San Sebastian Festival to Spotlight Italian 'Poliziesco' Genre with 22-Title Retrospective
©ssiff
The San Sebastian Festival is set to take cinephiles on a thrilling journey through the gritty, action-packed world of Italian crime cinema with a retrospective titled "Violent Italy: Italian Crime Films." The program will feature 22 carefully selected films spanning from 1943 to 2023, offering a comprehensive look at the evolution of the *poliziesco* genre. This cinematic season, which marks the 72nd edition of the festival, will be further enriched by the publication of a book on the subject by historian Felipe Cabrerizo, who has co-coordinated the retrospective alongside film critic Quim Casas.
The poliziesco genre, a pillar of Italian cinema, offers an unflinching portrayal of Italy’s turbulent social and political landscape. Despite the stringent censorship of crime films during the fascist era, the genre found its beginnings with Luchino Visconti's *Ossessione* (1943), a film that would go on to influence generations of filmmakers. The genre’s early years saw directors like Mario Soldati and Fernando Cerchio examine the war’s aftermath on Italian society, while Pietro Germi and Luigi Zampa used the genre to explore the rise of criminal networks. The tone of these early films ranged from the severe to the comedic, with Germi’s *Un maledetto imbroglio* (*The Facts of Murder*, 1959) playing a key role in establishing *poliziesco* as a genre distinct from its foreign influences.
As Italy entered the 1960s and 70s, the genre evolved to reflect the country’s shifting socio-political climate. Damiano Damiani’s *Il giorno della civetta* (*The Day of the Owl*, 1968) introduced a new sociological perspective on the Mafia, which was then taken to new heights by Elio Petri’s Oscar-winning *Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto* (*Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion*, 1969). During this period, the *poliziesco* genre also began to absorb influences from the French crime film, or *polar*, with directors like Fernando Di Leo (*Milan, calibre 9*, 1972) and Sergio Sollima (*Revolver*, 1973) making significant contributions. The genre became so integral to Italian cinema that it helped establish an entire star system, featuring iconic actors such as Tomas Milian, Franco Nero, and Claudia Cardinale.
The 1970s saw the rise of *poliziottescho*, a subgenre that emerged in response to Italy’s increasing political violence and social unrest. Films like Stefano Vanzina’s *La polizia ringrazia* (*Execution Squad*, 1972), which won the Silver Shell for Best Director at the San Sebastian Festival, exemplify this period of intense cinematic output. Directors like Umberto Lenzi and Pasquale Squitieri pushed the boundaries of the genre, producing films that embodied the country’s societal collapse, as foreshadowed in Francesco Rosi’s *Cadaveri eccellenti* (*Illustrious Corpses*, 1976). The assassination of Aldo Moro by the Red Brigades marked a turning point for the genre, leading to introspective films by directors such as Giuseppe Ferrara and Marco Bellocchio, who grappled with the blurred lines between fiction and reality.
After a period of decline, the *poliziesco* genre made a triumphant return with Matteo Garrone’s *Gomorra* (*Gomorrah*, 2008), a film that not only reinvigorated the genre but also established it as a cornerstone of contemporary Italian cinema. As part of the retrospective, *Gomorra* will be screened in a newly restored 4K director’s cut, allowing audiences to experience the film in its full, visceral glory.
The San Sebastian Festival’s commitment to celebrating classic cinema extends beyond this retrospective. In 2024, the festival, in collaboration with the Filmoteca Vasca, will present a year-long program of classic films, grouped into three thematic seasons. In addition to the *poliziesco* retrospective, these seasons will include a series of restored films shown at various cultural institutions throughout the Basque Autonomous Community, Navarre, and the French Basque Country. The festival will also host a season of restored short films, details of which will be announced in the coming months.
For fans of Italian cinema and crime films alike, "Violent Italy: Italian Crime Films" promises to be a highlight of the San Sebastian Festival, offering a rare opportunity to delve deep into the dark, complex world of *poliziesco*.