Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 18, 2016

Vittorio Salerno's "No, the Case Is Happily Resolved" a.k.a. "No il caso è felicemente risolto" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of German label Camera Obscura. The supplemental features on the disc an original theatrical trailer for the film; audio commentary by film historians Marcus Stiglegger and Kai Naumann; photo gallery; new featurette with exclusive interviews with director/screenwriter Vittorio Salerno and actress Martine Brochard; and more. In Italian or German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The watcher

Vittorio Salerno’s little seen thriller No, the Case Is Happily Resolved argues the same points Elio Petri’s Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion does. It is a more conservative film, but there is absolutely no doubt that Salerno and Petri made these films because they were equally frustrated with the socio-political status quo in Italy during the 1970s.

The film begins with the brutal murder of a young and very beautiful woman in a secluded cornfield. The killer is an aging man with clean but slightly wrinkled face. Before he leaves the body, he sees another man who could have witnessed the entire act -- from the initial chase and the chilling screams to the final blow on the bloody head of his victim. When the terrified man runs away the killer goes after him, but quickly loses him after he reaches the nearby village.

A series of uneven episodes reveal more about the two men. The witness is Fabio Santamaria (Enzo Cerusico, Zorro, Strip First, Then We Talk), a working-class man who lives with his family in a tiny apartment somewhere on the outskirts of Rome. He is in total shock and for a while completely loses his ability to properly express himself. When he recovers he decides not to contact the police so that he can completely avoid the killer, but then the local newspapers publish a sketch of the killer who looks exactly like him and he panics again.

The identity of the real killer is revealed while the police search for the body of the victim in the cornfield. He is Professor Eduardo Ranieri (Ricardo Cucciola, Sacco e Vanzetti, Un Flic), a man with an impeccable reputation who lives alone in a wealthy area of the city. Before the authorities Ranieri describes the murder and explains that the killer ran away after he saw him.

The second half is dedicated to two massive character transformations and the manner in which the authorities interpret the events that the viewer sees in the beginning of the film -- the short chase and the murder. However, there is an effective twist here that basically changes the entire identity of the film and gives Salerno an opportunity to argue that Italy is full of hypocrites and that its legal system is compromised beyond repair.

Salerno’s film is not quite as intimidating as Petri’s film -- the latter hits its targets with such unbridled anger and Gian Maria Volonte’s performance is so powerful that once seen it is literally impossible to forget -- but after the final credits roll it certainly forces one to ponder just how bad things might have been -- or still are -- in Italy.

The version of the film presented on this recent Blu-ray release from the excellent label Camera Obscura has the original ending of the film which Salerno liked. It is quite cynical. When the film was released theatrically in Italy, it actually had a "safe" ending that considerably softened its message. This alternate ending is also included on the Blu-ray release as a bonus feature.

The lovely soundtrack was created by the great Riz Ortolani (I Knew Her Well, Il sorpasso). The theme song, "Mamma giustizia", was composed and performed by I Nomadi.

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in aspect ratio of 1.83:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Vittorio Salerno's No, the Case Is Happily Resolved arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Camera Obscura.

The film has a wonderful organic appearance. There are a few minor density fluctuations, but depth and clarity are consistently pleasing. Fluidity is also very good. Grain appears natural and well resolved. There are no traces of problematic sharpening adjustments or other damaging digital tweaks. Colors are natural and stable. A few of the primaries occasionally may appear a tad too warm, but there are plenty of nice nuances and overall balance is in fact very good. Image stability is excellent. Finally, there are no large debris, cuts, damage marks, stains, or warped frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The sound is clean and stable. Balance is also very good, though I think that there is some room for improvement in the mid-register (some thinness is occasionally noticeable). The music is well rounded and balanced. There is a good range of nuanced dynamics as well. The English translation is very good.

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Photo Gallery - a collection of promotional materials, behind the scenes stills, and photos of the original script. With music.

• Trailer - original restored Italian trailer for the film. (4 min).

• Alternative Ending - in Italian, with optional English and German subtitled. (4 min).

• Mother Justice - in this brand new featurette, director/screenwriter Vittorio Salerno recalls how No, the Case Is Happily Resolved came to exist (the film's original titles was The Culprit), and discusses the casting of Enzo Cerusico and Riccardo Cucciolla, his initial interactions with producer Angelo Lacono and funding of the film, the lensig of the film (and specifically the presence of multiple zooms), the murder scenes, Riz Ortolani's wonderful soundtrack, etc. Also included are short comments from actress Martine Brochard (Cinzia Santamaria). The featurette was directed and edited by Federico Caddeo. It was produced by Niki Wurster and Levko Kondratjuk. In Italian, with optional English and German subtitled. (41 min).

• Commentary - in this audio commentary, film historians Marcus Stiglegger and Kai Naumann discuss the film's rather troubled history (including an apparently not too impressive German dub track that was made for it), key elements of the plot, some specific framing choices, the different endings, etc. In German, with optional English subtitles.

• Booklet - 10-page illustrated booklet featuring an Christian Kebler's essay "The World is Upside Down". The essay is offered in English and German.

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Vittorio Salerno's No, the Case Is Happily Resolved delivers a message that is very similar to the one that is channeled through Elio Petri's classic thriller Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion. It is a slightly more conservative film, but I thought that it was equally effective. The excellent German label Camera Obscura has recently restored the film with its original ending and made it available on Blu-ray. The entire release is a thing of beauty. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.