Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 19, 2021

The Italian term Poliziotteschi may not be strictly grammatical, but it has served as shorthand for years to describe a subgenre of Italian cinema that was almost insanely popular in that country in the seventies in particular. If many films in this category were frankly the Italian equivalent of B-movies, some, like 1970's Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, achieved considerable renown and critical appreciation, and in fact that particular film ended up winning that year's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Arrow's Years of Lead may not exactly be offering Oscar worthy outings in this set, but in a way that actually may be a better way to understand the idiom, since Poliziotteschi frequently featured gritty storylines and unvarnished characters. Some of the films in this set have been previously released on Blu-ray by German label Camera Obscura (and the reviews of those films will point to those prior releases), and some of the supplements produced for the Camera Obscura releases have been ported over to this set. But Arrow is also touting the fact that this set features a new 2K restoration of Colt 38 Special Squad, which is exclusive to this limited edition release.

For reviews of the five films in this set, please click on the following links:

Savage Three Blu-ray review

Like Rabid Dogs Blu-ray review

Colt 38 Special Squad Blu-ray review

Highway Racer Blu-ray review

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved Blu-ray review

Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Video quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Audio quality of each film is assessed in the above linked reviews.

Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Supplements accompanying each film are detailed in the above linked reviews. Note in screenshots 5 and 6 in this review that two of the discs in this set feature two films. Additionally, this is another handsomely packaged release by Arrow, with a sturdy slipbox holding the three keepcases (each featuring reversible sleeves), along with a nicely produced collector's booklet exclusive to this limited edition which includes essays on each of the films, cast and crew listings, and information about the transfers.

Years of Lead: Five Classic Italian Crime Thrillers Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

This is another great set from Arrow which admittedly may not offer Grade A films, but where the "genre" proclivities are so strong that it may not matter all that much. As with most Arrow releases, technical merits are solid and the supplementary package very enjoyable. With caveats about some of the individual films noted, Recommended.