The Syndicate of Horror
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The Syndicate of Horror |
| Original title | Luca il contrabbandiere |
| Country of production | Italy |
| original language | Italian |
| Publishing year | 1980 |
| length | 91 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK unchecked |
| Rod | |
| Director | Lucio Fulci |
| script | Lucio Fulci Ettore Sanzò Gianni De Chiara Giorgio Mariuzzo |
| production | Sandra Infascelli |
| music | Fabio Frizzi |
| camera | Sergio Salvati |
| cut | Vincenzo Tomassi |
| occupation | |
| |
The Syndicate of Horror (Original: Luca il contrabbandiere ) is an Italian gangster film by the director Lucio Fulci from 1980. The film belongs to the sub-genre of the Mafia film, the so-called Poliziottesco, and also features set pieces from the splatter sub-genre that was popular at the time .
Because of its explicit depictions of violence, the film was confiscated nationwide in the 1980s in both the cut version and the uncut version in accordance with Section 131 of the Criminal Code . After the first DVD evaluation of the uncut version, the work, as well as a large part of Fulci's other productions, which have been published on the label Astro Records and Filmworks and / or Laser Paradise, was confiscated by the German judiciary as part of a major confiscation campaign . The film was confiscated in Germany until March 2018 on charges of glorification of violence.
action
The unhappily married Luca Ajello and his older brother Michele lead a small gang of cigarette smugglers who operate powerful motorboats in the Gulf of Naples . The criminal siblings are part of a profitable association to which other Camorra bosses belong. One day they both notice that the delicate balance among the black marketeers has been disturbed. Your little ring is threatened by an initially unknown drug organization that decimates the petty criminal smugglers in search of local drug distribution partners. Under the leadership of an unnamed French, “the Marseilles ”, all resident mafiosi who stand in the way of controlling the area or who refuse to support are murdered in cold blood. This is the start of an extremely bloody gang war in Naples , the backers initially operate in secret and remain undetected.
One of the first victims is Michele, who is murdered in cold blood. The grieving Luca then swears bloody revenge on those responsible, which he seeks in vain at first. The Camorrista initially suspects the culprit in his own ranks until he learns from a man from Marseille, the leader of the Syndicate of Horror . He has to watch helplessly as more cigarette smugglers find their deaths, sometimes in public, so that the traditional smuggling business is finally smashed. The wave of violence is gradually shaking up the police, who, until this point in time, have been noticeably reluctant to take action against the cigarette smugglers.
In this situation, the man from Marseilles who had traveled there makes him a lucrative offer for a partnership. Luca and the remaining cigarette smugglers are supposed to provide boats for the heroin transport, in return a percentage share in the profits of the drug trafficking beckons. The Camorristi, however, unanimously refuse to cooperate with the drug syndicate. The syndicate's vengeance is cruel: all of the long-standing criminal bosses find a painful death in a bloodbath, only Luca manages to escape. The situation escalates; he himself and his family are increasingly becoming the focus of the syndicate.
When Lucas's wife Adele is kidnapped and mistreated on behalf of the Marseilles man - his little son Francuccio is meanwhile in safety - the film ends with a bloody reckoning. The humiliated black marketeer slaughters the members of the drug syndicate with mobilized “retired” Camorristi. The police released Adele from the syndicate's hands at different times; by the way, you will find a large amount of heroin and a drug laboratory. In the last scene of the film, the investigating Captain Tarantino begins to tolerate the behavior of the illegal cigarette dealers.
Reviews
“A tough and exciting Italian gangster film by the notorious violent director Lucio Fulci. Most of them are familiar with his horror films. That he also delivers excellent (and sometimes better) works in other genres, rather less. "
"Low-tension film that celebrates bloodbaths, mass executions, atrocities and torture with relish."
“The film is probably by far the most brutal film in the genre. [...] The characters involved are taken from their brutalization without further ado, since the plot elements are finely linked. [...] Unfortunately, "the syndicate of horror" also means something like a swan song for the genre, since it is one of the last serious contributions of the old school. "
“Fulci doesn't take prisoners. The fact that this film could ever be shown uncut in German cinemas seems almost like a wives' tale these days. ... The acts of violence in the film are unprecedentedly rolled out; in their exaggeratedness they look like grotesque comic strips, not crass naturalism. ... Luca is really sympathetic, his fate does not leave you cold. Only the various waterfalls in red color distract from the story. The "Circus Krone" effect sets in. ... Fulci feeds his sparrows with numerous successful scenes. A disco sequence, for example, which is only illuminated by a stroboscopic light for at least a minute and not only the dancers move into the surreal, is a typical example of Fulci's wit. ... The distribution of sympathies is interesting: It is a mafia boss who finally takes care of the liberation of Adele and chases the French into the Orcus. The little smugglers tend to be drawn with sympathy. "
additional
- In addition to the theme music by Fabio Frizzi , the title "Disco Circus - Over & Over" by Jürgen Korduletsch can be heard in the scene in the disco .
- Parts of the film's music were used by the American rapper Necro for the title "I'm your idol" .
- Synchronization:
Web links
- The syndicate of terror in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The Syndicate of Horror in the online film database
- Comparison of the cut versions of BBFC 18 VHS - uncut from Das Syndikat des Horens at Schnittberichte.com
Individual evidence
- ↑ The Syndicate of Horror - Seizure Lifted
- ↑ http://www.schnittberichte.com/schnittbericht.php?ID=4255597
- ↑ The Syndicate of Horror. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ↑ "The Terror is Directed - The Italian Gangster and Police Film" by Michael Cholewa and Karsten Thurau, p. 186, 2nd edition 2008, ISBN 978-3-931608-91-0
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from January 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
