Weapons of Death, 1977.
Directed by Mario Caiano.
Starring Leonard Mann, Henry Silva, Ida Galli, Jeff Blynn, Massimo Deda, Tino Bianchi, and Kirsten Gille.
SYNOPSIS:
A police commissioner tries to bring a gangster to justice as the kingpin’s out-of-control crimes set even his own underworld allies against him.
In 1970s Naples crime is going through the roof, and dogged detective Belli (Leonard Mann) is at his wits’ end trying to keep law and order with his small team of enforcers. Things take a turn for the worse when brutal crime lord Santoro (Henry Silva) arrives in town to take over the underground and push the police force to their limits. Santoro masterminds a string of bank robberies that end up with cops and civilians getting murdered, and as he answers to Mafia boss Don Alfredo (Tino Bianchi) in return for protection there is very little that Belli can do without bending the law a little.
In every sub-genre of movie there is that one title that throws everything into the mix in the hope that most of it sticks, and in the case of the poliziotteschi crime thriller that movie is Weapons of Death. Directed by Mario Caiano – the versatile director who brought us films as varied in style as Nightmare Castle, Nazi Love Camp 27, The Dragon Strikes Back and Violent Milan – Weapons of Death follows the Euro-crime template of ruthless criminals versus determined cops set against a backdrop of nihilistic social commentary, but amongst all of the violent shoot-outs and car chases Caiano manages to inject a little bit of heart, a tiny amount of emotion into the plot with the introduction of a child sidekick. Alright, this isn’t Short Round or that annoying kid from The Mummy Returns, but the inclusion of Gennarino (Massimo Deda) actually adds a bit – just a bit, mind – of warmth to a movie that had he not been there would probably have been as cold and stony as Henry Silva’s death stare.
And Henry Silva is still the focal point despite his screentime feeling like it is not nearly enough, although his fashion choices boost his charisma value even more in this movie. Despite the presence of Gennarino – who is essentially there to assist Belli, although he is street urchin and not immune to having Belli get him out of trouble – this is not a soft movie by any means, and Silva’s charming-but-menacing presence dominates every scene he is in, and even some he isn’t.
But despite Weapons of Death having all the action, cool dialogue and some character-building plot devices, it doesn’t really do anything that hasn’t been done before within the genre and for that it does feel a bit generic. The scenes between Belli and Gennarino add the necessary breaks in the action, and Gennarino gets a sub-plot of his own that does pay off in the big scheme of things, and there is an air common-sense-be-damned in some of the details – such as one of Belli’s men being a part-time taxi driver, which leads to scenes of him taking customers on rides they didn’t want as he pursues suspects – but it all feels like thin wrapping around the explosions and shoot-outs.
Nevertheless, Weapons of Death is still a fun watch if you aren’t too concerned about the plot-driven stuff and just want to watch bad people getting what is coming to them (and some good people toom, so there is that). The movie opens with a bank robbery where a pregnant woman gets kicked in the stomach, and that really is a visual metaphor for how this movie continues as it is relentless, violent and unpleasant, but it also has Henry Silva, a banging funk soundtrack and a kid driving a sports car, so there is that. Something for everyone, as it were, but not necessarily everything will be for everyone.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Chris Ward
