La Scorta [The Escort] **** (1993, Carlo Cecchi, Enrico Lo Verso, Claudio Amendola, Tony Sperandeo, Ricky Memphis) – Classic Movie Review 3,208

Italian director Ricky Tognazzi’s taut, exciting 1993 documentary-style 1993 Italian crime thriller film La Scorta [The Escort] is set in Sicily, where the men who protect special investigators find themselves sharing their charges’ constant fear of death.

La Scorta [The Escort] traces the developing trust between four young police bodyguards dedicated to protecting an investigating prosecuting magistrate (Carlo Cecchi) on Sicily’s mean streets. He has been sent to replace a state attorney working on a sensitive political case, who is killed with his bodyguard by Mafia hit men.

Judge Michele De Francesco (Carlo Cecchi), the Assistant Prosecuting Magistrate, faces conflict when he starts to look into strange dealings concerning some water wells. But despite initial turmoil, the four men who make up his escort resolve to help the judge investigate the corruption, even though the finger is pointed at the Mafia.

Tognazzi’s confident, vibrant direction results in a dynamic film with nail-biting tension, as the endangered men balance their own safety against their desire to effect social and political change.

Tognazzi draws strong performances from his cast, especially Claudio Amendola and Enrico Lo Verso, who form two of the strongest members in the police bodyguard team, Angelo Mandolesi and Andrea Corsale. Relationships are well drawn, bringing us deeper into the conflict as we share the team’s sense of loyalty and outrage.

The characters and lives of the protagonists are carefully and involvingly defined: the stubborn and determined magistrate Michele De Francesco (Carlo Cecchi), the chief guard Andrea Corsale (Enrico Lo Verso) coping with his wife’s fearful disapproval of the danger he is in, Raffaele Frasca (Tony Sperandeo) , the loner, Fabio Muzzi (Ricky Memphis), the frightened one desperate for a transfer, and Angelo Mandolesi (Claudio Amendola), the one with a grudge against the hit-men who killed his friend.

Despite the fast pace, the film is strong on gritty realism and naturalistic details, expertly delineating the group’s fears and tensions, and the developing loyalties, and capturing the sweaty-palm scares involved in the job and honest rule of law lives in Sicily.

The story is packed with action and made with great energy by Tognazzi, though an abrupt, anti-climactic ending brings a slight sense of a missing third act. The running time is only 92 minutes, making it one of those rare times when more would be more.

Graziano Diana and Simona Izzo’s story and screenplay are based on true events.

The incredibly prolific composer Ennio Morricone provides another one of his striking scores.

The cinematography is by Alessio Gelsini Torresi.

it is produced by Claudio Bonivento.

Release date: 15 April 1993.

It was a success at home, enjoying two weeks at the top of the Italian box office, and had an art house success worldwide too.

The cast are Claudio Amendola as Angelo Mandolesi, Enrico Lo Verso as Andrea Corsale, Carlo Cecchi as Assistant Prosecuting Magistrate Michele De Francesco, Ricky Memphis as Fabio Muzzi, Tony Sperandeo as Raffaele Frasca, Lorenza Indovina as Lia Corsale, Ugo Conti as Nicola, Rita Savagnone as Angelo’s Mother, Giovanni Alamia as Nino Carabba, Francesca D’Aloja as Anna Spano, Giovanni Pallavicino as Padre Virzi, Giacinto Ferro as M.P. Nestore Bonura, Guia Jelo as Rosalia Carabba, Benedetto Raneli as President Caruso, Francesco Siciliano as Policeman Marchetti, and Angelo Infanti as Judging Magistrate Barresi.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 3,208

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