The Warning (1980)
It is a law police officials obey out of fear. A rule chilling in its simplicity. Accept corruption...or die! They have sealed an unholy alliance. The great banks of Europe. And the blackhearted underworld empire. Together, with their matchless wealth, there is no stopping their almighty, corrosive power. Even the police force's investigation into the diabolical link has been polluted by corruption and terror! When key police officials of the inquiry are viciously assassinated, only two honest men remain--a commissioner and police chief--to carry out the suicidal investigation. And they must fight a deepening mistrust of each other. For they too, know the only rule of the game. They too, have been warned!
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Simply A Masterpiece
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.
THE WARNING is a deadly serious and po-faced Italian crime flick from experienced director Damiano Damiani, who adds a strong political edge to his story of cops battling organised crime and the moral quandaries that ensue. Giuliano Gemma plays the hard-nosed cop on the trail of the gangsters and Martin Balsam another official role. There isn't a wealth of action here, although there are a few highlights. Instead, this is all about plotting so complex that you need to watch closely in order to follow what's going on.
The Warning is a very serious film dealing with police corruption from Marxist filmmaker Damiano Damiani, who also co-wrote the screenplay. Best known for his contribution to the spaghetti western genre, A Bullet For the General, Damiani has always had an interest in the corrupting tendencies of power, and this film is no exception. Guiliano Gemma and Giancarlo Zanetti play Baressi and Prizzi, a pair of honest cops looking to solve the murder of a fellow officer who may have had his hand in the till. The crooks repeatedly try to grease Baressi's palm in an effort to get him off their trail, with no success. Martin Balsam is also on hand but doesn't have a lot to do other than look grim faced, beautiful Laura Trotter is impressive as the widow of the dead policeman, and Alota Vagina herself, Fabiana Udenio, appears as a small time hoodlum. Unfortunately, the only way for Anglophone audiences to see this terrific little film is via an horrendously dubbed pan and scan tape with Greek subtitles, but it's better than nothing. This would be an excellent candidate for DVD restoration via the No Shame imprint, so get on the ball, guys!
This is a serious and reflexive movie about corruption in the Italian police and the influence of politics in the realm of the organized crime. Gemma and Balsan made a good pair and the story is very plausible, really down into the reality. Maybe the screenplay could be a little less complicated and Damiani's directional pace just a little less frantic because, sometimes, the viewer feels lost. But that's a good entry and really worth a look. I give a six(6) to this one.