The Facts of Murder

The Facts of Murder (1959) is a small miracle of a movie, made with Hitchcockian complexity, matched with Howard Hawks’ feel for dialogue and the emotional resonance of the great Italian Neorealism movement.  If that sort of name-dropping and film school braggadocio is intimidating, don’t bother doing the research.  Peitro Germi’s film doesn’t require vast cinematic knowledge to appreciate. It’s a movie ripe for rediscovery, a genre film that makes it’s Hollywood contemporaries seem almost amateurish.

Investigating a simple robbery, Commissioner Ingravalla’s (writer/director/star Peitro Germi) case turns into a complicated murder mystery involving a dead aristocrat, her estranged husband, and a staff full of teenage suspects.  Unlike the ridiculously convoluted (and sometimes nonsensical) “giallos” that would rule Italy in the next decade, The Facts of Murder adds up to something more.  Not only does that plot make sense, it makes you constantly reassess the suspects with each narrative twist.

 

And, for once, the men hunting them down are just as interesting as the suspects themselves.  The squad on the case in populated by men with quirks, foibles, home lives, love lives and a sense of humor; the sort of everyday heroism that seems like guys on the job, rather than character actors assigned their respective roles.  Germi, as an actor, is tough but endearing.  Germi, as a director, is even better.  His visual style, while never overtly showy, creates an immediate impression, especially when matched with the haunting theme music that pops up throughout the film.  And his eye for talent showcases an early role for the darkly entrancing Claudia Cardinal.

 

For those patiently awaiting an upgrade for MYA’s long out-of-print DVD release, Radiance comes to the rescue once again with a new 4K restoration limited edition Blu-ray.  Extras include interviews, a documentary on Germi, visual essay on Italian Noir and excellent liner notes from Roberto Curti.