Violent Rome 1975

Inpector Betti (Maurizio Merli) rides a cop car through a hellish vision of 70s Rome where you can't even get a bus or go to the supermarket without being shot, mugged or raped. Or all of the above. Disgusted by the rampant crime, Betti seeks justice his own way but finds his methods out of sync with the powers that be.

If that plot sounds brief that is because this is a film with barely any plot. Instead crime stuff happens which Betti reacts to. Once one crime is solved, another comes along. Episodic is a term that about covers Violent Rome.

Directed without much flair by Marino Girolami, this was one of the flicks that helped Merli hit the big time as one of the go to people for Eurocrime. Merli has his detractors but I like the guy, but he is better in other films. Here he just sort of glowers and frowns. The Italian dub is a little stiff, the english dub actually works better as Betti actually conveys some emotion whereas in Italian he is very monotone. Some solid character actors appear, John Steiner as a modish bank robber and Richard Conte as a lawyer turned vigilante. Again the dub works better as part of Steiner's charm is his own voice. He's also not around for very long alas.

Action wise, Violent Rome mostly delivers with a stupendous car chase in the middle and some savage beatings elsewhere. There are some gunfights but these are ruined by choppy editing, including a shoot out at a bank where it's not very clear who shot whom.

If I sound negative I don't mean to be. Violent Rome is a trash romp with sleaze, violence and right wing speeches by the bucket load. It slows occassionally for betti to argue with one of his many bosses but then it is careening onto the next shock sequence.

Also features two really bad dummies, including one riding a bike and Ray Lovelock as a really whingy undercover cop. Also if you can figure out the weird ending you are a better person than me.

B level Eurocrime but does everything it says on the tin.