I AM AFRAID tells the story of a bodyguard who, upon the assassination of the judge he was meant to protect, comes to find out that the new judge to whom he is assigned is corrupt with ties to the mafia and high places in the Italian government, and realizes that his own life is in danger.
70s paranoid thrillers and later movies made in their mold, such as Roman Polanski's THE GHOST WRITER (2010), are a favorite of mine. American audiences think mainly of US movies like THE PARALLAX VIEW (1974), THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR (1975), ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN (1976)-all excellent-which were inspired by the Watergate scandal.
But it turns out that sociopolitical turmoil in Europe in the late 60s and the 70s, and especially the fight in Italy against the mafia during that time, provided inspiration for some excellent films in this genre as well, and I AM AFRAID belongs to the very best examples of it.
There is an atmosphere of paranoia right from the first assassination scene a couple minutes in, and it rarely lets up. The movie does a fantastic job of allowing us to emphasize with the protagonist who, upon realization of the tangled web of darkness in which he was thrown, is nothing short of terrified. This is in no small part due to the performance of Gian Maria Volonte in the protagonist role.
The ominous drum motif supplemented with a wonderfully paranoid melody by Riz Ortolani does for this film what Bernard Herrmann's piercing string motif did for PSYCHO(1960) and John Williams' propulsive motif did for JAWS (1976).
The action scenes are beautifully staged, and story-wise, the film stands out not only for its originality and intricacy but also because it shows how the bodyguard uses his acumen to devise an ingenious yet credible way to at least attempt to save himself in the face of overwhelming forces of evil.
This is a perfectly crafted thriller by director Damiano Damiani and I recommend it highly to any fan of this genre.
