From 1972 The Italian Connection (La Mala Ordina) is the middle entry in director Fernando Di Leo’s poliziottesco ‘Milieu Trilogy’. Here from Radiance Films/ Raro Video is a remastered 4K Blu-ray release of the film, featuring a good selection of extras.

Poliziottesco describes an Italian crime thriller genre most popular in the 1970s which coincided with Italy’s notorious ‘Years of Lead’, a period dating from the late 1960s to the late 1980s and dominated by violence and social and political unrest.  As a genr, these films both reflected and exploited the tenor of their times with their hard-boiled character and explicit violence.

A feature of poliziotteschi was their loner blue-collar heroes trying to break out of hostile and corrupt environments.  The Italian Connection takes this to the limit by making its protagonist Milan based Luca Canali (Mario Adorf) that lowly and despised figure, the pimp.  Canali is made likeable primarily by his understandable panic and confusion at being hounded (he is a fall guy set up by gangsters) and also by his wholesome love for his daughter.

A hit has been arranged by US kingpin Corso (Cyril Cusack) after the theft of a huge heroin consignment belonging to him.  The true culprit mob boss Don Vito Tressoldi (Adolfo Celi) has decided to put the blame on a local criminal and Luca has been chosen.  However, for Tressoldi and the hitmen Canali proves to be, despite his fear and unreadiness, a resourceful and courageous opponent, bringing the fight back to them.

Like many popular Italian films of its period, The Italian Connection is dominated by bold colours and striking design.  Everyone seems to live in modernist apartments, even the seemingly fusty Corso.  The film is happy to push its exploitable elements.  There is frequent female nudity.  The violence isn’t spared but generally not over the top.  It does stretch to modern gothic set pieces as when a character is crushed by the grip of a crane in a scrapyard (also a detail on some of the movie’s posters)

Performances are decent.  As Canali the distinguished German character actor Mario Adorf carries the film.  Viewers will become entirely engrossed by Adorf’s immersive performance, especially his raw rage after Tressoldi has his wife and child assassinated.  As hitmen, Dave and Frank, Henry Silva and Woody Strode are generally impassive but chill occasionally to mix it up with the Milanese girls.  The general vibe of hitmen on holiday occasionally shooting the breeze was an acknowledged influence on Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs.

Despite the opportunism of the English language titling (the original translates as Mob Orders), William Friedkin’s The French Connection and Di Leo’s movie do have a more salient connection beyond the common theme of drug smuggling.  A thrilling car chase.  Here Luca pursues the Tressoldi goon responsible for killing his wife and child in a hectic chase along Milan’s roads which culminates in the goon’s own murder.

The Blu-ray has sparse but worthwhile extras.  There are two featurettes.  The first, an archive item from 2004 titled The Roots of the Mafia features recollections of the making of The Italian Connection from Fernando Di Leo and actress Romana Coluzzi (Trini).  The second one … And A Tiny Bullet for a Tiny Kitten, a visual essay by the Flying Maciste Brothers discusses the absurdism and social commentary of Di Leo’s ‘Milieu Trilogy’ (The Italian Connection is bookmarked by Caliber 9 (also 1972) and The Boss (1973)) and its parallels with Dante’s The Divine Comedy.

The Italian Connection is colourful, tight and engrossing.  If you enjoy crime thrillers and/or Italian cinema this is well worth your time. With this release, Radiance and Raro have made an excellent version of a well-regarded cult film available to the UK public on Blu-ray.