In the opening image of Damiano Damiani’s thriller Confessions of a Police Captain, a pair of hands cling to the wall of a mental institution. Across the film, however, it becomes clear that madness isn’t confined within the walls of that hospital. In 1971, it’s early in Italy’s Years of Lead, but crime is already widespread and corruption has seeped throughout seemingly every major institution, leading to a brewing feud between Franco Nero’s tightly wound Deputy District Attorney Traini and Martin Balsam’s more improvisational Police Captain Bonavia.
Both men seek justice in their own way. Bonavia has grown so frustrated and embittered by constantly having his arrests of various mafia leaders thrown out by judges that he resorts to extralegal actions to take down criminals like Li Puma (Adolfo Lastretti). Traini, on the other hand, is strictly by the book, naïvely trusting that the courts will function prudently within the parameters of the law. While their ultimate goals are the same, their conflicting methodologies lead them to butt heads and repeatedly fail to communicate or cooperate with one another.
At one point, Bonavia and Traini have an explosive argument and threaten to end each other’s careers. After storming off and each realizing they’ve gotten into the wrong, identical car, they drive off in the same direction, one behind the other. It’s a rare humorous note in this grim poliziottesco, and its notes of irony highlight how, despite their opposite approaches to the law, Bonavia and Traini are far more similar than they would like to admit, each rendered impotent by the institutional rot they find themselves trying to navigate.
Later, Bonavia tells Traini that he “won’t do anything against the system he was raised in”—a fatalistic yelp before he goes out again to serve justice the only way he knows how. But these vigilante acts are but a drop in the bucket, as the erosion of both social order and the proper functioning of political and economic forces is so advanced that no one man can make any difference. Fittingly, Confessions of a Police Captain ends on the image of an innocent woman being buried in the concrete being poured for the foundation of a new building, a chilling sign that chaos, violence, and corruption will continue unabated in Italy well into the future.
Image/Sound
Cinematographer Claudio Ragona’s starkly naturalistic images display a wide range of shades across Radiance’s transfer of a 2K restoration, particularly the greens and grays that dominate the film. The grain is tight and even, while detail is impressive throughout, from the facial details in close-ups of Franco Nero and Martin Balsam or wide shots of a city is a state of disrepair. The mono audio features crisp dialogue and a lush mix that allows for the maximum appreciation of the crunchy guitar riffs that drive Riz Ortolani’s moody score.
Extras
Radiance’s Blu-ray includes four very informative and newly recorded interviews. In the first, Nero talks about working with director Damiano Damiani on multiple occasions and how long it took to cast Balsam’s co-lead role. Meanwhile, actor Michele Gammino discusses his work dubbing some of Damiani’s earlier films and finally getting his first on-screen acting gig on Confessions, while editor Antonio Siciliano delves into his process to ensure that the film maintained a fast, rhythmic pace. Lastly, film score expert Lovely Jon provides a strong breakdown of Ortaloni’s score, while also delving into the composer’s personal and professional backgrounds. Rounding out the package is a booklet with two archival interviews with Damiani.
Overall
Radiance’s release of Damiano Damiani’s chilling portrait of a society on the brink of destroying itself includes a beautiful 2K restoration of the film and a small but compelling slate of extras.
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