Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion | |
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Italian | Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto |
Directed by | Elio Petri |
Screenplay by |
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Produced by |
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Starring | |
Cinematography | Luigi Kuveiller |
Edited by | Ruggero Mastroianni |
Music by | Ennio Morricone |
Production company | Vera Film |
Distributed by | Euro International Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 115 minutes |
Country | Italy |
Language | Italian |
Box office | ₤1.928 billion |
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (
The film was released in Italy by Euro International Pictures on 9 February 1970, to widespread acclaim from critics. It won the
In 2008, the film was included on the
Plot summary
A recently promoted police inspector, nicknamed "Il Dottore" ("the Doctor", an Italian honorific) kills his mistress, and then covers up his involvement in the crime. He insinuates himself into the investigation, planting clues to steer his subordinate officers toward a series of other suspects, including the woman's gay husband and a student leftist radical. He then exonerates the other suspects and leads the investigators toward himself to prove that he is "above suspicion" and can get away with anything, even while being investigated.
His personal neurosis caused by his extreme position of power, and his firm beliefs in the role of authority, eventually drive him to try to accuse himself with every possible evidence. The only witness of his presence at the victim's apartment, the anarchist Antonio Pace, refuses to accuse him to be able to prove the inherent criminal nature of power ("A criminal leading the repression, it is perfect!"). The Doctor eventually desperately confesses to the crime in front of his superiors, in an effort to not subvert the essence of authority, but they all refuse to believe him, forcing him to recant his confession, with the approval of the police commissioner.
The interrogation at his home is revealed to be a dream sequence, and when he wakes up the commissioner and other colleagues actually arrive at his place; however the outcome of their confrontation is not revealed, and the film ends with a quote by Franz Kafka about the paradoxical nature of power.
Cast
- Gian Maria Volonté as "Il Dottore" ('the Doctor'), the Police Inspector
- Florinda Bolkan as Augusta Terzi
- Gianni Santuccio as the Police Commissioner
- Orazio Orlando as Brigadier Biglia
- Sergio Tramonti as Antonio Pace
- Salvo Randone as the Plumber
- Arturo Dominici as Mangani
- Aldo Rendine as Nicola Panunzio
- Massimo Foschi as Claudio Terzi
- Vittorio Duse as Canes
- Aleka Paizi as the Housekeeper
- Pino Patti as the Wiretapping Supervisor
- Gianfranco Barra as Agent Giusti
Release
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion was released in Italy on February 9, 1970, where it was distributed by Euro International Films.[4]
Reception
Box office
In Italy, the film had a domestic gross of 1,928,248,000
Critical response
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion was well received by critics and is widely considered one of the best international films of the 1970s. The New York Times called the film "a suspense melodrama with the moral concerns of angry satire [...] When it opened in Italy early this year (and later, when it was shown at Cannes), Investigation was hailed for the ways in which it exposed the corrupt, authoritarian practices of the police, who place themselves above their own laws [...] The story moves forward with a relentless momentum. It is a political parable, and a stunning movie."[5]
The film has a Rotten Tomatoes approval of 100% based on 15 reviews, with an average score of 8/10.[6] On Metacritic, it has a score of 89 out of 100 based on 10 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[7]
David Fear of Time Out called it "[a] paranoid police procedural, a perverse parable about the corrupting elements of power, and a candidate for the greatest predated Patriot Act movie ever [...]".[8] Kenneth Turan called the film "as troubling today as when it came out in 1970. Maybe more so."[9]
Accolades
The film was highly regarded in its own time, winning the
Cancelled remake
See also
- List of submissions to the 43rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Italian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
- Poliziotteschi
References
- ^ Weber, Bill (5 December 2013). "Blu-ray Review: Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion". www.slantmagazine.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Investigation of a Citizen above Suspicion" Wins Foreign Language Film: 1971 Oscars
- ^ "Ecco i cento film italiani da salvare Corriere della Sera". www.corriere.it. Retrieved 2021-03-11.
- ^ a b Curti 2013, p. 39.
- ^ Canby, Vincent (1970-12-21). "Film: 'Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion':Suspense Melodrama Opens at Baronet". The New York Times.
- ^ "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2022-04-01.
- ^ "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion [re-release]". Metacritic. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ David Fear (10 September 2012). "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion". Timeout.
- ^ Kenneth Turan (26 September 2003). "Saga of power and crime". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
- ^ "The 43rd Academy Awards (1971) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
- ^ "Edgars Database | Search the Edgars Database". Archived from the original on 2019-12-23. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
- ^ Cannon: Alterd/Unproduced Projects, archived from the original on 2018-11-02, retrieved 2016-07-13
Bibliography
- Curti, Roberto (2013). Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786469765.
External links
- Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion at IMDb
- Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion at AllMovie
- Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion: The Long Harm of the Law an essay by Evan Calder Williams at the Criterion Collection