Di Leo’s ‘Shoot First, Die Later’
You gotta hand it to Fernando Di Leo — he really knows how to open his movies with a bang. His ’72 ‘Milano Calibro 9’ has one of the most explosive pre-credit sequences out there and his ’74 poliziottesco ‘Shoot First, Die Later’ (‘Il Poliziotto e’ Marcio’) begins just as brutally. This guy knows how to grab our attention.
Dashing police detective Domenico Malacarne is good at his job and looks good doing it: he catches the bad guys, the press love him and his proud father (also a cop) adores him. Yet something’s not quite right and it’s not long before we realise Malacarne is on the take, turning a blind eye to cigarette smuggling and gambling for a piece of the mob’s action. After all, Malacarne’s name does translate as “bad meat”.
But when an elderly man is witness to an arms-trafficking operation murder and the mob want the old codger’s police report “disposed of”, this becomes a line Malacarne refuses to cross and decides to make a stand, especially as the report is in the hands of his police sergeant dad. This will not only put his life in danger but also risk losing the respect of his girlfriend and, worst of all, the love of his father. It couldn’t get any worse than that though, right? Right?
What’s great about Di Leo’s approach to the crime-thriller is how seriously he takes the proceedings, although never forgetting he is out to entertain, so there’s a maturity at work here as opposed to just pure exploitation. The film is bleak and gritty but never descends into grim or sleaze, although it certainly has its share of nasty moments, and we certainly know Malacarne’s fate is not going to be a happy one.
There’s also Di Leo’s typically robust storytelling and assured directing that’s not only overly stylish but suitably energetic and kinetic with a nice hand-held frenzy when needed. This is evident in the film’s two car chases with the one at the end being very good whilst the extended chase at the start is genuinely awesome. Wow! You can tell Di Leo is attempting something in the same league as ‘The French Connection’ (1971) and although he doesn’t reach those heights (what film does?) he comes surprisingly close. No small feat taking into account the smaller budget and resources. It’s a great sequence, expertly choreographed by future James Bond car chase coordinator Remy Julienne and his team, even if the insert shots of the stars “driving” feel incongruously inert.
‘Shoot First, Die Later’ is a very good Italian crime-thriller. It’s not as great as Di Leo’s bona fide masterpiece ‘Milano Calibro 9’ but for a tough, nihilistic dive into police corruption this is really worth checking out.
And isn’t that a fantastic poster?
