Borsalino and Co [Blood on the Streets] **½ (1974, Alain Delon, Riccardo Cucciolla, Daniel Ivernel) – Classic Movie Review 11,217

Jacques Deray’s 1974 French thriller film Borsalino and Co stars Alain Delon as gangster Roch Siffredi in a sequel to his hit Borsalino. This time Delon goes through hell and high water to avenge his buddy’s death, polishing off the rival Italian mobsters. 

Director Jacques Deray’s 1974 French/ Italian/ West German thriller Borsalino and Co [Blood on the Streets] stars Alain Delon as gangster Roch Siffredi in this acceptable but less memorable sequel to his 1970 hit Borsalino, which continues the tale of the appealing criminal in 1930s Marseilles.

It boasts another sturdy, involving star turn, and some exciting, well-staged action, but it lacks the first film’s co-star Jean-Paul Belmondo, as well as its fizz and verve. This time Delon goes through hell and high water to avenge his buddy’s death, polishing off the rival gangsters of the Italian mob.

Borsalino and Co is a pan-European production that sends its characters hot-footing it from one glamorous location to the next while lacking any real sense of urgency or vital purpose, though there is plenty of action, so the film is continuously busy. It has the same director as Borsalino – Jacques Deray – but he seems less secure this time. It is darker-toned than before, which works quite well. And Claude Bolling’s score helps again.

Also in the cast are Catherine Rouvel, Riccardo Cucciolla, Daniel Ivernel, Reinhard Kolldehoff [Rene Kolldehoff], André Falcon, Lionel Vitrant and Adolfo Lastretti.

Borsalino and Co [Blood on the Streets] is directed by Jacques Deray, runs 110 minutes, is made by Adel Productions, Comacico, Medusa Distribuzione and TIT Filmproduktion GmbH, is released by Medusa Distribuzione (1974) (Italy), Cinerama Filmgesellschaft MBH (1974) (West Germany) and Alpha Films (1976) (UK), is written by Pascal Jardin (scenario) and Jacques Deray (uncredited), is shotin Eastmancolor by Jean-Jacques Tarbès, is produced by Maurice Jacquin and Alain Delon, is scored by Claude Bolling, and is designed by François de Lamothe.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,217

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