Syndicate Sadists is a 1975 movie directed by Umberto Lenzi.
WHAT HAPPENS?
A biker vows revenge on two rival crime families after his brother is murdered while investigating a kidnapping.
ONE LINE REVIEW
Tomas Milian shines in an essential 70’s Euro Crime classic.
THE ACTORS
Syndicate Sadists is Tomas Milian’s show. His Rambo character is a drifter that possesses an impeccable cool and Serpico-esque, 70’s style. His wit and wiry, physical prowess foreshadows a more natural version of the amped-up action heroes that would soon follow. Milian’s easy delivery and natural comic style carries the movie.
Dillinger is a 1945 movie directed by Max Nosseck.
Dillinger tells the rise and fall story of John Dillinger from petty crook to America’s most wanted bank robber. Lawrence Tierney plays the title character with a hardened, dominating menace. He creates a truly contemptible villain – one fitting with the era and decidedly slanted direction of Max Nosseck. There is no redemption even remotely suggested – Tierney’s Dillinger is a cold-blooded killer and thief.
THE BEST – It’s Tierney’s World
The orbit of Dillinger is all-consuming. There’s little oxygen left for the remaining characters. Tierney’s Dillinger dominates conversations. Some of the best:
“John, I don’t think we should do this.” “I don’t care what you think.”
“I’d like to know where I am.” “You’re with me.”
“Why don’t you take that poster down?” “I like it there.”
THE WORST – The Disguise
For a movie that boasts a surprising grit and hard moments of realism, Tierney’s comic mustache and glasses when he’s finally killed is mostly hilarious. This facet of the ending is a strange departure from the rest of the movie’s tone – along with a stain on Tierney’s otherwise hard-boiled, authentic performance.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING -4.25/5
Dillinger is highlighted by an outstanding performance by Tierney. The supporting cast is passable and despite the era’s insistence on social commentary, Dillinger maintains a unique authenticity and menace.
Le Petit Soldat is a 1963 movie directed by Jean-Luc Godard.
WHAT HAPPENS?
During the Algerian War, a member of a right-wing terrorist group falls in love with a member of a left-wing terrorist group.
ONE LINE REVIEW
Le Petit Soldat sees Godard challenge the existential ideals of love and alliance.
THE ACTORS
Michel Subor plays Bruno Forestier, the oft-reluctant Frenchman under the thumb of a right-wing terrorist group. Subor is given an interesting, if not fairly limited role. He’s a suspected double agent unwilling to carry out an assassination. Subor skillfully and briefly shows the nerves of a young man pressed into such a situation – yet the remainder of his character is nondescript, much in the manner of most spies. He is given ample time to expound his political and social views during the movie’s final half hour.
Likewise, this is probably Anna Karina’s most subdued Godard role. The vibrancy of her past characters is replaced with an air of mystery. We’re never sure where her motivations lie – she feels like more of an object than person. Early in the movie, she is photographed by Forestier while asked a series of questions. The scene could represent her own interrogation – either politically or as Forestier’s love interest. Yet even in this sense, her Veronica exists almost as an allusion; Forestier seeks to compare her eyes – a “Vasquez or Renoir grey.”
The Battle of Algiers is a 1966 movie directed by Gillo Pontecorvo.
The Battle of Algiers shows the distinct sides involved in the Algerian revolution of the 1950’s. Algerians are drawn into the clandestine National Liberation Front, becoming spies and guerrilla soldiers – while the French rely on military special forces to counter the bloody revolt. The Algerians are essentially quarantined and victims to massive bombings. We see the inner workings of the government response and the rationales given for each side’s involvement.
THE BEST – Realism
The movie was funded by the Algerian government, yet it’s tone and message is remarkably not a heavy-handed one. The enemy – in this case the French military tasked with defeating the uprising – is presented not as particularly cruel, but rather technically proficient and coldly calculating. Jean Martin’s Col. Mathieu is believable as he respects the tactical prowess of the revolting Algerians but fails to understand their emotional investment.
THE WORST – Realism
The extensive bombing and shootings conducted by both sides are documented throughout the movie – ultimately revealing the human carnage created. Perhaps the most telling moments involve the trio of female Algerians who leave bombs at various points in the crowded city. The emotions created moments before the explosions – desperately captured through the women’s tense eyes – reveal the cruel complexities of the struggle.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4.25/5
The Battle of Algiers is a powerful document of a revolution, capturing the dense rationales of each side. Without preaching a certain sentiment, the movie leaves the viewer feeling stunned. It’s a must watch.
