The Case Is Closed, Forget It, 1971 - ★★★★½

Visceral. You feel everything Venzi feels. The last 20 minutes are a tour de force in making the audience feel trapped, and then elated at release.

But at what cost? Venzi feints at morality, and even shows some courage. But the weight of cruelty and violence and systemic evil are just too much for him to bear.

Presenti is destroyed for his standards but Venzi gets to go off on a yacht.

It’s rare we see cowardice and its fundamental appeal placed at the center of a film. But this film makes it seem the it’s the only choice worth making.

And in these times, that’s absolutely terrifying.