Cult actor Maurizio Merli, or "The Magnificent Moustache" as I just decided to start calling him, was the one and only true badass Italian copper of the 70s! Haters may refer to him as just a poor and hardly talented Franco Nero doppelganger (and they may even have a point), but for devoted fans of the wondrous Poliziotesschi sub genre, he always remains the archetypic and charismatic symbol of raw & unorthodox police work and outrageously wild car chases. The collaborations with director Umberto Lenzi ("Violent Naples", "The Cynic, The Rat and "The Fist") undoubtedly formed the high-point of Merli's career, but he also made a number of amusing films with Stelvio Massi, of which this "Convoy Busters" may be the best one.
Actually, I don't like the international title "Convoy Busters". It's meaningless and irrelevant, and probably just chosen to sound reminiscent to the contemporary successful US flicks "Convoy" (Sam S. Peckinpah) and "Wages of Fear" (William Friedkin). The original Italian title is very apt and powerful, in fact, especially seen over the course of the entire film. "Un Poliziotto Scomodo" literally translates as "An Uncontrolled Cop", and uncontrolled definitely describes Merli's character Commissioner Olmi. In his homestead Rome, Olmi investigates the brutal murder of a young girl whose body got dumped in a river with the throat clean and surgically cut. The search, as well as numerous other vile crimes, leads to the rich and hugely influential politician Degan, but Olmi is unable to make an arrest, since he gets protection from the equally corrupted prosecutor and even Olmi's own direct superior. Frustrated that Degan gets away with literally everything right under his nose, Olmi's working methods become even more unorthodox, and so his superiors quickly find a good enough reason to transfer him to a quiet and practically crimeless coastal town. Here, Olmi comes to rest and even finds romance, but his strong police instincts uncover a well-organized weapon trafficking network via the sea and involving local companies.
Due to the abrupt transfer of Merli's character from Rome to the little village, and the complementary change in tone & pacing, it almost feels as if you're watching two entirely different Poliziotesschi flicks! The first part is obviously better, with the traditional 'violent city' setting, better action and familiar footage (like Merli yelling against his supervisors or literally beating a confession out of suspects). The opening scene, with the discovery of the dead girl in the water, almost feels like a genuine giallo. The scenes in which Merli shoots bad guys from inside a helicopter is iconic Poliziotesschi; - especially the last shot in slow-motion! The second part, at the seaside, is interesting as well, but Merli clearly feels uncomfortable playing the sensitive guy and kissing his love-interest. The intense climax, with a hostage situation at an elementary school, compensates for a lot, though!
