The title catches your eye. A mob film, you suspect. And you’re right. But a mob film from 1968, BEFORE The Godfather defined the genre as we know it today, and the difference is apparent.
Synopsis
Kirk Douglas is big-shot Mafioso living in retirement in Sicily. He’s old-fashioned, and believes in the old “values” of the Cosa Nostra. From the States comes his brother, who wants to make his name with the mob. His assignment, as it turns out, is to kill Douglas. Set entirely in rura… Sicily, this is not an action-packed shoot-em-up, and also requires a superhuman effort at suspension of disbelief on the part of the audience: I’m sorry, but I just can’t buy Kirk Douglas as a Sicilian.
Audio
No surprise given the film’s vintage that the sound is mono. It is a perfectly acceptable mono for all that. The music, in particular, has a good, clean, distortion-free reproduction. Otherwise, not much else I can tell you.
Video
The colours are very nice, and the contrasts are strong, nicely capturing the (apparently) perpetual sun of Sicily. There is, however, considerable edge enhancement, most visible when Douglas brother stands with his black suit all-too-sharply standing out from the surroundings. The format is 1.85:1 anamorphic.
Special Features
Another film-only disc, with no extras whatsoever.
Closing Thoughts
Interesting perhaps, to see the film while remembering how its genre would utterly transform very shortly.
Special Features List
- None
