Franco Nero stars as Commissario Belli, a tough cop who goes up against the heroin smuggling racket. Nero's Exellent ability as an actor, along with Castellari's stylish direction and a great musical score from Guido and Maurizio De Angelis, makes for a very emotional film. Castellari uses a lot of slow motion, especially during the death scenes, which add more impact to the events. The editing is also very well done and effective such as the montage of Nero sending his daughter away by train so she'll be safe, and the end where Nero imagines that he's been shot. John Woo has siad in interviews that this is one of his favorite films.
In the next few years, Enzo mad "Il Citadino Si Ribella" aka:Street Law, "Il Grande Racket" aka:The Big Racket, and the trend setting "Keoma."
"Keoma," made in 1975, when the western was just about dead in Italy, started up a trend of "dark" westerns. among these includeLucio Fulci's "Quattro Dell'Apocalysse" and Sergio Martino's 'A Man Called Blade"
In 1982, Castellari hooked up with Fabrizio De Angelis and made three very popular post apocalypse films: "1990 Guerri Del Bronx"-1990:The Bronx Warriors, "Fuga Dal Bronx"-Escape From The Bronx, and "I Nouvi Barbari"-The New Barbarians. Off all the "Mad Max" rip offs made in the early 80's, Castellari's where among the most accomplished. In Fact, "Fuga Dal Bronx" was featured on one of the last episodes of "Mystery Science Theatre 3000."
In between the post apocalypse films, Castellari made "Giorni Del Cobra"-Day Of The Cobra. Franco Nero once again starred, this time as an ex-cop turned private investigator. Good production values, and direction from Castellari is completely wasted on this one. Almost completely derivitive of earlier, and better, Castellari films: Nero's child being run down, the Genoa setting, even the infamous "shot the guy in the balls from below" is recycled-with the same actor even!
Castellari's career in the film world pretty much went downhill after the mid 80's, but he continues to be very busy in Italian t.v., directing Bud Spencer in the "Extralarge" series. He Also returned to the western in 1993 with "Johnathan Of The Bears," a big budgeted Russian/Italian co-production once again starring Franco Nero.