An offbeat entry in the Italian crime genre that features elaborate flourishes of brilliance here and there but becomes increasingly disappointing as the story progresses. I love polizia movies and there's every reason to love this one too, from the reliable cast members to Silvio Narizzano's confident direction, but the story seems to lose focus as the running time increases and come the end there's a whimper rather than a bang.
It's a pity, because things kick off with a robbery followed by a blistering car chase which is one of the best I've seen in a long time. Once the robbers have become unwitting kidnappers, however, things really start to lose their way. The presence of the hostage would, you think, add to increased suspense and ransom demands, but none of this ever takes place and the police barely register. Instead, the plot meanders its way across the Italian countryside as Telly Savalas chews the scenery and Franco Nero contributes an oddly subdued turn.
The film's attempts to become a psychological drama fail thanks to the distractingly over the top cast members. Mark Lester's plummy British accent is an irritant to even this British viewer, while Savalas adopts a grating Southern accent (hence the title) which is truly irritating to listen to. In fact, I refuse to believe Savalas put this excruciating voice on himself and I prefer to think he's been dubbed. Nero, who gave such good value throughout his career as a leading man, is miscast as a clumsy robber and scenes like the one where he accidentally drops his gun are never believable for an instant.
An inexplicable interlude, set at night with no lighting, means that a full twenty minutes of the plot takes place in almost complete darkness and by this stage I was starting to lose my patience. Things do pick up occasionally when Savalas commits further depravities – the interlude with the German campers is a highlight – but his antics pale in comparison to the likes of Tomas Milian in ALMOST HUMAN and ASSAULT WITH A DEADLY WEAPON, where the scriptwriters and director knew how to play up their star to his full potential. In the case of REDNECK, it feels like a missed opportunity.
