Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)

Director: Elio Petri

Stars: Gian Maria Volontè, Florinda Bolkan, Gianni Santuccio
Runtime: 115 minutes

Synopsis: A chief of detectives, homicide section, kills his mistress and deliberately leaves clues to prove his own responsibility for the crime.

Performances: 10/10
Screenplay: 9/10
Editing: 8/10
Cinematography: 8/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10

Verdict: I'll be honest, I put on this film solely due to what I thought was a clever synopsis. A highly ranked chief of police committing a murder and then being assigned the case sounds like a recipe for a good time, right? Well, what I wasn't expecting was to come out of it with the same feeling I felt when I watched "Taxi Driver" for the first time, as it was simply one of the most fascinating psychological studies I have ever seen.

I know, I'm using big words, and some of you might think that I'm exaggerating. But trust me, I chose my words very carefully and am fully aware of their significance and implications. "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" is just that good. It's such a mesmerizing look at a man with low self-esteem who was consumed by the immense authoritarian power he was given. A man who went to great lengths to see how important he was. To see if he was truly untouchable and above the law. That man, played by Gian Maria Volontè who gave one of the best performances of all time (I know, big words, but I'm assuming), has a certain complexity to him that carries the entire movie. He's vile and represents everything wrong with the corrupt system that ruled Italy in the 1970s, but he also makes for a fascinating character study that I'm sure could serve as the baseline of many essays written in the psychology field.

The only thing keeping me from giving this Elio Petri classic a perfect grade is, believe it or not, Ennio Morricone's score, which came off a little too goofy at times. Other than that, I highly recommend checking it out, especially if you were a fan of films such as "The King of Comedy" or "Taxi Driver" (both of which came out after it). 

FINAL GRADE: 9/10

Fun fact: Cannon had hoped to remake this in the mid-1980s with Sidney Lumet or Andrey Konchalovskiy directing. Al Pacino and Christopher Walken were to star, and Paul Schrader would have been the screenwriter. (adds to the Taxi Driver comparison)