1973 · 1h 50m
An Italian prison official's wife is kidnapped, and the kidnappers demand that a notorious prisoner be released in order for the man to get his wife back. He gets the man released - but then kidnaps him himself, in order to ensure that the man's colleagues don't kill his wife. Enraged, the gang sets out to free their compatriot and kill the man who took him.
Directed by Sergio Sollima
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CinemaSerf
Were it not for the truly shocking dubbing on the version I saw, this could have been much more enjoyable to watch. One you get used to that, though - it isn't half bad. Oliver Reed is "Cipriani" a cop turned prisoner governor whose wife is kidnapped. In order to secure her return, he must arrange for one of his prisoners "Milo" (Fabio Testi) to be delivered to a gang on the outside. This he duly arranges, but of course that's only the start of the shenanigans for both of them as they try to get to the bottom of who wants what from whom..and why? It has plenty of action, but it's also a little more sophisticated that you might expect. There is genuine intrigue to the story, and Reed comes across well as the man of some integrity, torn between many years of loyalty to his country and saving his wife from the hoodlums who appear to reach high into the upper echelons of Italian - and French - government. It is quite derivative - you could see a Clint Eastwood or Gene Hackman in the Reed role quite easily, but I think that says much for the usually underrated Reed's performance which is strong. I was a bit disappointed by the rather weak denouement, but all told I did quite enjoy watching the film. Just needs someone to re-synch the audio.
