Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

(Includes spoilers) Elio Petri made many trenchant political and social satires. Among the best of these were "We Still Kill the Old Way," about a professor who fruitlessly and fatally takes on the Mafia; "The Working Class Goes to Heaven," about the dehumanizing impact of factory life on the individual; and "Todo Modo," a brutal attack on the Christian-Democratic rule of post-war Italy. Petri was a member of the Italian Communist Party. In "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" he dissects corruption at different levels of Italian society. His main character is a police inspector who kills his mistress while they have sex. She acts out fantasies for him of famous crimes. "How will you kill me this time?" she asks. "I'll cut your throat," he says. A few minutes later he slices her throat with a razor. She had taunted him for his sexual inadequacy, a condition which unnerves him, but what motivates him to commit the murder is the sense that as new head of political intelligence (coming from the homicide division) he can feel confident in being "above suspicion." He places deliberate and obvious clues everywhere. While holding himself above the law, however, he wants to test its effectiveness and actively takes part in the investigation. At first the police focus on the dead woman's homosexual husband and then on an anarchist student with whom she is having an affair. The inspector comes to realize that the conviction of an innocent man will not guarantee his own immunity from the law. So he must concoct a test, which if his superiors deny it, will be the ultimate test of his power. "Investigation" is really a portrait of deranged right-wing fascistic power, with its easy enemies of gays and leftists. Appearing almost completely unemotional beneath an often stormy exterior, Gian Maria Volonte' gives a stunning portrayal of a complex paranoid character entirely dedicated to upholding the law. Yet he is brazenly willing to use his authority for his own ends, logic be damned. This film caused a furor in Italy because of its unflattering portrayal of the police. Its real strength lies in is psychological insight into the deranged quest for power: personal, sexual, political. The movie won the Academy Award for best foreign film in 1970.

"Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" is a very interesting film to watch today because it's hard to imagine that Italy circa 1970 was in fact a sort of neo-fasicist place. While Mussolini was long gone, the story exposes how nationalistic and repressive the country had become just 25 years after Il Duce. For this reason alone, the film is important historically. The head of the homicide department with the police has just been given a promotion--to be the head of the political branch. What this actually means is that he's in charge of a KGB-like organization which routinely ignores human rights and their motto seems to be 'the end justifies the means' when dealing with threats to the conservative government. While you are never sure exactly why, early in the film he murders his mistress. And, to make it more confusing, he often deliberately does things to make it obvious HE committed the crime. The weird way that his comrades in the government react to this information make this a film worth seeing. However, I should also point out that the movie isn't especially exciting or enjoyable to watch...and could have used a bit of life injected into the story.

"Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" is a Italian film released in 1970 with an original, provocative and challengeable story about how corruptive and deceivable some people might be and that those who supposed to be on the right side of the law are more likely to do bad things. In Elio Petri's film Gian Maria Volonté plays a chief of police in charge of the complex murder of a prostitute (played by Brazilian actress Florinda Bolkan). Detail: He killed her and he left clues deliberately trying to get caught by his colleagues. The romantic involvement between the woman and the chief of police is presented in flashbacks, showing the crime's motivation. And along with the difficult (and you can even say ironic, funny) investigation there's Italy's political background during the 1970's since the chief of police is also trying to arrest many communists manifestants who are fighting against the new political establishment. Some of the characters and the movie's visual reminds of "Z", but this thriller is a little more soft and less complicated. Both are fascinating and must see movies of all time. "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" is a powerful statement on hypocrisy and corporatism disguised as an investigation movie. The main character always poses as someone arrogant, who feels that he's the law and every people should respect him even his lover but she's more wise and tries to humiliate him all the time. Here's a guy who persecutes all the supposed enemies of the government claiming that the country needs to have a firm and solid moral structure free of communists, homosexuals, manifestants, and prostitutes but he's involved with one and killed her yet he wants to be arrested so that he can say that the law was respected. One thing is ironic and good about him is that he tries to frame someone as the possible murder of the woman but he always finds a way to make these people innocent, very fast. A great accomplish by Gian Maria Volonte who played the chief of police brilliantly, with enormous qualities in a flawless performance. His character only demonstrates his desire to get caught, leaving clues, prints, but when he sees that his colleagues are not working very well he gets mad always trying to leave more and more clues. Winner of the Academy Award of Best Foreign Film in 1971 and nominated for Best Screenplay in the following year, this movie was robbed an nomination for best music (composed by the exceptional Ennio Morricone), a great and thrilling piece of composition. One of those themes you can't easily forget. Great cinema from the 1970's. 10/10

