Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (Italian: Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto) is a 1970 Italian crime drama film directed by Elio Petri. It is a dramatic, psychological, black-humored satire[1] on corruption in high office, telling the story of a top police officer who kills his mistress, and then tests whether the police would charge him for this crime. He begins manipulating the investigation by planting obvious clues while the other police officers ignore them, either intentionally or not. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[2]

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion
Italian film poster
Directed byElio Petri
Produced by
Screenplay by
Starring
Music byEnnio Morricone
CinematographyLuigi Kuveiller
Edited byRuggero Mastroianni
Production
companies
Vera Film
Distributed byEuro International Film (Italy)
Columbia Pictures (US)
Release date
  • February 9, 1970 (1970-02-09) (Italy)
  • December 20, 1970 (1970-12-20) (United States)
Running time
115 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian
Box office₤1.928 billion

Plot

A recently promoted police inspector (Gian Maria Volonté) kills his mistress (Florinda Bolkan), 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 him to prove that he is "above suspicion" and can get away with anything, even while being investigated. He eventually confesses to the crime in front of his superiors - who refuse to believe him. Sure that he is safe, he recants his confession, and receives the approval of the police commissioner. The interrogation at his home is revealed to be a dream sequence and the film ends with the actual arrive of the commissioner and other colleagues.

Cast
ActorRole
Gian Maria VolontéPolice Inspector
Florinda BolkanAugusta Terzi
Gianni SantuccioPolice Commissioner
Orazio OrlandoBiglia
Sergio TramontiAntonio Pace
Arturo DominiciMangani
Aldo RendineNicola Panunzio
Massimo FoschiAugusta's Husband
Aleka PaiziInspector's Maid
Vittorio DuseCanes
Pino PattiHead of wire-tapping office
Salvo RandonePlumber
Giuseppe Licastro
Filippo De GaraPoliceman
Fulvio GrimaldiPaese Sera journalist

Release

Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion was released in Italy on February 9, 1970 where it was distributed by Euro International Film.[3] In Italy, the film had a domestic gross of 1,928,248,000 Italian lire.[3]

Awards

The film was highly regarded in its own time, winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film,[4] and both the FIPRESCI Prize and the Grand Prize at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival.[5] Also it won the Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture from the Mystery Writers of America.[6]

Critical reception

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."[7]

The film currently has a Rotten Tomatoes approval of 100% based on 12 reviews (with an average score of 8.05/10)[8] and its re-release has a Metacritic score of 89 based on 10 reviews.[9] 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 [...]".[10] Kenneth Turan called the film "as troubling today as when it came out in 1970. Maybe more so."[11]

Unmade American Remake

The Cannon Group had hoped to remake the original film with Andrei Konchalovsky (of Runaway Train fame) attached to direct. Paul Schrader was attached to write, as he wrote both a story treatment and a screenplay. It was going to have either Al Pacino or Christopher Walken to star in the remake. Originally, Cannon released an ad, planning to shoot in October 1987, and having it premiere it at Cannes in 1988, although it never got made as it was shelved.[12] It remained shelved until in the 90s, when it was resurrected by Jodie Foster's production company Egg Pictures. Sidney Lumet was attached to direct, but the film never made it beyond pre-production.

See also

References
  1. Weber, Bill. "Blu-ray Review: Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion". www.slantmagazine.com. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  2. "Investigation of a Citizen above Suspicion" Wins Foreign Language Film: 1971 Oscars
  3. Curti 2013, p. 39.
  4. "The 43rd Academy Awards (1971) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-11-26.
  5. "Festival de Cannes: Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-04-10.
  6. "Edgars Database | Search the Edgars Database".
  7. Canby, Vincent (1970-12-21). "Film: 'Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion':Suspense Melodrama Opens at Baronet". The New York Times.
  8. "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)".
  10. "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion".
  11. "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)".
  12. Cannon: Alterd/Unproduced Projects

Bibliography
  • Curti, Roberto (2013). Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980. McFarland. ISBN 978-0786469765.
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