Page 99 - Alternative Europe Eurotrash and Exploitation Cinema Since 1945

'if you can't find heaven at the Kremlin, there's always Mao.' Maria states that she is way ahead of
that 'Mao crap' and that the only way to topple a corrupt government is through protest. Violent
protest. Caneparo then refers to her as Mafia X in wry allusion to Malcolm X, which Maria does not
quite catch. So Caneparo shrugs it off saying, 'Maria X. You don't like it? You got a short memory.
X that. X this.'
It is significant to note that Caneparo's statement is lost in the film's translation to English
- Martino was trying to throw as much political allusion into the pot as he possibly could. But that
was Martino's impression of Italy's political make-up during the 1970s - a hodgepodge of conflicting
ideologies that saw a drive to find individualism among a morally corrupt government, a need for
empowerment and acceptance of the self within the ruin of oppression. Ultimately, Caneparo is led
to a powerful publishing magnate named Salisario (Richard Conte) who controls the media while
engaging a gang in terrorist activities to 'shake up' the system with violence - a concept embraced by
Maria X. The violence, according to Maria, creates chaos to 'build this country all over again'.
Because Caneparo is conservative by nature (he is offended when Maria X brings him to her
mansion where there's a sex-and-drugs orgy going on), he believes radical groups have to be stopped
even with a measure of reaction verging on fascist violence. In a sense, Caneparo's approach is as
radical as Salisario's. But, Caneparo justifies his actions in the name of the law - even though he has
been suspended and his mission is based on vengeance. In Caneparo's eyes, the law should represent
what's needed most - justice.

FIGURES 15 & 16 One man against a cortupt system: The Violent Professionals (1973)

Milan Trema reiterates the theme of police corruption when Caneparo discovers that police
commissioner Vitiani (Silvano Tranquilli) is actually the head of Salisario's tettorist group. Following
this revelation, Caneparo's impressions of the law are completely splintered. After crashing his car
into Vitiani's and pushing it off of a cliff, Caneparo drops his gun to the ground in disgust (the
scene being comparable to Harry Callahan throwing his badge into a dirty reservoir after taking out
the psycho Scorpio in Dirty Harry). Milan Trema - la polizia vuole giustizia ends with a statement
common to most films and literature - Any similarities to persons living or dead is a coincidence.'
But, considering the political backdrop in Italy - especially in cities like Milan - during the 1970s,
this final statement should actually be considered with tongue planted firmly in cheek. And, in a way,
it is as powerful a political statement as that found in Costa Gravas' politically charged potboiler Z
(1969) - Any similarity to actual persons or events is deliberate.' Although director Sergio Martino
was trying to cover himself with his 'coincidence' statement, Milan Trema provides accurate coverage
of the whole of Italian political mayhem during the early 1970s.

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