Uomini si nasce poliziotti si muore

You just know you're in for one hell of a thrill-ride when the movie you're watching opens with a 10-minutes-long chase sequence on motorcycles; through the crowd-infested streets of Rome and ending with a shocking execution that truly goes against all the rules of ethically correct police work. "Live like a Cop, Die Like a Man" is a work of genuine 70's exploitation, scripted by the multi-talented Fernando Di Leo and directed by the almighty Ruggero Deodato. Deodato is, without a doubt and hands down, the KING of exploitation cinema! A couple of years before he dedicated himself to the notorious jungle adventures ("Jungle Holocaust", "Cut and Run" and, of course, his ultimate masterpiece "Cannibal Holocaust") and brutal revenge-horror ("House on the Edge of the Park"), Deodato made his one and only "Polizieschi" movie, but it's definitely memorable & unique enough to rank among the best in the sub genre. "Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man" is an indescribably sadistic and cynical film and it's very different from the usual efforts in the "Polizieschi" genre. These raw and explicit Italian crime-thrillers always introduce macho cop characters that shoot first and ask questions later, but at least they usually have good reasons for their very unorthodox investigation techniques. They either want to avenge a murdered friend or colleague, or they're on a tight time-schedule to rescue kidnapped children or recover a stolen treasure. (Al)Fred(o) and (An)Tony(o), the two protagonists in Deodato's film, are different. They simply cross the thin line between justice and delinquency because they enjoy it! Much more than any other entry in the Polizieschi sub genre, "Live Like a Cop, Die like a Man" glorifies extreme violence and nearly encourages people to take justice into their own hands. Fred and Tony terminate unarmed & defenseless gangsters, force female suspects into having sex with them, burn down fancy cars and invade private clubs for no real reason and they carelessly endanger the lives of civilians. And whilst they're performing their "jobs", they never for one second stop to pay attention to their good playboy-looks and macho charisma. This film is fast-paced and multiple isolated sequences are terrific (the hostage-situation! The bank robbery!), but the script as a whole sadly lacks continuity and depth. There's no actual plot, as Fred & Tony are simply hunting down Rome's biggest crime boss, Roberto Pasquini, and they eliminate a lot of his accomplices and random street scum during their 'assignment'. Most other Polizieschi flicks have a slightly more intelligent script, but "Live Like a Cop, Die Like a Man" primarily benefices from sickening violence, gratuitous sleaze and unscrupulous controversy. The editing is sharp, the lurid 70's music is fabulous and Deodato's profound direction is brilliant and ultimately praiseworthy. I read somewhere that the motorcycle chases amidst crowded shopping streets and during broad daylight were filmed without official permission. Your name simply has to be Ruggero Deodato if you risk endangering the lives of unsuspecting civilians only to shoot credible and realistic footage of Rome!

Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man (they sure don't make films with awesome titles like this anymore) is a poliziotteschi directed by none other than Ruggero Deodato, the man who would deliver two of the most uncompromising, relentlessly mean-spirited exploitation movies ever in 1980, namely the still notorious Cannibal Holocaust and the depraved sleaze-fest House On the Edge Of the Park. Deodato was a man who never shied away from extremity in his movies and so it was with some interest I went into this one, particularly seeing as the Italian poliziotteschi genre is one hardly renowned for its restraint or political correctness in the first place. Well, I think it would be only fair to say that Deodato has once again delivered a tough genre film, full of excessive violence. Except in this case, and unlike those two infamous movies I mentioned before, the fun factor is considerably higher here as the levels of mean-spiritedness are noticeably lower.

Aside from Deodato at the helm, this one benefits enormously from having Fernando di Leo as its screenwriter. I think it would be fair to say that di Leo is the king of this particular sub-genre and has several outright classics under his belt as director. His input, therefore, is always going to be a significant bonus. It would probably be fair to say that the screenplay to this one is less thoughtful than the ones he used for his own films but it still nevertheless gets us from A to B in a highly entertaining fashion. This is one of many Italian cop films which followed the basic template laid down by the international hit Dirty Harry (1971), in that it features the use of brutal police tactics used to sort various low-life criminals out. Other Italian films used this idea, such as Umberto Lenzi's Violent Naples (1976) but where that film had one violent cop, this one has two! They go through the picture killing and torturing criminals, endangering the general public and indulging in sexist behaviour at every given opportunity. These guys work for the special squad section of the Rome police department and the film is basically made up of a number of different encounters they have with various criminals.

Events kick off with no messing about with a great extended motorcycle chase through the scenic streets of Rome, later the boys use their special brand of force against violent criminals holding an unfortunate woman hostage in her home, they also take out a group of thieves before they can even attempt to commit the crime in question and later dispatch a variety of gangsters in a quarry shootout. In other words, this is good violent fun, poliziotteschi style. The manner that these cops deliver their unorthodox brand of violent justice is so casually delivered and at no point in proceedings does anyone truly question their methods, aside from the occasional light ticking off from their superior. But let's be honest, it's this complete lack of any political correctness whatsoever that is a significant part of what makes Italian cop thrillers such fun nowadays – they don't make them like this anymore that's for sure! If you could imagine a parallel universe where 'Starsky and Hutch' were nihilistic police officers who blow up cars on purpose, have threesome sex with suspects and break the necks of criminals for the hell of it, then it would be something not far off Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man. You've just got to love the Italians.