Apart from the film's own intriguing theme and interesting credentials, I had always been keen on catching this one because it had defeated Luis Bunuel's magnificent TRISTANA (1970) for the title of the Best Foreign-Language Film at the Oscars! However, the path that ultimately led me to it was quite thorny: I first caught the start of it during a rare Italian TV prime-time screening in the mid-1980s; then, after dropping off the radar for decades, it turned up again on late-night Italian TV but the reception was terrible so I could not tape it; later still, having finally acquired it on my PC, the hard disk went bust before I had a chance to make myself a copy…so that, I had to get hold of it (via the same channels) all over again when the PC was back on its feet!! Even so, a whole year passed before I actually sat down to watch it (on the heels of two other Elio Petri-Gian Maria Volonte' films). INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION won a clutch of other international awards, so it is not all that surprising to see it emerge triumphant at the Oscars as well and, after seeing it for myself, I cannot say I was displeased by that fact. In short, the film is a veritable masterpiece: brilliantly-made and utterly fascinating, albeit making for typically demanding viewing (particularly during its latter stages). As can be gleaned from the title, the plot revolves around a crime (actually, the murder of his mistress) committed by a highly-respected public official: ironically, the culprit is none other than the exiting Chief of the Homicide Squad (Gian Maria Volonte' who is on fire throughout as the megalomaniac protagonist) – on his way out to becoming the Head of Political Intelligence – and which, of course, he has the duty to investigate himself! This he does with complete confidence and not a little trickery (destroying and/or planting evidence, deviating the path of the investigation but at the same time admitting to his new superior of having known the victim, etc). His unusual relationship with the latter (sensuously played by Florinda Bolkan), then, is seen via intermittent flashbacks: she is a libertine (much is made of the fact that she possesses no underwear!), initially getting in touch with Volonte' almost in jest and, eventually, playing the willing murdered party(!) in re-enactments of crimes of passion solved by him throughout his illustrious career (of which he, unashamedly, also keeps photographic records). Other important figures to feature in the narrative are: Arturo Dominici (from Mario Bava's BLACK Sunday [1960]) as Volonte''s long-suffering successor; a young student radical who lives in the same apartment block as Bolkan and of whom Volonte' was jealous; and Salvo Randone (like the star, a Petri regular) as a confused old man to whom the pompous anti-hero actually confesses his guilt in the matter and bullies into turning him over to the Police…but the latter, naturally, is shocked to see him lording it at the Homicide bureau! For all the social and political relevance of Petri and frequent collaborator Ugo Pirro's Oscar-nominated script – culminating in a delicious double ending (Volonte''s quasi-surreal exoneration by his colleagues, after he professes to have committed the ultimate sacrifice for the good of Established Law & Order, is revealed to have been mere wish-fulfillment on his part…with the true development of the facts cleverly left to the audience members' own judgment) – the element which has perhaps been mainly responsible for securing the film its longevity is Ennio Morricone's celebrated bizarre (i.e. half-urgent, half-playful) score which definitely ranks among his finest works, and that's saying a lot!

Not really a investigation, but more of a examination of the corrupt political hierarchy. Length, a few lulls, and completly unlikable characters hurt the film. However it is still well executed with a strong finish. Basically pertains to a high ranking police official who kills his mistress and then plants red herrings just to see who 'dares' accuse him. Initially one sees him as a very obnoxious and arrogant man. Eventually it is found that this is a man who is drowning in his own power and feels guilty about it and has a need to be 'punished'. Culminates in a fascinating and harrowing look at the internal (and external) madness that can come to those that are given too much. Another great musical score by personnel favorite Morricone.

I first saw this movie in December 1969 in New York. Apparently it did not open in LA before the year ended and, as a consequence, won best foreign film for 1970 (Z won for 1969). In the 1990's sometime IFC aired the film and I was lucky enough to tape it and then transfer it to DVD. During the years following seeing the film, I would recommend the film to all my friends. What struck me when I had the chance to view it again was how well I had remembered the movie, every scene. Few, if any, movies ever made such a lasting impression from my first viewing and it still has that effect. Besides the great script and direction, what made it complete was one of the finest performances by an actor I've ever seen. It is up there with the greatest work of such as Olivier, O'Toole, Depardieu and Mastroianni, to name a few whose work was staggering. As to its unavailability, maybe someone should rattle IFC's cage asking them to air it again or maybe get TCM to air it.

When the movie starts, a man meets with his lover, and while they begin to have sex, he slits her throat. After washing in the bathroom, he's careful to leave his foot and fingerprints in conspicuous places, and places a thread from his tie under his victim's fingernails. We then learn that he is the chief of homicide, who's been promoted to a job in political intelligence. The questions remain, why did he murder her, and why did he leave clues implicating himself? Through flashbacks, we get some idea of what his relationship with the woman was. We also see that some other people become suspects. However, he is in charge of the investigation, and periodically presents even more evidence pointing to himself. An unusual story. I'm not sure I understood the ending. The video I watched was dubbed in English, and subtitled in Dutch. Perhaps if there is a release of a copy in Italian with new English subtitles, it will be possible to understand the story better.