Contraband is one of the films that helps to show that Lucio Fulci was not merely a director of horror splatter films. Fulci directed this film after his controversial Dawn of the Dead rip-off, Zombie Flesh-Eaters proved to be a big hit. As you may expect from a man who became famous for gore, this film features more bloody murders than the average Giallo, and most of them are bloodier than those found in Fulci's zombie films! You've got to love Lucio Fulci, and scenes that see a woman have her face burnt away with a Bunsen burner, as well as someone else being smashed through a greenhouse show why! And then, of course, we've got all the blood and guts in the shootouts that you'd expect, and it's obvious that Fulci enjoys his gore, as most of it is overly gratuitous considering that this isn't even supposed to be a horror film. The film follows smuggling in Italy. We follow a smuggler named Luca Di Angelo, a man that works for an underground smuggling operation. His life turns sour when his brother is killed, and pretty soon after more smugglers move in on his territory...
It has to be said that this film is rather uneven, and at times the plot is difficult to follow. Of course, Fulci never lets this downtime last for long as there's always another brutal and bloody murder just around the corner, and the action scenes are genuinely exciting and well filmed. The lead performance courtesy of Fabio Testi is good and as was the case in What Have They Done to Solange and The Big Racket, his performance suits the movie's look and feel. He looks strong enough to be believable in the lead role, while simultaneously looking believable as a family man. Fulci's direction is good enough, and while the film is never as gritty and sleazy as it could have been; Contraband still benefits from a nice atmosphere. As ever with this sort of film, it all boils down to a big shootout, and the one here even features someone's guts falling out! I'm a big fan of Italian Giallo's, but to be honest; I haven't seen many of the Poliziotteschi sub-genre of which this movie is a part of. Therefore it is difficult for me to say whether or not this is one of the best, but as a fan of Italian cinema; I can tell you that Contraband is worth seeing.
It has to be said that this film is rather uneven, and at times the plot is difficult to follow. Of course, Fulci never lets this downtime last for long as there's always another brutal and bloody murder just around the corner, and the action scenes are genuinely exciting and well filmed. The lead performance courtesy of Fabio Testi is good and as was the case in What Have They Done to Solange and The Big Racket, his performance suits the movie's look and feel. He looks strong enough to be believable in the lead role, while simultaneously looking believable as a family man. Fulci's direction is good enough, and while the film is never as gritty and sleazy as it could have been; Contraband still benefits from a nice atmosphere. As ever with this sort of film, it all boils down to a big shootout, and the one here even features someone's guts falling out! I'm a big fan of Italian Giallo's, but to be honest; I haven't seen many of the Poliziotteschi sub-genre of which this movie is a part of. Therefore it is difficult for me to say whether or not this is one of the best, but as a fan of Italian cinema; I can tell you that Contraband is worth seeing.