La Grande Bouffe is a 1973 movie directed by Marco Ferreri.
WHAT HAPPENS?
A group of men gather for a weekend of gluttony and debauchery, ultimately revealing that they have agreed to eat themselves to death.
ONE LINE REVIEW
La Grande Bouffe is a savage satire that is decadent, gross, hilarious and decidedly human.
THE ACTORS
The movie revolves around five outstanding performances, featuring Marcello Mastroianni’s sex-craved pilot, Michel Piccoli’s television host, Phillipe Noiret’sa judge, Ugo Tognozzi’s chef and Andrea Ferreol as a teacher who is invited to the festivities.
Mastroianni is the most fascinating of the actors – his Marcello symbolizes all the craven lusts the men desire before their deaths. He exhibits a vacant, lustful, all-consuming stare directed towards food, women and his prized Bugatti. His life is possessed by material and carnal desires, yet he is the first of the men to realize the futility of their actions. His being is extinguished when he cannot get aroused.
The Hunting Party is a 1971 movie directed by Don Medford.
WHAT HAPPENS?
A rancher hunts down the men who kidnapped his wife using long-range rifles.
ONE LINE REVIEW
The Hunting Party features a superb cast of actors but the true star of the movie are a collection of long-range rifles.
THE ACTORS
The impressive cast is highlighted by Gene Hackman’s impossibly callous and vicious Brandt. His hunting trip is interrupted by his wife’s kidnapping – which leads to Reed’s crew of bandits becoming human prey. Hackman is dangerous and vile in his treatment of women – associating his wife with property. It’s a cold, cruel role and Hackman delivers.
Reed’s presence is felt throughout the movie, although physically he appears miscast as outlaw Frank Calder. His role suggests a tenderness but is lost in a series of disjointed scenes. Similarly, Candice Bergen’s Melissa is a confusing role. While she expertly conveys her character’s anger and grief, the motives are never clear.
Burn! is a 1969 movie directed by Gillo Pontecorvo.
Burn! tells the story of Sir William Walker, a British mercenary who helps an Antilles island gain its independence – before returning years later to remove its leader from power. Marlon Brando gives a solid performance as Walker, who mentors Evaristo Marquez’s Jose – before later turning on him. Brando plays his character with a cynicism and wit – he’s essentially a puppeteer hired by forces greater than him. At times, Brando appears disinterested, however we see glimpses of the actor who would emerge in later legendary roles.
THE BEST – The Monologues
Brando’s most memorable moments come as he addresses the island’s governors and Jose, the rebel leader. In his aloof, aristocratic delivery, Brando compares slavery to marriage. He later warns Jose that revolts outlive their need. As their relationship worsens and Jose’s influence grows, Marquez’s character ponders his own fate: “Have I become so dangerous?”
THE WORST – President Sanchez’s Bronzer
Renato Salvatori’s Sanchez is installed as the provisional government’s leader – at least until he overestimates his power. It’s a role easily overshadowed by Brando and Marquez. However, the amount of fake tan applied to Salvatori is spectacular.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4/5
At times, Burn! appears to be more message than movie. However, Pontecorvo delivers a daring and socially conscious story – using the intriguing Brando-Marquez match and a cast of hundreds to establish some gritty realism.
Cut-Throats Nine is a 1972 movie directed by Joaquin Luis Romero Marchent.
Cut-Throats Nine tells the story of a band of convicts chained together en route to a military fort. After being attacked by bandits, a sergeant and his daughter must survive the outlaws. The cruelty and greed of the men is revealed in vicious detail by Marchent, who crafts one of the most visceral and violent European Westerns ever made. The characters are virtually nondescript but their bloody actions are extraordinary.
THE BEST– The Hateful Eight Meets a Slasher Movie
Cut-Throats Nine boasts the feel of a snowy Corbucci Western but then turns distinctly macabre. In a sense, the savage acts committed are driven by the convicts’ desperation and desire for retribution. However, we’re never given time to fully examine the inner workings of the characters – which shifts the movie from Western to a gore-fest….albeit, one that’s remarkable.
THE WORST – The Daughter
Of course, you know what happens when a bunch of convicts get their hands on a girl – especially in a European Western. At the least, this act is later avenged. However, Emma Cohen’s Sarah isn’t given much to work with as the movie progresses.
FOX FORCE FIVE RATING – 4/5
Cut-Throats Nine is a surprisingly brutal and distinctly original European Western. A must watch.
