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High Crime – Blue Underground (4k UHD/Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1973
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Writers: Maurizio Amati, Tito Carpi, Gianfranco Clerici, Enzo G. Castellari, Leonardo Martín, Gene Luotto, Vincenzo Mannino
Cast: Franco Nero, Fernando Rey, James Whitmore, Delia Boccardo, Duilio Del Prete, Silvano Tranquilli, Luigi Diberti, Stefania Girolami Goodwin, Ely Galleani, Massimo Vanni, Carla Mancini

Release Date: August 27th, 2024
Approximate Running Time: 102 Minutes 55 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.95

"Franco Nero (Django) gives his most powerful performance as Commissioner Belli, a head-strong Italian cop who uncovers brutal murders in Genoa linked to Europe's lucrative heroin trade. When Belli and his family become targets, the obsessive cop turns up the heat in his fight to take down the smugglers importing the deadly dope from France. How much will Commissioner Belli sacrifice to bust the Marseille Connection?" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "a brand-new 2024 Dolby Vision HDR 4K master."

High Crime comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD

Disc Size: 60.3 GB

Feature: 55 GB

The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

I have attached screenshots from Filmart’s German Blu-ray release; though the source in some areas looks similar to Blue Underground’s release, when it comes to colors it is noticeably different. Also, the reason Filmart’s release is about 18 seconds longer is because it opens with a StudioCanal intro. You can watch the alternate ending with the Blue Underground release, but it is an extra feature. With Filmart's release, you have the option to watch the movie with the original or alternate ending.

High Crime comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.5 GB

Feature: 25.1 GB

The Blu-ray included in this release uses the same source as the 4K UHD's transfer. And yet, in every area, the 4K UHD disc is stronger than its Blu-ray counterpart.

Audio: 5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks are in excellent shape; dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. That said, range-wise, these two audio tracks are comparable. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian language track, removable English SDH, and Spanish and French subtitles for the English language track. Though not listed in the subtitle menu, there is a second removable English subtitle track for newspaper headlines in Italian and a few dialogue exchanges not in English.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an alternate ending (2 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with director Enzo G. Castellari, Andrea Girolami, and William Lustig, an audio commentary with actor Franco Nero and filmmaker Mike Malloy, and an audio commentary with film historians Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a poster & still gallery (43 images), a theatrical trailer (4 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an alternate ending (2 minutes 52 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a featurette with Mike Malloy titled The Connection Connection (12 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with composers Guido and Maurizio De Angelis titled The Sound of Onions (22 minutes 36 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with camera operator Roberto Girometti titled Framing Crime (20 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with actor/stuntman Massimo Vanni titled Hard Stunts for High Crimes (19 minutes 8 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Enzo G. Castellari titled From Dust to Asphalt (28 minutes 17 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Enzo G. Castellari and Franco Nero titled The Genoa Connection (25 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Enzo G. Castellari, Andrea Girolami, and William Lustig, an audio commentary with Franco Nero and Mike Malloy, and an audio commentary with Troy Howarth, Nathaniel Thompson and Eugenio Ercolani.

Other extras are a CD that contains High Crime’s 19-track score and a bonus track, a cardboard insert with the CD’s track listing, reversible cover art, and an embossed slipcover (first pressing only).

Summary:

Enzo G. Castellari is a name that’s synonymous with Italian action cinema. And though he’s successfully worked in several genres, He’s most remembered for his contributions to Poliziotteschi cinema. Notable Poliziotteschi directed by Enzo G. Castellari include Street Law and The Big Racket.

Though Poliziotteschi’s roots can be traced back to heist films that were popular in Italy in the late 1960’s. Poliziotteschi's cinema did not hit its stride until the 1970’s. Unfortunately, like most Italian film cycles, Poliziotteschi cinema would fade away by the early 1980’s.

In the early days of Poliziotteschi cinema, there was more of a focus on character-driven stories, while the films that came later in the cycle were action-heavy and pushed the limits when it came to on-screen violence. This brings us to Enzo G. Castellari’s High Crime, a film that falls into the former category.

One thing most Poliziotteschi cinemas have in common is how they open with a set piece that sets the tone for what follows. In the case of High Crime, it opens with a twelve-minute chase sequence which begins on foot, then proceeds into a car chase where cars recklessly weave in between other cars. What sets this scene apart from other scenes is its originality. There’s no recycled chase footage to be found here, something that would become common in Poliziotteschi cinema.

High Crime, like most Poliziotteschi cinema, has its inspirations. And though High Crime’s premise bears similarities to The French Connection, This is where any similarities end, since what lies within is a film that draws heavily from what was going on socially and politically in Italy at that time.

The main attraction of High Crime is Franco Nero (Django) in the role of Vice-Commissioner Belli, a determined character who is frustrated by a system that prevents him from doing his job. Though he has portrayed other characters who have similar qualities to Vice-Commissioner Belli, The result is arguably one of his strongest performances of his career. It should be noted that the English-language version features his voice.

Other notable cast members include Fernando Rey (Illustrious Corpses) in the role of an aging crime boss named Cafiero, Stefania Girolami Goodwin (The Heroin Busters) in the role of Belli’s daughter, Delia Boccardo (Silent Action) in the role of Belli’s girlfriend, and Ely Galleani (Five Dolls for an August Moon) in the role of a reluctant informant named Chicca.

There’s not an area where high crime does not deliver and then some. The premise is well-executed, with a perfectly constructed narrative that balances exposition and action set pieces, and an explosive shootout finale between cops and criminals. Enzo G. Castellari’s greatest asset as a director is his ability to create stylized acts of violence. Another strength is Guido De Angelis and Maurizio De Angelis’ (Torso) score, which does a superb job of reinforcing the mood. Ultimately, High Crime is an extraordinary film that is one of the best examples of Poliziotteschi cinema.

A North American release of High Crime was a long time coming; there was a DVD and a Blu-ray that never materialized. Now, after a long wait, High Crime finally arrives on 4K UHD via a fully loaded release from Blue Underground that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, highly recommended.

Blue Underground Blu-ray Screenshot.