A Brilliant Conflict

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

The first must-see film of the year.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

I've praised the release of foreign films in the past, glad that many were now finally able to be seen by movie fans around the world. Movies that were made long ago and seen only by a handful of fans in the states fortunate enough to live close to a theater willing to book them are now available for all. In many cases the end result is seeing something that is classic, that stands the test of time and language. That doesn't quite happen with THE ASSASSIN.The movie tells the story of Alfredo Martelli (Marcello Mastroianni), an antiques dealer who is awakened one morning by the police and asked to come down to the station. No reason is provided but he complies only to find himself waiting an inordinate amount of time to find out what is going on. Eventually Inspector Palumbo (Salvo Randone) takes him to another room and apologizes for the delay.What appears to be a game of cat and mouse follows with Martelli eventually being told he is a suspect in the murder of Adalgisa De Matteis (Micheline Presle), a wealthy woman and Martelli's onetime partner. She also happened to be his mistress.The movie advances forward using two methods from here. One is in flashback sequences where we get to know the past history of the characters involved in Martelli's life, his relationships and methods of behaving in certain circumstances. The other is the shifting of locations as the Inspector takes Martelli to the crime scene and eventually places him in a jail cell while the investigation continues.Don't worry, no major spoiler here about his guilt or innocence. But the movie is more intent of looking at the lifestyle of the character of Martelli than being a whodunit, more focused on him and his actions past and present. Martelli is a user, a man who wants to elevate his status from his past and will do almost anything to make that happen. He's a cad when it comes to women, getting what he wants and moving on to another.Perhaps it's just the way movies were at that time in Italy, perhaps it is that something is definitely lost in translation or perhaps it's just that this type of movie just isn't meant for me. In the end while the film provided a look at a movie from Italy from that time period (1961) I found it fairly boring. The story never drew me in, I found no character to sympathize with and by the final credits found nothing of interest that would make me want to recommend this movie. Perhaps the only thing that would do so is to offer it as a good film for fans of this type of cinema, for fans of any and all things in the Italian film area or for fans of Mastroianni.Arrow Video does a wonderful job as always with their presentation here, no fault lies there. The print itself is a 2K digital restoration from the Cineteca di Bologna. Extras include LIO PETRI AND L'ASSASSINO an introduction by Italian cinema expert Pasquale Iannone (Petri was the films director), TONINO GUERRA: A POET IN THE MOVIES - Nicola Tranquillino's documentary about the great Italian screenwriter, the theatrical trailer, a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jay Shaw and in the first pressing only a booklet featuring writing on the film by Petri expert Camilla Zamboni, Petri's own critical analysis of the 1950s Italian cinema plus a selection of contemporary reviews.

The antiquarian Alfredo Martelli (Marcello Mastroianni) is brought to the precinct without any explanation to be interviewed by the Police Inspector Palumbo (Salvo Randone). During the questioning, Martelli learns that his wealthy mistress Adalgisa De Matteis (Micheline Presle), who is older than he, was stabbed to death and he is the prime suspect of the police officers. While in jail, Martelli recalls moments of his life with Adalgisa and his love affair with the young Nicoletta Nogaro (Micheline Presle). Meanwhile the police proceed with the investigation."L'assassino" is a dated thriller by Elio Petri in his debut as director. The storyline slightly recalls Franz Kafka's "The Trial" where a man is arrested for an unspecified motive. Alfredo Martelli is a cynical man and the lack of communication between the characters keeps the atmosphere dark and gloomy. The black and white cinematography on the restored DVD is magnificent. My vote is six.Title (Brazil): "O Assassino" ("The Assassin")

This is a pretty good film overall, not an amazing classic, but definitely something solid and something you'd expect to find on DVD so i'm kind of surprised Criterion hasn't snapped it up as of yet.---Marcello Mastriani really really holds the film together with his performance. (he basically is the film here really) He hits all the notes that you would expect an innocent man in his predicament to hit but he throws in a lot of grace notes and a surprising amount of humor that kind of informs his character's mood changes from the general good humor to the understandably agitated and jumpy guy as well. Movie is about a guy who's mistress is found dead and well the cops really really really like him for it. Movie is essentially Marcello flashing back on his relationship as it progressed throughout the time he knew her until her death all while being interrupted by him being grilled by the lead detective, or in a jail cell being irritated by the other inmates, and so fourth. Even if it is your basic plot device--it still works well enough to get you to wonder which of these other people is the real killer...i mean it couldn't actually be Marcello Mastriani right? that'd be absolutely ridiculous! (thank god this movie wasn't made in the last decade---i think you could pretty much guarantee that that would be the "twist" if it were) Virtually the whole movie reminded me of Louis Malle's Elevator To The Gallows--itself a movie about a man innocent of murder trying to find out what happened to his love. That movie was set to a Miles Davis score--and this one is also set to a really good, really moody jazz score as well (altho if i read the credits right--the musician was Italian and not American) the constant repetition of the main theme as Marcello wanders around and around works wonderfully--i left the screening humming it---but it also mirrors Marcello's confusion about what he actually can remember---he spends the whole movie remembering stuff--but he can't seem to remember the actual details he badly needs to remember...you know you hear the song play on but you really couldn't hum anything other then the main theme. It all goes down really smoothly--but it is kinda forgettable unfortunately. I mean its a very good watch--but i don't know if i'm going to really remember that i saw this a day or two from now much less a week. Still it works really well and its got a beat you can dance to which is just fine for me. The only real flaw i think is that the wrap up to the murder case--is rather arbitrary (of course it is, it wouldn't be a true deadpan film if it weren't) but that's not that big a deal since it leads to one of the best lines of the movie spoken by the police detective who had been needling Marcello throughout the whole thing---and then the ending of the movie itself--which is like something out of a deadpan comedy and not the ice cool french noir we've been watching....actually scratch that its exactly like the movie we've been watching.

A socialite is murdered and her playboy lover, (the young and handsome Marcello), is brought in for questioning. During his stay in custody we get to see the real sneaky playboy in action via flashback. Is he guilty or just a sleaze. Cleverly constructed and effectively shot by Woody Allen's favourite camera person, Carlo Di Palma.