Director Francesco Rosi is a master of the political thriller, using the immediacy of the Neorealist style to probe political corruption, in this case in his native Naples. This film opens with the collapse of a working-class apartment building and then focuses on the city council's reluctant investigation of the negligence behind it, in which many of them are implicated. At the center of the controversy is Right-wing council member Rod Steiger, whose portrait of a larger than life developer covering for his son dominates the film. And yet thanks to Steiger's commitment to realism, it fits perfectly in a cast mostly composed of non-professionals. Many of the characters, including the Communist leader fighting for an investigation with real teeth, are played by actual members of the Naples City Council. Their presence is surprising, given the levels of corruption the film uncovers. But they also lend an authenticity to the action that frees Rosi to send his camera flying, with unsettling cuts and panoramic vistas that almost make Naples the real star of the film. That combination of thrilling camera work with near-documentary filmmaking techniques helped Rosi win the Golden Lion at Venice.

By Frank Miller