On hearing the announcement, those on social media went into a frenzy of excitement over Radiances THE IRON PREFECT release. A film like this does indeed, not come along everyday. I have never seen it and so was unsure of all the fuss. I am not a philistine, more I am a moderate now. Excitement of a film release is tapered. The reason for the excitement in my eyes, stemmed from Radiance maintaining their exciting remit. They are offering films others aren’t. Films that are hidden gems, classics and in between. Based on the true story of Cesare Mori (known to his friends as the iron prefect), its a mob buster epic. He is sent to Sicily to clean up the Mafiosi stronghold. The vice like grip of crime is choking the life out of normal people and Mori will resolve it. Often with force.

To the unsure or the unschooled, you feel here as if you are going to get a Poliziotteschi film. But be assured this is a slice of history. Well a boot in the face of history. Mori is faced with mass murders designed to scare him off. He doesn’t flinch. He is faced with casual meetings of mob heavies and corrupt judges. Not an eye brow raised. He shoots first. But he also mentions Italian history of fascism. Replacing one corrupt crowd with another. The films director Pasquale Squitieri seems determined to not make anyone above the law. The choice of  Giuliano Gemma, who has a brilliantly bio by Alex Cox on the disc, is genius. In the commentary, which has been about elsewhere apparently, they mention the role, the mindset and where his choice was important in delivering the centre of the film. Gemma was a spaghetti western icon certainly, but also had the face of a model. His coldness here is measured by his love of family.

What lifts it further is the cinematography of Sicily. Captured here in radiant 2K. The land of visual beauty, is in itself captured in moods that sheer the film. The hues are heat, flat and brutal. With rich interiors and green as life, royal and magnetic. Or something. Italian cinema expert Guido Bonsaver essay is a grounding in the film and more so, the region cinema. Helpful if you know very little or are interested to know more. I valued the articles on Mori. Which adds background.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES

• 2K restoration of the film from the original negative presented with Italian and English audio options
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• Archival interview with director Pasquale Squitieri and star Giuliano Gemma (2009)
• New interview with Squitieri biographer Domenico Monetti (2023)
• New appreciation of Giuliano Gemma and the film by filmmaker Alex Cox (2023)
• Original trailer
• New and improved English subtitles for Italian audio and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for English audio
• Reversible sleeve featuring designs based on original posters
• Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by Italian cinema expert Guido Bonsaver and an original article on the real-life Cesare Mori and his Mafia raid as depicted within the film
• Limited edition of 2000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

https://www.radiancefilms.co.uk/products/the-iron-prefect-le