Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Crappy film

Best movie ever!

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

"How to Kill a Judge" is a methodically paced, politically loaded Italian crime drama showcasing ever-charismatic Franco Nero to great effect. Nero plays Giacomo Solaris, a filmmaker whose latest project becomes a big success. In it, he portrays a chief prosecutor as corrupt and in the Mafias' pocket. Then, later in real life, the man who served as the basis for this character is murdered. As the question of how much blame Solaris should get for this event is posed, the filmmaker is concerned enough to do his own sleuthing. Sometimes he does this with the prosecutors' widow (Francoise Fabian) at his side.This film might not have quite enough action or violence to suit some fans of that genre known as "Poliziotteschi", which is Italian crime fiction. What it has is plenty of dialogue, as it pointedly goes about examining themes such as politics, corruption, personal accountability, and how far some people will go to protect their own interests. Context is also important, as when this was made, Italy was experiencing an era of politically-motivated violence.Director Damiano Damiani, who also concocted the story, makes fine use out of various locations, and gets vivid performances out of his well chosen cast. Nero is fun to watch, as he is usually is, and there are some striking character faces among the cast: Vincenzo Norvese as Bellolampo the mobster, Luciano Catenacci as Meloria the attorney, Gianni Zavota as police commissioner Zamagna, etc.One element that really stands out is the melodic, wonderful soundtrack composed by Riz Ortolani, famous among horror fans for his memorable score for "Cannibal Holocaust".All in all, this is pretty good, but with so much talk going on, one really has to pay attention to stay on their toes.Seven out of 10.

During the 70s several films related to life in Sicily and Mafia's misdoing were made, most of them starred by Franco Nero. Probably this was the best acting period for Nero. The present film is a bit different from the others, its plot is original and I found it quite interesting. Giacomo Solaris (Nero) is a film-maker very much interested in all Mafia's deals. As a result of his work he came to some conclusions and assertions with a film he made regarding a Sicilian magistrate, and from here the plot starts and you will follow it in a labyrinth of issues. The film is also interesting because it shows the differences of the people speaking Italian from the North with the Sicilian population. For example, Nero pronounces Italian well while the Sicilians have a particular accent due to the influence of their local dialect. It also reflects well the environment in Sicilian towns. May be a modest film compared to others but good to see it.

I really love Damiani movies, I think that he is the best director from Italy that deals with the Mafia and political crimes, in a very realistic approach. His movies are always an intellectual feast for the mind. Unfortently Perché Si uccide un magistrato is not the case. The movie is to say the least boring and long. The story idea is very interesting, Franco Nero plays a director whose last film foreseen the murder of a supreme judge. It is the old question of propaganda cinema, is it really effecting and makes a difference. But as the story evolves we meet so many character's and politician, that it is getting confusing at times and misses the point. Franco Nero is charming as usually but even his passionate acting could not lift this movie from his problems. I was also expecting for some Italian grim action, but I was disappointed to find non, and I mean it. I cannot recommend this movie, but I can recommend on 2 other political/Mafia movies of Damiano 1) "A confession of a police commissioner". 2) "A man on his knee". If you can put your hands on them you will be rewarded.

Giacomo Solaris (Franco Nero) has just made a film about the hypocrisy in the judicial system focusing on one particular judge and his ties with the Mafia. As life often imitates art, the real life judge he used as a basis for his character is brutally murdered just as in his movie. Solaris begins to weave his way through a web of corrupt politicians, mobsters, and those with a grudge against the judge to find the killer.My rating for How to Kill a Judge is probably not a very good indicator as to the quality of this film. It's not that How to Kill a Judge is all that bad or anything, it's just that I was hoping for a different movie. How to Kill a Judge is a fairly entertaining drama with interesting characters, good locations, and a nice twist at the end. Franco Nero is as solid as ever and his scenes with Francoise Fabian are the standout moments of the film. There's some real chemistry between the two. The simplicity of the ending was refreshing, especially after having watched Franco go through the complicated and tangled web to reach the finale.But, as I said, this is not the movie I wanted. I was hoping for an over-the-top polizia thriller similar to something like Syndicate Sadists or Almost Human. Instead of an action packed cop film, How to Kill a Judge is so dialogue heavy that it often gets dull. And, it doesn't help anything that the movie goes off in several different directions without any real purpose. A tighter script and a little more action would have gone a long way to making How to Kill a Judge the movie I was looking for.