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In the 1970s the crime film flourished in Italy as the country went through years of political and social unrest, the so-called ‘Years of Lead’. Italian movie producers would capitalise on these times by producing cheap, violent movies about the country’s organised crime and corruption, establishing the genre of the poliziotteschi. One of the most celebrated poliziottesco directors was Fernando Di Leo, a director as concerned with telling entertaining stories as he was with creating socially relevant backdrops. In Di Leo’s The Boss, Henry Silva plays mob enforcer Nick Lanzetta, who assassinates key members of a rival gang in order to put his boss in a position to seize power. However, one surviving member of the gang, Cocchi (Pier Paolo Capponi, The Cat o' Nine Tails) plots his revenge involving corrupt cop Torri (Gianni Garko, If You Meet Sartana Pray For Your Death), leading to a bloody series of double-crosses and power plays to find who will ultimately become the boss.
LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY SPECIAL FEATURES:
2020 4K restoration of the original negative, presented in the original Italian version and the shorter English export cut, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK
Uncompressed mono PCM audio
Audio commentary by critic Rachael Nisbet
New interview with Fernando Di Leo biographer Davide Pulici
Archival documentary Mafia Stories featuring stars Gianni Garko, Pier Paolo Capponi, producer Armando Novelli and director Fernando Di Leo among others (24 mins)
Original trailer
Image gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring artwork based on original posters
New and improved English subtitle translation
Limited edition booklet with new writing by Italian crime expert and scholar Giulio Olesen and an archival interview with Di Leo
Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with limited edition booklet and reversible sleeve
Henry Silva