Euro Crime

The poliziotteschi or Euro Crime films were extremely popular in Italy throughout the 70’s, and many of the same directors who were into spaghetti westerns switched over after American successes like The French Connection and Dirty Harry. Hundreds of these films were made but they seem to take a back seat, these days, to more popular movies belonging to other Italian exploitation genres.

If anyone is into these films, please post favorites because I’m always looking for any I haven’t seen yet. For those who might be interested, below are two I think are great and are solid introductions to the genre.

Street Law (1974)
Directed by Enzo G. Castellari, Franco Nero plays an ordinary guy who’s money is stolen during a bank robbery. After loosing faith in the cops, he decides to track the bad guys down on his own, only to find the crime world hard to navigate. I love how Nero expresses much of his frustration through his eyes in this one. An addicting score and smooth camera work make Street Law a great starting point for anyone interested in the Euro Crime genre.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JHcDIbke3GI


The Italian Connection (1972)
A low level pimp is hunted by two hit men for unknown reasons. Mario Adorf is absolutely great as the pimp being chased by hit men Woody Strode and Henry Silva. Most say Caliber 9 (1972) was Di Leo’s best poliziotteschi film but I think this one blows it away. Great score and awesome stunt work done by the actual actors.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dYx9wupw6OA


Here are some others that I think are really good:
Manhunt in the City (1975)
Caliber 9 (1972)
Violent Rome (1975)
Il Boss (1973)
Weapons of Death (1977)
The Cynic, the Rat and the Fist (1977)
Cry of a Prostitute (1974)
Almost Human (1974)
A Special Cop in Action (1976)
Rabid Dogs (1975)
Battle of The Godfather’s (1973)
The Tough Ones (1976)