Ordine firmato in bianco

The Italian Mafia imports a New York gangster to spearhead an important heist but when an innocent bystander gets killed, he and his gang must hole up in a remote hunting lodge where a black-gloved killer starts taking them out one by one and painting their foreheads white.

Most murder mysteries end when the killer's unmasked but in this giallo- cum-political thriller, that's when the twists kick in. Made during "the leaden years" (an Italian term for the 1970s when political corruption, terrorism, and violent protests dominated the news), ORDERS SIGNED IN WHITE pulls no punches in its depiction of a venal judicial system in league with the criminals it's supposed to prosecute. One character's even referred to as "a citizen above suspicion" but as important as that guy was, he's only the tip of a rancid iceberg. What's interesting, too, is that there's really no "good guys" to root for since all the characters are morally bankrupt at best. Portly director Gianni Manera also stars (a bad choice) but other than that, it's very good and there's even a lesbian sex scene.