P T E R 6
VIOLENT J U S T I C E : ITALIAN C R I M E / C O P F I L M S O F T H E 1 9 7 0 s

Christopher Barry

INTRODUCTION

The rogue cop's appeal in popular/trash cinema is not hard to understand when considering it as a
reflection of the demands governing the male psyche. As film theorists have long argued, most men
can find an outlet for their social and sexual fantasies watching genre films, and cop thrillers/crime
melodramas are no exception. There is no doubt that male audiences can relate to the notion of a
'half embittered detective and half Superman'.1 Rogue cops and their larger-than-life qualities speak
volumes about male fantasy life explored while safely perched in a darkened theatre. The individualist
cop, the macho law enforcer silent while withstanding pain, only spurs his 'appetite for the dirtiest,
most demanding police work'.2 Ultimately, these films become a medium not for reflecting truth but
for reflecting desire.
The fantasy, or desire, for the common man is to face insurmountable challenges with a collected
cool, with an appetite for demanding and, one hopes, dirty work. The reality, however, is based in

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