The Italian Connection - La Mala Ordina

Quentin Tarantino’s legacy in Hollywood is not only for his movies, “Pulp Fiction” certainly being his most famous. He is also responsible for resurrecting the careers of some actors (e.g. John Travolta, Pam Grier, Robert Forster), and for recreating characters from movies that influenced him. One of them is a tour-de-force by the name of “The Italian Connection” (La Mala Ordina), an almost forgotten jewel from the Italian cinema of the seventies, directed by legendary Fernando Di Leo, now available in a glorious Blu-ray edition.

The film stars Henry Silva and Woody Strode as Dave Catania and Frank Webster, respectively, two New York hit men that are hired by Corso (Cyril Cusack) to kill Luca Canali (Mario Adorf). Luca is a pimp in Milan who has been wrongly accused of stealing a shipment of heroin. Corso tells Catania and Webster that Canali shall be killed in such a way that “the whole Milan will talk about it; the whole of Italy must talk about it.” So, off they go, the two assassins for hire, where they will try to find and kill poor Canali.

Once in Italy, Catania and Webster are welcomed by Eva Lalli (Luciana Paluzzi), who was ordered by Corso to assist them in anyway she can. They quickly meet crime boss Don Vito Tressoldi (veteran actor Adolfo Celi, from James Bond’s “Thunderball”), who says that he can get Canali for them. Canali, on the other hand, despite being a pimp, is a likable character, very popular in the neighborhood – you really like the guy. However, he manages to avoid the hit men, and in doing so, his good nature slowly vanishes, and his desperation gives away to the worst of him, which he will need to survive. Tressoldi’s ineptitude in capturing Canali makes Catania and Webster tell him that he has “some jerks” working for him, and that “only dickheads hire jerks.” Tressoldi, on the other hand, likes to say that “if a man needs his mother’s prayers, he’s useless.” It is said that Quentin Tarantino used Catania and Webster as reference for his two hit men (Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson) in “Pulp Fiction.” That is clearly the case, as Catania is white and Webster is black, and both have different ways of looking at life.

“The Italian Connection” is a drama, spiked with great humor, making it fun to watch. I can say that I missed many of these movies in the seventies, because I was watching Edwige Fenech’s sexy movies instead. And I’m sorry about this, because Fernando Di Leo’s films, in addition to being action-packed, are also loaded with great nudity, which is the case of “The Italian Connection.” In addition, I shall mention that it is always a pleasure to watch Henry Silva, who is almost forgotten by US audiences. Furthermore, the Blu-ray edition is simply awesome, with the colors looking sharp as any of today’s films, and it includes the documentary “Alle Origini della Mala,” director’s biography and filmography, improved subtitles, and more. “The Italian Connection” is part of the fantastic “Fernando Di Leo: The Italian Crime Collection,” which also features gorgeous Blu-ray editions of “Caliber Nine”(1972), “The Boss [Wipeout!]” (1973) and “Rulers of the City” (1976), as well as an informative booklet about the director. (Italy, 1972, color, 100 min plus additional materials). Reviewed on January 30, 2012. Raro Video Blu-ray

To purchase DVD, click here or on image above.