#silent action

(La Polizia Accusa: Il Servizio Segreto Uccide

The Police Accuse: The Secret Service Kills)

Directed by Sergio Martino

Written by Gianfranco Couyoumdjian, Massimo Felisatti, Fabio Pittorru and Sergio Martino

Music by Luciano Michelini

Starring Luc Merenda, Tomas Milian, Mel Ferrer and Delia Boccardo

Runtime 94 minutes

Source: UK blu ray by Fractured Visions (FVBD001)

What is Silent Action?

Silent Action is a blunt force 1975 Italian cop thriller by the master of multiple genres, Sergio Martino. I'd say its a Poliziotteschi, others might quibble. Silent Action has a conspiracy plot that might seem a bit fanciful if you aren't aware of Italy's Years of Lead. And, no, it is not so named because of an upswing in italy's pencil production. This period ran from the late '60s to the early '80s and was filled with so much bombing, terrorism, authoritarianism, anti-authoritarianism, insurgency, counter insurgency, kidnapping and rampant violent crime that Silent Action's plot seems eerily feasible now the bodies have been buried and the dust settled.

Plot:

A number of retired Italian generals are knocked off in what look like entertainingly violent accidents but aren't. They aren't accidents that is, they are definitely entertainingly violent. Not usually the purview of your average plod that stuff, but investigation of an apparent robbery-turned-murder by Inspector Giorgio Solmi (Luc Merenda; single-minded, handsome, virile) suggests they are all interlinked. Dealing with a different breed of criminal than usual, Solmi finds his methods becoming more and more excessive. Is a conspiracy afoot? Will Solmi betray the law and everything he stands for to stop it? Action, surprises, excitement and answers to all these questions are on the menu in Sergio Martino's Silent Force!

Is it any good?

Yes.

Why?

All the main actors are great, which helps enormously. Thankfully Merenda avoids the Italian male lead role bear trap of blandness and looks genuinely caught up in the chase and unheeding of the depths he's plumbing. Mel Ferrer is, obviously, there for the US market and while he's mostly required, as Merenda's boss, to tut schoolmarmishly at Merenda's behaviour he does it well, with a reserved decency suitable to the role. Merenda's two cop buddies don't slack off either; best is the guy who is always on about his family and might as well have a countdown to his death on his forehead. Female roles aren't great (girlfriend-reporter, brothel madame, whore etc) but the women in them do their best. Italian genre legend Tomas Milian is pretty low key under a mistake of a haircut, but certainly makes his mark by the end of the movie.

There's some seriously nice scenery too, which I enjoy in these old movies. The standout scenery is when Merenda and Boccardo eat a meal on a balcony; just after Merenda has romantically demonstrated how to bash in a head with a poker on a nearby and luckless vegetable. Action is crunchy throughout and there are some tense set pieces; and ultimately Silent Action pulls off its conspiracy plot quite neatly. Mostly because the plotters aren't idiots.

Unfortunately the movie's financial limitations peek through occasionally. There's some funny dummy action in an otherwise impressive chase sequence, and the big action finale is too much of a budgetary stretch with its quick shots of toy jeeps and helicopters blowing up. But that's just pretty carping. Overall Silent Action is a fun time thrill ride with a proper '70s kick-the-audience-in-the-nuts ending.

Sound & Picture:

The picture shows its age sometimes but is mostly clean and clear. Has an odd brown patina which is very '70s, so I liked that. Sound was, uh, good. Basically I'm not very technical; I found it perfectly fine on sound and vision, but no gamechanger. Big shout out to the subtitler though, the very droll use of swearing was much appreciated.