This film is so manly I grew a third testicle just watching it! Here's a film where men are men, bad guys get a bullet between the eyes just for thinking about committing crime, and women are for shagging and doing the filing. Either director Deodato is taking the piss here, or this is the kind of Eurocrime film that definitely would be accused of being a bit fascist.

Marc Porel and Ray Lovelock are two young coppers who trust each other so much they share a flat, ride tandem on a motorbike, and make inappropriate sexual remarks to their bosses' secretary. They also love a bit of police brutality, as seen when they get involved in a motorbike chase at the start of the film (two robbers try and steal a purse from a woman who won't let it go, even though she's dragged along the road into a lamppost and has her face stomped). After a lengthy, exciting chase, they cause the robbers to crash, and Marc finishes one off by breaking his neck.

Their boss Adolfo Celi seems to put up with their antics, even if he doesn't agree with them. They are all after Mr Big, some guy called Pasquali, and have just set up a special squad in order to track him down, but when the guy who gets eaten by a ridiculous giant alien in the film Contamination gets gunned down, it gives our fellas an excuse to go and shag the bad guy's sister! These guys are so close that Ray Lovelock doesn't sloppy seconds after Marc Porel is finished! Nothing says masculine than not being bothered about stirring another man's custard.

I'm sure this must be some sort of parody but then it's hard to tell in Italian cinema. Every criminal who comes up against the two cops gets killed, including a gang just about to rob a bank (six executions on the streets before a crime's committed?) and remarkably sexist even for an Italian film, plus all the subtle hints that the two cops might be gay. The most telling scene is at the start when the robbers run over a guide dog and everyone just leaves the poor blind guy standing in the middle of the road.

Who knows? I enjoyed it anyway. Bruno Corazzari gets his eyeball poked out too.

Ruggero Deodato is a director known for making hard films, filled with violence and cynicism. His impressive cop thriller, "Live Like A Cop, Die Like A Man", is no exception. Alfredo and Antonio belong to a special branch of the Rome police department. They are given the hard cases, having to deal with the lowest criminal scum around. Their methods of dealing with the criminal element are certainly not standard procedure, as we see early in the film. The 'bad guys' who have the utter misfortune of having to deal with Fred and Tony, do not get handcuffed and have their rights read to them. Deodato, most known for a contemptuous piece of cinema called 'Cannibal Holocaust', has fashioned a stylish crime drama, filled with interesting and unusual characters. The viewer gets to know the two vigilante cops, who seem to be operating on the same wavelength. They cruise around on a motorcycle together, kill and torture bad guys together, even live together. They share the same cynical attitude towards life and death. There is a real bond there, and that relationship elevates this to a higher level. It is fun to watch these two in action, cocky and sexist bastards that they are, but somehow likable. Filmed with a great deal of energy and style. The opening scene, a wild motorcycle chase through the streets of Rome, sets the tone for the rest of the film. And the music is worth mentioning, some great background music, typical of the 70's time period, compliments the action. Deodato often had a strange habit of using the most inappropriate music to go along with the extreme violence happening on the screen. Soft ballads were often heard as people got beaten and murdered, or sexy disco music complimented a brutal rape, such as in "House On the Edge Of the Park". It somehow makes the brutal imagery all the more sick and twisted. For 'Live Like A Cop' actor Ray Lovelock who portrays Antonio, sings the main theme for the film. Great stuff. In America at this time, a TV show called 'Starsky & Hutch' was doing well. A cop show that featured two handsome partners, one blond and the other dark haired, much like the two heroes of this film. Perhaps that TV show was an influence, but the movie was made before 'Starsky & Hutch' was shown on Italian TV, so who knows? Up until recently "Uomini Si Nasce Poliiziotti Si Muore" was super-rare, almost impossible to find on video. Now there is a new DVD from an Italian label, 'Raro Video', that is well worth tracking down. Featuring a choice of original Italian language or a funny dubbed English track, and including an interesting interview with Ruggero Deodato and actor Ray Lovelock, who both discuss the film. Highly recommended for fans of 70's exploit films and crime films. There were countless cop thrillers to come out of Italy in this time, but this stands out as one of the best, and certainly one of the most brutal.

Ruggero made every cops fantasy here.

Ray Lovelock and Marc Porel (RIP and WAY too young) play a couple of plods on an elite part of the squad. And you know what THAT means.

They cruise around on motorcycles basically clipping anyone who even gives them a fishy eye. Catch a guy trying to steal a purse? Beat him senseless. Then shoot him. The man to man violence was over OTT.

Then there's the sex. Of course they get to bed many loose women. The kind of loose women that seem to be all over Rome in these kind of flicks. Although that's the big city. Tokyo? The same.

And the chief is one of those "I see nothing" types. Until he has no choice.

Chase scenes, shootings, fistfights, 70's waka-waka guitar and haircuts, it's there ad infinitum.

Porel died too soon. He was good looking enough where he could have had a real career. Lovelock was doing his usual.

Hard to find, but if you do, it's worth a gander.