马里奥·诺维里

UmbertoLenziisundoubtedlythekingofItaliancrimemovies,butunfortunately;SyndicateSadistsisnotthebestexamlesofhisworkinthisgenre.Lenzi’scrimeflickstendtobeacutabovetherestbecausehemakesfilmsbasedonstorieswithaoint,andtheydon’tlackdirection;butthisfilmfeelsabittoowaywardtofullyfitwiththerestofhisstuff.ThefilmtakesobviousinfluencefromSergioLeone’slandmarkwestern’AFistfulofDollars’(whichinturn,tookinfluencefromAkiraKurosawa’slandmarksamuraiflickYojimbo),inthatitfeaturestwowarringfamiliesandacharacteratthecentre.ThecrimethatLenzifocusesoniskidnaing,andwecentreonacharactercalled’Rambo’.Ramboisdraggedintothewarbetweenthetwofamiliesafterhisotheriskilledbecauseofit.Rambouseshisainsandawntoitthetwofamiliesagainstoneanother,inthehoeofgainingrevengeforhisother’sdeath,rescuingayoungboythatthey’vekidnaed,andultimatelylettingthetwosidesdestroyoneanother.Thefilm’sbiggestassetisundoubtedlyTomasMilian.MilianwasuttogreatusebyLenziinalmostallofhiscrimethrillers.TherangeofcharactershehaslayedforLenziisimmense,andthisoneiseasilyoneofthecoolest.ThecharacteriscalledRambo,whichimmediatelysrangtomindtheoularSylvesterStallonecharacter-butforonce,theItaliansactuallyhaven’tstolenthisnameasSyndicateSadistswasreleasedfirst!Asusual,thefilmiswickedlyentertaining,aswegettowatchMiliangethimselfinvolvedintheusualarrayofcarchases,shootoutsandawls.Lenzihasgothimridingamotorbikethistimeround,andeveryscenefeaturingitandMilianisarealstandout!However,thefilmoftenfeelslikeitdoesn’treallyhaveanywheretogo,andthismeansthattherunningtimeisstretchedoutmorethanitshouldbe.ComaredtothecrimefilmsofotherItaliandirectors,SyndicateSadistsismorethanaboveaverage;butinrelationtoLenzicrimeflickssuchasAlmostHumanandTheCynic,TheRatandTheFist-itdoesn’tstandtallasoneofLenzi’sbest.Still,ifyou’relookingforninetyminutesoftestosteronefuelledmayhem-SyndicateSadistswillsuffice!