Shoot First, Die Later: Limited Edition – Raro Video UK (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1975
Director: Fernando Di Leo
Writers: Fernando Di Leo, Ernesto Gastaldi, Galliano Juso, Nicola Manzari
Cast: Luc Merenda, Richard Conte, Delia Boccardo, Raymond Pellegrin, Gianni Santuccio, Vittorio Caprioli, Salvo Randone

Release Date: May 26th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 94 Minutes 12 Seconds (Italian Language Version), 94 Minutes 10 Seconds (English Language Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Italian (Italian Language Version), LPCM Mono English (English Language Version)
Subtitles: English (Italian Language Version), English SDH (English Language Version)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"In Shoot First, Die Later, Luc Merenda (Torso) stars as Police Commissioner Domenico Malacarne, a young rising star in the force who is also taking bribes from the mob. A routine complaint comes through to a local station in which a lowly officer, Malacarne's father, takes the statement. Unbeknownst to Malacarne, the complaint implicates someone who the mob wishes to remain hidden, putting Malacarne in a difficult position with his father, who begins to suspect his son isn’t the law-abiding official he was previously so proud of…" - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "High-Definition digital transfer from the original camera negative."

Shoot First, Die Later comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 32.5 GB

Feature: 26.2 GB

Though this release and Raro’s 2013 release come from the same source, the result is transfers that are like night and day. This release’s transfer is a noticeable improvement over Raro’s 2014 release, which was a VC-1 video transfer. In every area—image clarity, black levels, and compression—this transfer looks better than Raro’s 2013 release.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Italian), 4/5 (LPCM Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, an LPCM mono mix in Italian and an LPCM mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. That said, the Italian language track sounds slightly fuller than the English language track. 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 Italian language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono Italian with removable English subtitles), English language theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an archival interview with director Fernando Di Leo titled Master of the Game (24 minutes 58 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Luc Merenda titled The Second Round of the Game (21 minutes 20 seconds, LPCM stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with film critic Travis Woods, reversible cover art, and a 12-page booklet (limited to 3000 copies) with cast & crew information, and an essay titled Life’s a Bitch: The Nihilistic Despair and Moral Clarity of Dl Leo’s Shoot First, Die Later written by Sam Moore.

Summary:

Fernando Di Leo directed Shoot First, Die Later. 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 highly respected police commissioner tries to conceal his corruption.

Though Fernando Di Leo worked in various genres, he is most known for his work in the Poliziotteschi, and he is widely regarded as this genre's best director. In Fernando Di Leo’s first three Poliziotteschi films, referred to as the Milieu Trilogy, the focus was on the criminal underworld. However, in Shoot First, Die Later, the police are portrayed as equally corrupt as the criminals. When discussing the cinema of Fernando Di Leo, particularly his work in the Poliziotteschi genre, it is important to highlight composer Luis Bacalov's significant contributions to the overall atmosphere. His score for Shoot First, Die Later stands out as another exemplary example of a mood-enhancing soundtrack.  

With Shoot First, Die Later, Fernando Di Leo creates a compelling morality tale. On one side you have a son who respects his father, and yet he works outside of the lines because he wants more than the meager salary his job provides. Then you have the father who is morally centered, and there is nothing that will make him cross that line. Things come to a head when the son needs his father's help to make some evidence disappear, which leads to a rift between them.

When it comes to the performances, they are outstanding, especially Luc Merenda (The Violent Professionals) in the role of police commissioner Domenico Malacarne. This is one of his strongest performances, as he does a superb job portraying a man living on the edge. Another performance of note is Vittorio Caprioli (To Be Twenty), who portrays Esposito, an old man who unknowingly reports evidence linked to a murder. Other notable cast members include Richard Conte (Tony Arzenta) in a familiar role of a crime boss, Delia Boccardo (Detective Belli), who portrays Domenico’s girlfriend, and Salvo Randone (The Working Class Goes to Heaven), who portrays Domenico’s father.

When it comes to creating gritty action sequences and conveying raw intensity, Fernando di Leo is unparalleled. Shoot First, Die Later, like so many of his Poliziotteschi, opens big with a bloodbath where characters are beaten and excessively shot for encroaching on someone’s territory. The most surprising aspect is how much time is spent on establishing characters and their motivations. While there are numerous carnage-driven set pieces, Shoot First, Die Later features two particularly well-executed car chases. Ultimately, Shoot First, Die Later is an exceptional Poliziotteschi that achieves a perfect balance between the more violent moments and an underlying subtext about abuse of power.

Raro Video UK gives Shoot First, Die Later its best home video release to date, recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer