Kidnapping / 20.000 dollari sporchi di sangue / Kidnapping! Paga o uccidiamo tuo figlio (Alberto Cardone, 1969)

[Mickey13]

Copied from the Spagvemberfest 2024 thread:

@Mickey13

Pic’s most prominent allure consists in its fairly unusual premise which was rarely exploited elsewhere in the genre; the kidnapping intrigue necessarily entails that the storyline unfolds in a somewhat different fashion with multiple twists and turns being ably handled here. Halsey’s interpretation of the booze-guzzling ex-sheriff is excellent and generates interest in tandem with the already gripping plot. What arguably hobbles the narration to some extent is movie’s dilatory pacing: while the languorous tempo sort of works at the beginning of the midsection when the story elaborates on ex-lawman’s background, establishing his redemption arc and laying the groundwork for the latter part of the story, the narrative fails to accelerate in the second half which grows acutely conspicuous in the rather flaccid climax. Indeed, flick’s culmination appears flabby insofar as some viewers are wont to zone out in its course which attests to the need for some cuts to aid film’s generally flagging composition therein. Aside from that niggle, the tout ensemble is executed with an adequate dose of cohesion and proficiency. On the whole, this is clearly Cardone’s best oater, what with him largely eschewing far-fetched plot devices and rendering the material in a straightforward, down-to-earth manner. With that being said, there is no disguising the fact that it definitely would have benefitted from tighter pacing and snappier editing along the line, so it arguably could have turned out even better in the end.