Main Cast: Fabio Testi, Vincent Gardenia, Renzo Palmer, Orso Maria Guerrini, Romano Puppo
Release Year: 1976
Country: IT
Run Time: 106 minutes
Plot
A by-the-books cop struggling to bust a brutal protection racket in Rome is forced to throw the rules out the window when the vicious gang attempts to cement their status by moving into the drug trade in director Enzo G. Castellari's tough-talking poliziotteschi. As the citizens of Rome continue to suffocate in the cold grip of fear, it's up to determined inspector Nico Palmieri (Fabio Testi) to take back the streets from the murderers and rapists who terrorize the population and give the cruel thugs a hard lesson in street justice. When the only language that the criminal element understands is violence, Inspector Palmieri is more than willing to communicate in terms that will get the message across. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Review
Italian crime thrillers have a reputation for being tough, but The Big Racket truly lives up to that description. The clever script starts as a cat-and-mouse game between the policeman hero and the villains and segues into a high-stakes revenge thriller, building up in tension and brutality until it reaches its explosive finale. The end result could never be described as subtle, but it plays well thanks to solid, charismatic performances. Fabio Testi excels as the taciturn cop hero, Vincent Gardenia adds a bit of levity as raffish crook who assists him on the sly, and Renzo Palmer is heartbreaking as a well-meaning father driven to madness by the crime syndicate. Enzo Castellari directs the film with his trademark kinetic sense of style, keeping up a sharp pace that blends action with quieter, more atmospheric, moments and deploying bursts of slow motion at just the right time during action scenes. It all adds up to a grim but exciting action film; as a result, The Big Racket might be a little too tough for some viewers, but fans of the Italian crime genre will be very impressed. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
