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LIVE
LIKE A COP, DIE LIKE A MAN
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Review
by
Troy Howarth
Film:6
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DVD:7
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| Renegade
cops Alfredo (Marc Porel) and Antonio (Ray Lovelock) set Rome
ablaze with their special brand of unorthodox justice... |
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Long
before attaining cinematic infamy with Cannibal
Holocaust (1980), director Ruggero Deodato dabbled
in a variety of popular genres. Live Like
a Cop, Die Like a Man was his entry in the Italian crime
thriller sweepstakes — and for many, it ranks among the best in
its subgenre. There's no denying the film is a blast, but it nevertheless
falls short of the heights attained by Mario Bava with Rabid
Dogs (1974), Umberto Lenzi with Almost
Human (1974) and Fernando Di Leo with The
Italian Connection (1972), to name but a few. |
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One
of the first things that jumps to mind with regards to Live
Like a Cop, it has to be said, is the surprisingly blatant
homoerotic overtones involving the two protagonists. Whether this
was part of the intention in Fernando Di Leo's script, something
added by Deodato, or simply something being (mis)read into the
film by subtext-happy critics is open to debate — but it most
definitely appears to be deliberate. Certainly, the casting of
pretty boy types Marc Porel (Don't
Torture a Duckling) and Ray Lovelock (The
Living Dead at Manchester Morgue) helps this aspect along,
but the many scenes of the two men bickering like a couple, looking
to share their romantic (female) conquests with each other, or
stalking about their shared lodgings in their underwear simply
could not have been done without some thought. It doesn't
really add a whole lot to the film in some respects, but it does
give it a strange and unexpected twist. |
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As
for Lovelock and Porel, they both do a competent job in their
respective roles — though, truth be told, they both did better
work in other pictures. They don't really have a tremendous amount
of chemistry, but they appear to be having a blast playing such
two-fisted characters. Di Leo's script doesn't really give either
of them a great deal of depth to work with, however, and they
don't really rise above the B-grade stereotypes they're clearly
supposed to inhabit. The supporting cast includes the wonderful
Adolfo Celi (Thunderball),
who more or less phones it in as the boys' superior officer; Celi
may not be firing on all cylinders here, but he is still a welcome
presence, as usual. Deodato's wife, Silvia Dionisio (Blood
for Dracula), puts in an appearance as one of the film's
relatively few, but invariably mistreated, female characters. |
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Deodato's
penchant for rough and ready scenes of violence is on display,
but the film is dispensed in such a cartoony and over the top
fashion that some of the mayhem may elicit a chuckle or two. Even
so, a sequence of an informant having his eye gouged out is definitely
squirm inducing; interestingly, it's a scene of uncommon restraint,
in terms of what is shown, which may account for its edge. The
director does a terrific job staging the many car chases and action
set pieces. Like so many films of its ilk, Live
Like a Cop is less concerned with exploring sociopolitical
issues than with offering up plenty of action and mayhem — and
on that level, it's most definitely successful. The end result
may not rank as its director's finest work (for all its faults,
Cannibal Holocaust still claims that
honor) but it is among his most accessible and enjoyable. |
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| Raro
first issued Live Like a Cop, Die Like a
Man on DVD as an R2 edition in Italy. This new NTSC edition
offers up the same basic materials, for the benefit of the US
marketplace. The 1.85/16x9 transfer looks very good. There is
some edge enhancement evident, but in general the image is sharp,
colorful and nicely detailed. Audio options include both the Italian
and English dub tracks. The latter is laughably bad and really
is best to avoid; the former includes removable English subtitles,
making it a no-brainer for fans looking to experience the film
at its best. Both tracks are in pretty good shape, with only minor
background noise sporadically evident. |
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Extras
include a featurette, Poliziotti Violenti, as well as a
collection of TV spots directed by Deodato. The featurette provides
some great insight into the making of the film — the lack of chemistry
between Porel and Lovelock being explained by the fact that the
two men didn't really get along — and includes comments from Deodato,
Lovelock, and other surviving participants. The TV spots are a
nice bonus for Deodato completists, while others may opt to give
them a miss. A director filmography and biography, and liner notes
round out the package. 9/03/11 |
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