How to Kill a Judge is a very entertaining and well-paced 70s Italian crime drama despite being nearly two hours long. My praise for these films is not hollow when I say poliziotteschi have withstood the test of time in terms of their sheer watchability despite their cynical view of human nature, advanced age, and basic requirement of the viewer's long attention span. It begs the question if Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather at almost three hours in length was an attempt to out-do the poliziotteschi without putting the audience to sleep, as some sort of personal challenge, as it also emphasizes the overall theme of how corruption never seems to die when the Sicilian mafia and/or Italy's right wing establishment are involved.
However, the idealistic main character showcased in Perche si uccide un magistrato is reminiscent of other 1970s leftist films like Love & Anarchy or The Seduction of Mimi which fall outside of the sub-genre as serious, dramatic tragicomedies that are still regarded as high art. While I didn't find this tale as enchanting as the mythos of The Godfather or as delightful as Love & Anarchy, How to Kill a Judge is a fine example of a poliziotteschi with decidedly more value placed on ideas than car chases.
However, the idealistic main character showcased in Perche si uccide un magistrato is reminiscent of other 1970s leftist films like Love & Anarchy or The Seduction of Mimi which fall outside of the sub-genre as serious, dramatic tragicomedies that are still regarded as high art. While I didn't find this tale as enchanting as the mythos of The Godfather or as delightful as Love & Anarchy, How to Kill a Judge is a fine example of a poliziotteschi with decidedly more value placed on ideas than car chases.