An early Italian crime film before the 1970s
cycle came about. It is a mess of a film - poorly structured and weakly characterized.
What it does have going for it - and is mentioned in most of the reviews
I have seen - is a great twangy soundtrack from Piero Umiliani that drives
the narrative. I can't say I am familiar with his work and with over 160
films credited to him as composer, I should. There are too many characters
to keep track of and the film gives each of them more time than they deserve.
It takes a while to get the characters and their women straight and in truth
you never really care about any of them. They are all rotters, thieves, misogynists
and cruel. And they are what we are stuck with as viewers.
It begins with a confusing scene of a shoot-out
between cops and a gang with Klaus Kinski looking on from another car in
his ever-present fedora. As the gang gets away in a van, there is a lengthy
flashback for all of them. This takes up about half of the film and indulges
in swinging discos, orgies and night clubs. It seems to be leading to a bank
heist but mainly it is this gang of young males enjoying the nightlife and
hitting on women. After wading through all of that, we finally get back to
the heist and the film gets more interesting.
Kinski is the financier of the heist and
wants 50% of the loot, but it is hard to tell why they needed one. All they
need is a white van to look like a bank van and a fake moustache. One of
the gang imitates a bank security guard and walks in and takes two bags of
cash. This is not Topkapi. After they get away, Kinski decides he needs to
do some cleaning up. Of everyone. I wonder if I can get any of Piero Umiliani's
soundtracks. Oh - one of his cds on Amazon for a mere $327. Directed by Siro
Marcellini (Black Tigress).
