Illustrious Corpses

In an unnamed Mediterranean country, judges are being killed one by one. Inspector Rogas first looks for a man taking revenge over an old case; the further he goes, the clearer it becomes that the murders come from inside the state. Francesco Rosi directed, from Leonardo Sciascia's novel. Lino Ventura plays Rogas. The film was made during Italy's years of lead and speaks directly to that climate: coup rumours, secret services, the tension between the left and the state, and the permanent fog over who is using whom. Rosi carries documentary discipline into fiction. Real buildings, cemeteries and corridors in Palermo and Naples are used, and the location keeps reminding you of the weight of power. The conclusion is bleak and the ending openly hopeless: even if the truth could be found, it says, nobody would let it be heard. Who it is for: viewers who like political thrillers and seventies Italian cinema. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a clear resolution; the film ends unanswered on purpose.