Posted: 07/29/2011

Live like a Cop, Die like a Man

(1976)

by Ruben R. Rosario

Now available on DVD from Raro Video U.S.

Live like a Cop, Die like a Man belongs to the sub- genre of “Poliziotteschi” or “Tough Cop” films that emerged in Italian cinema in the 1970’s. This was the second feature directed by Ruggero Deodato, of Cannibal Holocaust fame, that he made after making a big hit with his first film, A Wave of Pleasure. The film traces two policemen, Alfredo (Marc Porel) and Antonio (Ray Lovelock) as members an anti-crime squad that tackle big mobsters and thugs that are a threat to the city of Rome. The methods they employ are as vile as the criminals they’re trying to stop and the two of them do everything in their power to stop crime, by any means necessary. Raro Video presents the film in a new HD transfer from the original negative and some pretty cool special features.

The film itself is extremely violent and spares no expense towards the use of blood and gore. From the opening scene, there’s a woman that is dragged through the streets by her arm by two thieves on a motorcycle. This violent act sets the stage for all of the misogyny and epic violence that ensues throughout the entire 95 minute running time. There’s eye gouging, gun shots to the face and don’t get me started on all the bad things that happen to the women in the film. It shows it’s age through the really bad neon blood effects but it still doesn’t lessen the blows of the content of the film.

Another interesting aspect of Live like a Cop, Die like a Man is the relationship of Alfredo and Antonio as partners. The film reeks of homoerotic undertones as the two of them have an odd unspoken relationship towards one another. They do speak to each other in the film to relay some sort of information from time to time. They have this sort of unspoken connection through all of the macho things that they’ve done and spend a lot of time just looking at each other to convey some emotion or commit the next order of violence to serve up to some low level thug. There’s also never any real backstory to why these two are so violent towards the scum of Rome. Sure they’re taking out bad guys but at the same time, it comes off as if they weren’t cops, they would be the same maladjusted people their busy killing.

Raro Video’s DVD for Live like a Cop, Die Like a Man is very well put together. The 42 minute documentary, Poliziotti Violenti does a wonderful job exploring the back story of many the people that made the film. With interviews by Deodato, Lovelock and many others, the documentary helps the viewer understand where the film was coming from and how many B-movie films were a huge success in Italy at the time. While Live like a Cop, Die like a Man might not be everyone’s cup of tea, Raro Video should be commended for the packaging and presentation that they’ve put together for this cult classic.

Ruben R. Rosario is a graduate from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio for Visual Media. He works as a freelance location sound mixer, boom operator, sound designer, and writer in his native Chicago. He’s an avid collector of films, comics, and anime.

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