Rulers of the City - Raro Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1976
Director: Fernando Di Leo
Writers: Fernando Di Leo, Peter Berling
Cast: Jack Palance, Al Cliver, Harry Baer, Gisela Hahn, Enzo Pulcrano, Carmelo Reale, Edmund Purdom, Vittorio Caprioli

Release Date: January 31st, 2012
Approximate running time: 95 minutes 38 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95 (Rulers of the City is part of Fernando Di Leo: The Italian Crime Collection: Volume 1)

"Two young friends initiate themselves into a gang to get close to big time crime boss Mr. Scarface (Palance) to get revenge for a childhood murder and destroy his mob." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.25/5

Rulers of the City on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 19.8 GB

Feature: 18.4 GB

Though no information is given about the source, it is in very good shape. Colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong throughout, and any compression-related issues are never too intrusive. That said, this transfer is a noticeable improvement over Raro Video's non-anamorphic DVD release.

Audio: 3.5/5

This release comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD Mono mix in English and a DTS-HD Mono mix in Italian. Both audio mixes sound clean, clear, and balanced throughout. Though the range is rather limited at times, the more action-oriented and ambient aspects of the soundtrack fare really well. Included with this release are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a text based biography and filmography for Fernando Di Leo and a documentary titled Documentary: Violent City (15 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo in Italian with non-removable English subtitles).

Rulers of the City is part of Fernando Di Leo's The Italian Crime Collection: Volume 1. This box set also contains Milano Calibro 9, The Boss and The Italian Connection. This box set comes with a twenty-two-page booklet that comes with an essay titled Introduction written by Luca Rea, an interview with Fernando Di Leo, conducted by Luca Rea, and a biography and filmography of Fernando Di Leo.

Summary:

Fernando Di Leo directed Rulers of the City. He’s a filmmaker who is most known for his work in the Poliziotteschi genre. His notable films include To Be Twenty, Slaughter Hotel, and Caliber 9.

A debt collector joins forces with a man seeking revenge against a crime boss who rules the city.

When it comes to Poliziotteschi, Fernando Di Leo stands in a class all his own. Though there are films in this genre directed by other directors that are on par with his most celebrated Poliziotteschi, no other filmmaker influenced this genre more than he did. That said, even one of Fernando Di Leo’s lesser Poliziotteschi is superior to most of his contemporaries' films; case in point, Rulers of the City.

Though revenge is central to the story that unfolds in Rulers of the City, its narrative has two stories that intersect by the time the finale arrives. One of these stories revolves around a debt collector named Tony who wants the other guys he works with to respect him, and to prove his worth he takes on a dangerous job of collecting from a notorious crime boss nicknamed Scarface. The other story revolves around Rick, a man who works for Scarface. Rick is not your average criminal; he has ulterior motives for working with Scarface that are tied to the death of his father. These two characters' stories intersect, and they work together to bring down Scarface.

This cast is one of the weaker ones that Fernando Di Leo worked with; that said, the main draw is Jack Palance (The Mercenary) in the role of a crime boss named Manzari, aka Scarface. He is an actor known for delivering sinister and cold-hearted performances, and once again he delivers an exemplary performance. When it comes to the two leads, Harry Baer (Fox and His Friends) and Al Cliver (Zombie), who portray Tony and Rick, they both deliver one-note performances. Of these two performances, Al Cliver’s bland performance was especially disappointing.

Though Rulers of the City is not part of the Milieu Trilogy, content-wise, it bears many similarities to the three films that make up the Milieu Trilogy. Fernando Di Leo’s direction is solid, especially when it comes to action set pieces. The narrative opens and closes with its two best action sequences. Also, though there is a car chase, a staple of Poliziotteschi cinema, Rulers of the City does something different with a lengthy on-foot chase. The well-constructed narrative has an ample amount of tense moments, and it does a superb job building to a bloody shootout finale. Composer Luis Bacalov (Django), a frequent collaborator of Fernando Di Leo, delivers another excellent score that reinforces the mood. Ultimately, despite its shortcomings, Rulers of the City is a highly entertaining film, making it a must-see for fans of Poliziotteschi cinema.

Rulers of the City gets a good audio/video presentation from Raro Video.

Written by Michael Den Boer