Milano Calibro 9 (1972)

After being released from prison after serving three years for a bungled robbery, a man (Gastone Moschin) is harassed and coerced into returning to a life of crime by his former boss (Lionel Stander), who believes that the ex-con has the missing $300,000 that was never found. Directed by Fernando Di Leo, this violent crime thriller is a favorite of Quentin Tarantino and it's easy to see why. Even before the opening credits, we're treated to a brutal series of beatings and murders that's still shocking to view some 40 years later! The film has a political subtext but it's buried under the body count. Curiously, the only "good" person in the movie, the police inspector played by Luigi Pistilli is portrayed as an ineffective weakling while the professional assassin played by Philippe Leroy is seen as honorable because although he is a killer, he has his own moral code that he lives by. The film's bloody nihilistic finale leaves a rather sour aftertaste. Still, of its genre, the poliziotteschi, it's a highly effective piece. With Barbara Bouchet, Mario Adorf (way over the top) and Frank Wolff.