Page 94 - Alternative Europe Eurotrash and Exploitation Cinema Since 1945

POLICE - ITALIAN STYLE
As noted above, cinematic studies have identified the ideological and social pressures that inform
American images of the 'rogue cop' (and the desires they gratify within their audience). However, verv
little critical work has been undertaken on comparable European images of law enforcement, even
considering the enormous influx of crime/cop films produced in Italy from 1971-79.
One of the first Italian crime/cop films to get noticed was Stefano Vanzina's La Polizia ringrazm
(1971) and was, subsequently, given its own classification - the poliziotteschi (or police) film. Vanzina
(also known as Steno) brought a frenetic, almost comic sensibility to this new genre. The filmmaker
directed the Piedone ('flatfoot') series ranging from Piedone lo sbirro (1973) to Piedone d'Egitto (1979).
These slapstick cop films starred Bud Spencer, (who played 'Bambino' in the spaghetti western Trinity
series with Terence Hill). The Trinity series was outrageously popular in America during the early
1970s, unlike the Piedone films, which never caught on in the US. Though Vanzina basically started
a new genre in Italian film, he went back to directing comedy/slapstick movies.
Director Enzo Castellari, who started his career directing westerns (Vado ... Tammazzo e torno
(1967)) moved easily into poliziotteschi with La Poliza incrimina la legge assolve (1973). Castellari was
able to assimilate the cinematic aesthetics (and excesses) of Sam Peckinpah into the cop genre with a
balletic blaze of gunfire and car chases.
Consequently, these directors paved the way for other notable Italian filmmakers to enter the
genre. These included Umberto Lenzi - a director who is probably known more for his horror film
excesses (specifically 'cannibalsploitation' films like Mangiati vivi (1980), Cannibal Ferox (1981) and
'zombiesploitation' flicks such as Incubo sulla citta contaminata (1980)) than poliziotteschi. Arguably,
his most accomplished films are cop thrillers such as Roma a mano armata (1976), // Trucido e lo sbirro
(1976), Napoli violenta (1976) and, before going the way of the cannibal, Da Corleone a Brooklyn
(1978). Lenzi not only borrowed from American directors such as Peckinpah and William Friedkin,
he understood the nuances of Francis Ford Coppola by incorporating - in even the hardest cops - the
pathos of loyalty and friendship.
It is easy to misinterpret Italian crime/cop films from the early 1970s as brazen Dirty Harry knock-
offs because, more often than not, these films incorporated a lone cop fighting the 'system' - using
brute force to bring the 'bad guys' down, much the same way Callahan did in his work. However,
Italian crime/cop films were a reflex reaction to the explosive political environment found in cities
like Rome, Naples and Milan during the 1970s. Like Callahan, the 'lone w o l f in Italian crime films
was, many times, a cop on the force who had no choice but to fight violent behaviour with even more
brutal violence.
In fact, many Italian crime/cop films had titles that reflected the incendiary atmosphere of the
city where they took place - for example, Roma violenta (1975, aka Violent Rome) or Napoli violenta
(aka Violent Naples). Yet audiences - particularly American audiences, who saw these films at inner-
city grindhouses, drive-in theatres or on late-night television - saw them presented with reworked
titles based on the Dirty Harry theme. With titles like Una Magnum Special per Tony Saitta (1976,
aka Blazing Magnum) and Napoli si ribella (1977, aka A Man Called Magnum), it is easy to see why
viewers regard these Italian films as forgettable rip-offs. But in actuality, Italian crime/cop films used

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