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Rating:
An inspired Grimaldi, who rose to prominence among directors thanks to "Caos Calmo," filmed for Sky-Fox Crime, an interesting series about those who, in a desperate time frame, sowed terror in the Florentine countryside.
To the notes of "Gioco di bimba" by Le Orme, which creates a strange alienating effect in relation to the disturbing subject of the film, the serial begins, composed of six episodes, centering on the dramatic story of the Rontinis, one of many families tormented by the inexplicable thirst for blood of the "compagni di merende". Particularly striking is the figure of Renzo Rontini, played by an excellent Ennio Fantastichini. Renzo is the father of Pia, a girl just of age who will suffer one of the most ferocious executions by the "monster." Almost faithfully retraced are all the emotions that a father is forced to endure in such a situation. From the tragic death of his daughter, to the feelings of guilt, from a wavering heart to the lengthy and excruciating trial compensated by a brief period of bitter satisfaction, when the judge pronounces the life sentence for the murderers from the deliberation room. That day he felt the sweetish effluvium of justice.
On June 6, 1981, near Scandicci, two young lovers were murdered. Both shot with a .22 caliber gun. The woman, with surgical precision, had her genital apparatus removed. Four months pass and the horrific spectacle repeats. Caliber 22 and removal of the pubic area but more crude this time. It is difficult to hypothesize an accomplice, but the hand does not appear the same. Meanwhile, a poster circulates with a large drawn eye, inviting young people not to seclude themselves in too isolated areas. Some even dare to joke by humming a foul nursery rhyme.
Another eight months must pass to talk about the monster again. Two more young people killed. Caliber 22 and removal of the genitals. Like the first crime, the cuts are precise. The hypothesis of an accomplice gains strength, and this time there are witnesses and some cars that have aroused suspicion with an unusually sustained speed. There is another element of extreme importance. The iron memory of a carabiniere marshal brings to light a similar murder that occurred at least three decades earlier. Sardinians are involved, multiple adultery, and a child who does not want to remember, but the weapon is common. A caliber 22, but with an "H" engraved on the base of the shell case, also appearing on those found at the last murder scenes. Witnesses, possible murderers, or at least people related to the macabre show come into play.
When it seems that everything is returning to normal, at 15 months from the last double murder, two murdered boys are found at Giogoli. They were two German tourists camping in a Volkswagen van. One had long hair and was mistaken for a woman. Caliber 22 and the engraved H return. Fear returns, and so do the elements of the investigation. Suspected culprits enter and exit the prison. Another murder from 1974 comes to light. On the woman, besides a bestial onslaught of 96 stab wounds, and a vine shoot inserted in her vagina, the mutilation of a breast was performed. The left one. The magistrates and the police cannot escape a strange maze until the Sardinian trail is pursued again, imprisoning Francesco Vinci as the author of the murders. The monster is in a cage.
Meanwhile, Pia, torn between a desire to escape and an innocent kiss, found work in a bar. It seems someone bothered her, but the matter does not carry much weight. The bartender sees someone unfamiliar, but it doesn’t matter. One evening she returns home tired and doesn’t want to go out. Her mother encourages her to relax a bit, and she takes the opportunity to be with Claudio, her boyfriend. That night, however, the monster strikes again, and poor Pia meets an atrocious fate. Caliber 22, H on the base, stab wounds, removal of the pubic area, and mutilation of the left breast. To an 18-year-old girl. The monster is still free, and terror spreads. Someone suggests investigating Pietro Pacciani. Public prosecutors, lawyers, judges, policemen sift through the murky past of this strange farmer. More witnesses and potential accomplices emerge. It is September 8, 1985, when another double murder occurs. Two French tourists secluded in a tent are brutally killed. Caliber 22, H on the base, he tries to escape but is caught. For her, pubic area and left breast mutilated. A small piece of the latter will be sent to Prosecutor Silvia Della Monica.
The judicial affair is devastating for Renzo Rontini, who doesn’t let a day pass without fighting for the truth. Meanwhile, he tries to climb the steep slope working as a mechanic, but a wrong hiring deals him another blow. The trial of the monsters, including Mario Vanni and Giancarlo Lotti, also has the unfortunate honor of reserving tragicomic events. Obscure wizards, whores, perverts, deranged doctors, sinister pharmacists, and preferably avoidable elements take the stage. And when Pacciani, meanwhile acquitted and again sent back to trial, dies mysteriously, what seemed finished reopens with other poorly concealed wounds and new disturbing developments.
Grimaldi almost faithfully retraces the story of those tragic murders, but uses actors or character actors who are not always up to par. The performances by Bebo Storti and Marco Giallini are excellent, with the former shedding the ornate vernacular fabrics of Count Uguccione degli Orpelli for Prosecutor Vigna, while the latter plays the head of the Mobile Squad, Perugini. A sumptuous and much-missed Corso Salani plays the role of Prosecutor Canessa, and a not very convincing Nicole Grimaudo portrays Prosecutor Della Monica. In my opinion, the actors who played the characters of Vanni and Pacciani were not completely fitting. Too agile and young the first, too theatrical and insecure the second. The murder scenes are quite gruesome, the cinematography is well-crafted, and the tension in some sequences is sufficiently thrilling. However, the story cools in the final episodes, which deal with the experience of Commissioner Giuttari, played by a well-tested Giorgio Colangeli.
Overall, it is a good product but serves as an introduction for those who wish to know the aspects of this terrifying black epic of Italy from some generations ago. For deeper insights, I recommend watching Carlo Lucarelli’s reconstruction and, if available online, the trial of the monster from "Un giorno in pretura" by the highly professional Roberta Petrelluzzi.
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