Gang War in Milan Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

Gang War in Milan Blu-ray Movie Review

He-Man Women Haters Club.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf May 25, 2014

1973’s “Gang War in Milan” asks a lot of the viewer as it goes about its Eurocrime business. The screenplay by Franco Enna and Umberto Lenzi (who also directs) pits crooks against crooks, trying to build sympathy for the main character as he slaps around women and engages in provocative business tactics, while the cops are basically useless, mere decoration for the feature to occasionally call on to apply pressure. It’s a troubling picture in many ways, with the material’s pronounced distaste for women difficult to digest. However, accepted as the genre effort it aspires to be, populated with roughhousing, uncaring men, and “Gang War in Milan” is certainly diverting with its operatic inclinations. Winding through betrayals, antagonism, and murder, the movie does a commendable job establishing criminal escalation and the price paid for such rampant misdeeds, with only the payoff that’s unsteady, losing a little third-act hustle as Lenzi struggles to find a way out of this maze of unpleasantness.

In the heart of Milan, Salvatore (Antonio Sabato) is a kingpin with a firm hand on the local business of prostitution, keeping control of all streetwalkers and escorts. When his top girl ends up murdered and dumped into a club pool, the brute vows to hunt down the killers, finding limited help from Chief Inspector Contalvi (Franco Fantasia), who’s looking to squash any rising criminal influence. Sweeping into Milan is Daverty (Philippe Leroy), a drug lord who tries to temp Salvatore into a lopsided partnership, hoping to use his turf to peddle heroin to the masses, with plans to take over the city. Refusing to enter into a lousy deal, Salvatore’s disrespect triggers gangland war between the factions, resulting in mass murder and betrayals as violence erupts. Brought to a breaking point, Salvatore’s patience is tested in full, finding Jasmina (Marisa Mell) his only source of comfort, confiding in his lover as outside pressure mounts, with Daverty, Contalvi, and his own criminal family coming after him as all sense of decorum breaks down.

“Gang War in Milan” opens with murder, with Salvatore finding a body floating in a nightclub pool, only the poor victim wasn’t killed there, showing signs that she was moved after the fact. The first act teases mystery as the driving force behind the story, but such aspirations are dropped after a short time, widening focus to the slyly combative relationship between Salvatore, who specializes in prostitution, and Daverty, who’s the face of a Euro drug trade that’s searching for fresh destinations to flood with “snow.” He wants a partnership, but offers an insulting split, determined to push Salvatore out of his turf and claim Milan for himself. Suddenly, “Gang War in Milan” lives up to the promise of its title, embarking on a study of stratagem as the two sides carry out evil deeds. Some acts of retaliation, such as the odd car bomb, are routine, but Daverty has slightly more devious methods in mind, kidnapping Salvatore’s working girls early in the movie, and later maiming them. Sustaining horror with a nod toward exploitation, Lenzi certainly doesn’t shy away from violence, making sure the camera captures all the nasty elements in full close-up.

The feature hits a compelling run of intensification as the battle carries out, widening the playing field as recruitments are brought in to beef up numbers and clarify intimidation tactics. The screenplay falls too easily into the faces and places template, trying to come off as a sophisticated effort by lobbing countless last names and locations at the viewer, but essential dramatic arcs are easy to appreciate. Salvatore’s panic is especially effective, with the small-time hustler suddenly finding himself in too deep, scrambling to mount some type of defense as his lavish lifestyle is threatened. Of course, with all interested parties contributing to the downfall of society, it’s difficult to pick a side to root for, but the production clearly sympathizes with Salvatore, a sensitive goon who exploits and abuses women, taking time out of his busy schedule to check up on his ailing mother, who’s concerned about her placement in a senior home. The addition of such a character is a major manipulation, and it triggers unintentional laughs. However, it’s fascinating to see “Gang War in Milan” choose a side at all, avoiding any ambiguity by branding Salvatore a tragic figure instead of relishing the material’s propensity for darkness.

Gang War in Milan Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The VC-1 encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation carries some noticeable filtering, with a mildly noisy look common to Raro Video releases. Although it robs the movie of crisply filmic textures, it's not a deal-breaker, with overall clarity quite compelling on the BD. Colors are perhaps the most exciting visual element, with lush primaries eagerly boosted by the décor, which favors deep blues and reds to make the era pop onscreen. Clothing and bloodshed also achieve their intended hues. Skintones are natural. Blacks show solidification during evening sequences, with line delineation missing from a few scenes, losing frame information. Detail is adequate, working comfortably with facial textures and set design particulars. Print remains in good shape, with only some speckling and a few splotchy frames to navigate.

Gang War in Milan Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 LPCM audio track does an adequate job balancing music and dialogue, keeping up a consistency that brings out what little passes for power in the mix. Dubbing keeps dialogue pronounced, with limited but stable emotional range, finding outbursts and yelps of pain teasing shrillness, but never dipping into crispy highs. Hiss is present but never pronounced. Scoring is pleasant and expressive, with passable instrumentation that buttresses the jazzy mood, while more excitable cues find position without crowding the performances. Violence is direct, providing crisp punches and explosions, and atmospherics are satisfactory.

Gang War in Milan Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (12 pages) offers an essay by Eurocrime enthusiast Mike Malloy and a biography of director Umberto Lenzi.

• Introduction (5:51, HD) returns to Malloy's basement, where the host greets viewers while cleaning a gun. Interesting choice. Malloy runs through his appreciation of "Gang War in Milan," sharing BTS details and pointing out mistakes in weaponry, also sharing how fans found Eurocrime efforts from popular Italian directors by following their work in horror and action films. Once again using a two-camera set-up to energize the visuals, Malloy has more of a vision for the awkward arrangement this time around, trying to inject a little humor into the proceedings with editorial timing.

• A Theatrical Trailer has not been included.

Gang War in Milan Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Gang War in Milan" is an ugly picture, with the aforementioned (and routine) mistreatment of women, while a male character is subjected to genital torture to help change his mind after he refuses to betray his boss. Despite its drawbacks, the feature does retain a pleasing crime film rumble, boosted by a hot jazz score by Carlo Rustichelli, which gives the movie a slight noir tilt that's enticing. Performances also salvage the effort, with passions (and indication) running high throughout, leading to an inevitably dark and abrupt conclusion. "Gang War in Milan" is ideal for Eurocrime fans who are used to the grimy view, able to pull out the artistry in excess. Newcomers should probably find a different entry point into the subgenre, one that's a little easier to tolerate.