Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers 1973-1977

The 1970s were a time of intense uncertainty and instability in Italy. Political corruption and widespread acts of left and right-wing terrorism, alongside a breakdown in social cohesion and a loss of trust in public institutions such as the government and police, created a febrile atmosphere of cynicism, paranoia and unexploded rage. Throughout this period, these sentiments found expression in a series of brutal, often morally ambiguous crime thrillers which tapped into the atmosphere of violence and instability that defined the so-called Years of Lead.

This box set gathers five films from the heyday of the “poliziotteschi” – the umbrella term used to describe this diverse body of films. In Vittorio Salerno’s Savage Three and Mario Imperoli’s Like Rabid Dogs, random acts of violence committed by vicious young sociopaths threaten the fragile fabric of respectable society. In Massimo Dallamano’s Colt 38 Special Squad and Stelvio Massi’s Highway Racer, renegade cops battling against red tape and political corruption turn to new and morally dubious methods to dispense justice. Finally, class dynamics are explored in Salerno’s No, the Case is Happily Resolved as an innocent man finds himself under suspicion for a savage crime committed by a highly respected member of society.

Decried by critics for their supposedly fascistic overtones, the poliziotteschi were in fact more ideologically varied and often more nuanced than such superficial readings would suggest, and proved a huge hit with theatregoers, who responded to their articulation of present day social concerns. Featuring an impressive line-up of Euro-cult stars, including Joe Dallesandro, Ivan Rassimov, Maurizio Merli and Enrico Maria Salerno, this collection of stylish, hard-hitting Euro-crime thrillers showcases the range and breadth of the genre and is a must-have for newcomers and grizzled veterans alike.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS



* High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of all five films, restored from the original negatives


* Original lossless mono Italian audio on all five films


* Original lossless mono English audio on Colt 38 Special Squad and Savage Three, with optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing


* English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks


* And much more!

Actors: Angelo Infanti, Joe Dallesandro, Luigi Antonio Guerra, Sal Borgese, Tom Felleghy, Mario Imperoli, Massimo Dallamano

Audio Languages: Italian, English

Duration: 486 minutes

Language: Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0)

Number of Discs: 3

Subtitle Languages: English

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