The Violent Professionals
| The Violent Professionals | |
|---|---|
US film poster | |
| Italian | Milano trema: la polizia vuole giustizia |
| Directed by | Sergio Martino |
| Written by | Ernesto Gastaldi[1] |
| Produced by | |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Giancarlo Ferrando[1] |
| Edited by | Eugenio Alabiso[1] |
| Music by | |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Interfilm |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 minutes[1] |
| Country | Italy[1] |
| Language | Italian |
| Box office | ₤1.162 billion |
The Violent Professionals (Italian: Milano trema: la polizia vuole giustizia, lit. 'Milan trembles: the police demand justice') is a 1973 poliziottesco film directed by Sergio Martino and starring Luc Merenda, Richard Conte, Silvano Tranquilli, Chris Avram and Martine Brochard. Merenda plays a Milan cop who goes undercover as a getaway driver for the mob so he can wage a one-man war on crime, to avenge the death of his mentor.
Cast
- Luc Merenda as Inspector Giorgio Caneparo
- Richard Conte as Padulo / Salassolio
- Silvano Tranquilli as Inspector Gianni Viviani
- Carlo Alighiero as Chief Nicastro
- Martine Brochard as Maria
- Chris Avram as Inspector Del Buono
- Steffen Zacharias as Monsùmerda
- Bruno Corazzari as Gori
- Cyrille Spiga as Steiner
- Rosario Borelli as Pepi Cartiglia
- Antonio Casale as Casardi
- Luciano Rossi as Cruciani
- Lia Tanzi as the prostitute
Production
Filming took place on-location in Milan and Novara. It was the first poliziottesco for genre mainstays Sergio Martino and Luc Merenda, who would collaborate on several films throughout the decade.
Release
The Violent Professionals was released in Italy on 22 August 1973 where it was distributed by Interfilm.[1] It was a box office hit in Italy where it grossed a total of 1,162,424,000 Italian lire.[1]
Home media
The film has been released in an English-language friendly DVD by Wild East and as a double feature from Alpha Video with Deadly Drifter.[1]
The boutique label restored and released the film on Blu-Ray in 2018.[2] British label 88 Films a Blu-Ray in 2021.[3]
Reception
A retrospective review for the website Mondo Digital reads, "One of the most purely enjoyable Italian crime films of the 1970s, The Violent Professionals has everything you could want in a poliziottesco title: a rebellious cop, fuzzy political cynicism, shocking violence, and rough and tumble car chases."[4]
In 2009, Empire named it #9 in a poll of the "20 Greatest Gangster Movies You've Never Seen* (*Probably)".
See also
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Curti 2013, p. 102.
- ^ The Violent Professionals Blu-ray (Milano trema: la polizia vuole giustizia). Retrieved 3 October 2025 – via www.blu-ray.com.
- ^ "The Violent Professionals - The Italian Collection 66". 88 Films. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
- ^ "The Violent Professionals". www.mondo-digital.com. Retrieved 3 October 2025.
References
- Curti, Roberto (2013). Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786469765.
External links
- The Violent Professionals at IMDb
- (in Italian) Film locations in Milan