We Still Kill the Old Way: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1967
Director: Elio Petri
Writers: Elio Petri, Ugo Pirro
Cast: Gian Maria Volontè, Irene Papas, Gabriele Ferzetti, Laura Nucci, Mario Scaccia, Luigi Pistilli, Leopoldo Trieste, Salvo Randone

Release Date: September 23rd, 2024 (UK)
Approximate running time: 93 minutes 35 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 12 (UK)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"After two men are killed on a hunting trip, a lonely professor (Gian Maria Volonté, The Working Class Goes to Heaven), takes it upon himself to investigate what he believes was not a simple honor killing. As his search intensifies, politics and the Church become implicated in a complex conspiracy orchestrated by a powerful criminal organization.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 4.5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “We Still Kill the Old Way was restored by the Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino and Movietime. The film was scanned in 4K from the original camera negative and restoration was undertaken at Studio Cine in Rome, Italy. The restoration was made possible with the support of Giovanna Gravina Volontè, founder of La Valigia dell’Attore, as well as co-artistic director with Fabio Canu, and supported by Paola Petri, Sergio Toffetti, president of the National Cinema Museum of Turin.”

We Still Kill the Old Way comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.2 GB

Feature: 25.2 GB

The source is in great shape; colors look correct, image clarity and compression are solid, black levels are strong, and the image retains an organic look.

Audio: 4.25/5 (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 sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, they sound robust when they should. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track and removable English SDH for the English-language track.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 32 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Fabrizio Catalano, grandson of author Leonardo Sciascia (31 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with make-up artist Pier Antonio Mecacci titled Once Upon a Time in Sicily (29 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an interview with Roberto Curti, author of Elio Petri: Investigation of a Filmmaker titled To Each His Own (22 minutes 44 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival documentary titled Talking About… We Still Kill the Old Way, featuring interviews with writer Ugo Pirro, composer Luis Bacalov and Paola Petri (31 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and a 24-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information, Director’s Statement, an essay titled Of Things Best Left in the Dark, or Why do We Still Kill the Old Way written by David Wingrove, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

We Still Kill the Old Way was co-written and directed by Elio Petri, whose other notable films include The Assassin (L'assassino), The 10th Victim, A Quiet Place in the Country, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, Property Is No Longer a Theft, and The Working Class Goes to Heaven.

A professor questions the evidence against three men arrested for the double homicide. And when he gets closer to the truth, he upsets some very powerful people, putting his own life in danger.

By the time Elio Petri directed We Still Kill the Old Way, he had directed four feature films and two segments for anthology films. Though he’s a filmmaker whose films are known for their social and political commentary, his early films are not as overt in these two areas. This brings us to We Still Kill the Old Way, a film that serves as a bridge between his more standard fare films and the social and political laced cinema that defines the latter half of his filmography.

The Mafia are central to most Italian crime films, and though they are in We Still Kill the Old Way, they’re not the focal point. And though a double homicide sets the narrative in motion, We Still Kill the Old Way has minimal carnage, with the only other killing not happening until the finale. That said, at the heart of We Still Kill the Old Way is a story about the power that the wealthy and politicians hold and how they use their status to subvert justice.

All of the performances are outstanding, especially Gian Maria Volontè’s (For a Few Dollars More) portrayal of Paolo Laurana, the professor looking into things better left alone. He is perfectly suited to the role of his character. Gian Maria Volontè was an actor known for his left-wing political leanings. Another performance of note is Gabriele Ferzetti’s (Once Upon a Time in the West) portrayal of an affluent lawyer.

What starts off as a whodunit becomes more about the why than the who. Despite there being an array of suspects to choose from, when the moment of truth arrives, it no longer matters. In the final moments, it became clear that we used Paolo Laurana as a means to achieve a predetermined outcome.

In making a mafia crime film, Elio Petri utilizes familiar genre elements in a way that is uniquely his own. The narrative is well-constructed, pacing is never an issue, and a phenomenal finale serves as a perfect coda. The visuals, which are filled with beautiful landscapes, are another strength. Also, Luis Bacalov (Django) delivers another exemplary mood-enhancing score. Ultimately, We Still Kill the Old Way is a tense drama that quickly pulls you in and stays with you long after its moment of truth.

Radiance Films gives We Still Kill the Old Way an exceptional release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer