It might be the season of Poliziotteschi films on Blu ray (I still feel that REVOLVER is not quite rightly housed within this genre, more later). Sergio Sollima film, the second of his crime and socio political films that get housed in the Poliziotteschi genre, sees Oliver Reed play Milan’s prison warden, Vito Cipriani. He has been given an order from a tough bunch of gangsters. They want an inmate called Milo (Fabio Testi) released. the collateral is Vito wife Anna (Agostina Belli). She gets given back, if he gets the guy out. However, when the warden allows his prisoner to escape, the two become trapped in a deadly game of cross and double cross. The city streets are dubious, thanks to many big wigs taking money from the citizens pockets and hoping that their crime friends keep anyone that knows, silence.
Sollima REVOLVER has been ill treated then and now, by poor marketing language and not ideal framing from the film world trying to sell it desperately to the audience.
It is an intelligent film. Lacking some of expected bite of advertised ‘ tougher than DEATH WISH’. Instead it probes the dubiousness of good and lawful. Turning on a wave of anti establishment, indignant fears. Reed and Testi have good chemistry, served by a good director, with a half decent script, the film is a solid turn in for the director. As it is much more complex , sadly it was and will be sent into the margins as all films of note are. Sollima was a highly political director. One that split his viewer. Concerned with post war criminality, corruption and contamination of the good in society, it is always going to take a stronger will to accept the mirror, reflecting back reality.
Eureka 1080p from the 4K needs sharpening up a little please. It has a colour grading issue that washes bits of the film out completely. The commentary has Kim Newman, very insightful but in full waffle sometimes. He needed to be restrained a bit if possible. Stephen Thrower has a lot more to say but is given a reduced chance to speak. What we do get, grapples with the richer themes in the film. Excellent.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Limited Edition O-Card slipcase [2000 copies]
1080p presentation on Blu-ray from a 4K restoration
English and Italian audio options
Optional English Subtitles, newly translated for this release
Brand new audio commentary by author / critic Kim Newman
Brand new interview with film scholar Stephen Thrower, author of Nightmare USA
Archival interview with actor Fabio Testi
Original Trailers and Radio Adverts
A Limited Edition collector’s booklet featuring two new essays by author Howard Hughes; one covering the background to the making of Revolver, and an extensive piece on Ennio Morricone’s “Eurocrime” soundtracks [2000 copies]
