The Counsellor – FilmArt (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy/Spain/USA, 1973
Director: Alberto De Martino
Writers: Adriano Bolzoni, Alberto De Martino, Vincenzo Mannino, Leonardo Martín
Cast: Tomas Milian, Martin Balsam, Francisco Rabal, Dagmar Lassander, John Anderson, Nello Pazzafini, Perla Cristal, Carlo Tamberlani, Manuel Zarzo

Release Date: November 25th, 2020
Approximate Running Time: 100 Minutes 51 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC
Rating: FSK 18 (Germany)
Sound: LPCM Mono English, LPCM Mono Italian, LPCM Mono German
Subtitles: German
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: 17,99 EUR

"You don't leave the "family. Don Antonio (Martin Balsam) also feels the unwritten mafia law. The San Francisco syndicate boss has approved the exit of his foster son Thomas (Tomas Milian). Fresh out of prison, Thomas dreams of a normal life in freedom...with a family. However, the Syndicate members see this as a golden opportunity to eliminate Don Antonio and Thomas forever for breaking their ideals. The first attacks are not long in coming. Don Antonio and Thomas have no choice: violence against violence. They must once again take up arms together to stop the bloody activities of their family members." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5

The Counsellor comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 28.4 GB

Feature: 26.2 GB

No information has been provided about the source of this release's transfer. Outside of the opening credits, which look very good, the source used for this transfer looks excellent. Colors and flesh tones look correct; image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with three audio options, a LPCM mono mix in English, a LPCM mono mix in Italian, and a LPCM mono mix in German. The English language track is in great shape. There are no issues with background hiss or distortion; dialog comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds are well-represented, and the score sounds appropriately robust. Also, there is one line of dialogue in Italian when watching in English, and it does not come with English subtitles. The Italian language track sounds clean, clear, and balanced. There are no English subtitles for this audio track. Included are removable German subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include reversible cover art, an image gallery, and a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 11 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles).

Summary:

The Counsellor was directed by Alberto De Martino, a workmanlike filmmaker whose other notable films include Django Shoots First, Bandits in Rome, Crime Boss, and The Antichrist. The cinematographer was Aristide Massaccesi, aka Joe D'Amato, who would go on to become a director in his own right, and the score was composed by Riz Ortolani (Don't Torture a Duckling, Cannibal Holocaust).

1970s Italian crime cinema primarily falls into two categories: films that were inspired by Dirty Harry and Death Wish, and films that were inspired by The Godfather. The Counsellor falls into the latter category. 

Though most 1970s Italian crime films take place in Italy. Many of the Italian crime films that are mafia-oriented take place in American locations. This is the case with The Counselor, where the bulk of the film takes place in San Francisco or New Mexico. with the finale taking place in Sicily.

The narrative revolves around a mafia don who inadvertently starts a war when he breaks the rules and lets his nephew walk away from the family. Fractions within Don’s inner circle see this as weakness, and they take the opportunity to take him out. When the Don survives an assassination attempt, things escalate into a full-on war between the Don and those who want to usurp him.

Recognizable faces stand out when watching Italian genre films from the 1960s and 1970s. Each genre had its own set of actors who excelled in their respective fields. Tomas Milian (The Tough Ones) and Martin Balsam (Confessions of a Police Captain) are two names that are synonymous with Poliziotteschi cinema. They have been cast in the roles of Thomas Accardo, the nephew of the Don, and Don Antonio Macaluso. Both actors are given ample material to work with as they tend to dominate every moment they are in. Another performance of note is Francisco Rabal (Viridiana) in the role of Vincent Garofalo, the man who wants to replace Don Antonio Macaluso.

Though the narrative takes its time to establish who everyone is and what their motivations are, things really start to move when the killings start. There are two exemplary action sequences. The first one is a bloodbath shootout between Don Antonio Macaluso’s men and Vincent Garofalo’s men at a warehouse. The other is a fantastic ending where Don Antonio Macaluso and his men use a parade to ambush Vincent Garofalo. Ultimately, The Counselor takes familiar elements and makes them their own, creating a highly entertaining crime film that fans of Poliziotteschi cinema should thoroughly enjoy.

The Counsellor makes its way to Blu-ray via an English-friendly release from FilmArt that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer