LA MANO SPIETATA DELLA LEGGE- THE BLOODY HANDS OF THE LAW (1973)
Phillipe Leroy, Klaus Kinski
An old crime boss is assassinated in his hospital bed and is spotted by a yong woman. Her roommate urges her not to tell the police but she does so anyway and is murdered for her trouble. Her roommate is also murdered along with her boyfriend. The identities of the killers are found out but the police have a difficult time making arrests as anyone who is a witness or knows anything at all are killed. It is eventually found out that a large criminal organization is at work with links to the police force itself, and they're not about to allow themselves to be discovered.
Phillipe Leroy is serviceable as Lt. Carmine who, as the film progresses, gradually goes over the deep end as he tries to bring the crooks to justice but is foiled at nearly every turn. Not sure if I've seen him before but he is an agile actor who appears to do his own stunts.
Kinski is evil as hell here as the silent assassin who tortures and murders the various people who learn a bit too much info even blow torching the genital region of one of his greasy underlings for raping one of the victims. Kinski never speaks in this one although when he is caught, he is nearly beaten to death by Leroy who finally gets him to confess but you never see it. Why Kinski never got lines here is unknown. But he is deliciously evil in this role by his facial expressions.
The movie itself is decent. There is little action but lots of violence and torture. The ending is anti climactic. Upon learning the criminal organization is run by an international group of stock brokers(!), Leroy learns of the big bosses whereabouts and boards a train to go get him. The end credits roll over his blank yet nearly crazed visage after having lost his beautiful wife and his sanity after trying to destroy crime that the court system is obliged to protect.
One of the most surprising aspects of the movie is that NONE of the villains are killed by the good guys but are rubbed out by the villains they work for when they've revealed information about their employers after being beaten to a pulp by the police.
It's a sleazy, downbeat little movie and probably the best film by Mario Gariazzo.
