Milan gangsterboss Don Tressoldi (Adolfo Celi) has cheated American
gangsterboss Corso (Cyril Cusack) out of a considerable sum of money, but
has somehow put the blame on small-fry pimp Luca Canali (MArio Adorf) ...
so Corso sends two hitmen (Henry Silva, Woody Strode) to Italy to not only
kill Canali but also teach the Italian Mafia who's the real boss around.
Don Tressoldi though now wants to prove his (false) loyalty and catch
Canali for the Americans ... only Canali is not as helpless as it seems
and constantly evades his captors and kills Tresoldi's men one after the
other.
The situationreally gets out of hands though when Tressoldi decides
it's a good idea to kill Canali's ex-wife (Sylva Koscina) and daughter,
and before Canali's very eyes too. Now Canali knows no holding back, packs
a few guns and pays a visit to Tressoldi, shooting dead all his men, and
in the end Tressoldi too, who until his last breath thinks he has the
upper hand and could talk Canali out of it (fat chance, that, since he had
his wife and daughter killed).
With Tressoldi dead, Canali actually phones the American hitmen after
him so they could meet for a final showdown at a scrapyard. After a very
violent finale, during which the Americans cold-bloodedly run over their
guide (Luciana Paluzzi) they have befriended and during which one of
Canali's arms is crushed by a falling car (!), Canali manages to kill his
adversaries ...
Excellent Italian crime thriller in which everything just seems to
click: a fast paced yet interesting narrative, colourful and
more-dimensional cahracters, a series of first class action setpieces
(especially a chase between Canali and the kiler of his wife and child,
and the final shoot-out on the scrapyard), a cast of brilliant actors and
a flawless direction.
Could one want more ? I think not !
Highest recommendation.
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