Director: Elio Petri
Screenplay: Elio Petri, Ugo Pirro
Based on a Novel by: Leonardo Sciascia
Starring: Gian Maria Volontè, Irene Papas, Gabriele Ferzetti, Laura Nucci, Mario Scaccia, Luigi Pistilli
Country: Italy
Running Time: 93 min
Year: 1967
BBFC Certificate: 18
We Still Kill the Old Way (a.k.a. A ciascuno il suo or To Each His Own) was based on a novel named ‘To Each His Own’ by Leonardo Sciascia. Whilst this film was the first to be adapted from any of his novels, the author would later provide the source material for several Italian films such as Day of the Owl and Illustrious Corpses. The book also marked a step forward for the author in moving towards a new type of thriller, one without a resolution.
We Still Kill the Old Way could be seen as a pivotal film for director Elio Petri too. He had a bad experience making The 10th Victim and longed to make a film that he wanted to make, with no interference from producers and executives. He found his chance through the tilemaker Giuseppe Zaccariello, a man who was passionate about cinema and wanted to get into the industry. Acting as a producer for the film, Zaccariello allowed Petri the freedom he desired and We Still Kill the Old Way was their chosen project.
The film won best screenplay at the Cannes Film Festival, though critical reception in Italy on its release was mixed. Radiance Films, who are supporters of Petri’s work, are hoping to get We Still Kill the Old Way back in the public eye by releasing it on Blu-ray. Having been impressed by Petri’s The Working Class Goes to Heaven and Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion, I jumped at the chance of reviewing this earlier title from the director’s filmography.
It must be noted that Radiance are also releasing Petri’s A Quiet Place in the Country this month but I’ve got too much on so had to turn one of them down for review.
We Still Kill the Old Way opens with local pharmacist Arturo Manno (Luigi Pistilli) receiving one of several death threat letters. His friends don’t take this seriously though, as he’s a notorious womanizer with enemies all over town but it’s unlikely that any of them would go as far as to kill him.
However, one morning Manno and his friend Antonio Roscio (Franco Tranchina) are both shot dead during a hunt. The authorities, of course, presume this was the work of a jealous husband or father and they swiftly arrest the father and two brothers of Manno’s underage servant Rosina (Luciana Scalise), whom the philanderer had been sleeping with.
Having seen the death threat notes, however, Professor Paolo Laurana (Gian Maria Volontè) believes the police have got the wrong men. For one, those arrested are illiterate, so couldn’t have put such a message together. Plus, the newspaper clippings used clearly came from the Osservatore Romano, an up-market Vatican newspaper with only two local subscribers – a pair of priests.
So, Laurana begins his own investigation into the crime. He soon discovers Manno wasn’t the intended target at all. He was merely used as a decoy to kill Roscio and cast the blame elsewhere. As he digs deeper, teaming with Roscio’s beautiful wife Luisa (Irene Papas), Laurana uncovers a web of deceit that puts his own life in danger.
Sciascia’s original novel was loosely based on the true story of Cataldo Tandoy, a police commissioner killed in 1960, seemingly through a crime of passion. It was later revealed, however, that it was a mafia hit.
As such, this seemingly simple murder mystery unfolds to reveal a damning portrait of a corrupt Sicilian society where power can allow one to get away with murder, literally. It could be called a mafia movie, but the organisation is never specifically named and it seems more about a sphere of influence among those in the upper echelons.
Either way, We Still Kill the Old Way is a powerful film, particularly as it reaches its shocking and fittingly cynical conclusion.
It also damns the actions or inaction of those who might be able to do something about the problem. Through investigating the crime, Laurana himself becomes the victim and, in essence, learns nothing from his efforts. This supposed ‘intellectual’ can’t see the wood for the trees and it becomes his downfall.
Also, whilst supposedly intelligent, Laurana is quite childish in how he lives and acts with his mother and through his awkward, initially shy approaches towards Luisa. Petri seems to be saying that the intelligentsia need to ‘man up’ to do anything about the problems they merely discuss.
Speaking of Laurana, mention must be made of the actor behind the character. Gian Maria Volontè is considered one of Italy’s finest performers and he doesn’t disappoint here. It was the first of four collaborations between the actor and director. He makes Laurana quite an unusual character, playing up his awkwardness and inability to fit in among the tightly woven network he’s superficially part of and trying to break apart.
In an interview included on the disc, Roberto Curti describes the film as an “anti-thriller” and I’d go along with that. Petri takes tropes from thrillers and uses them to deliver a political message that doesn’t wallop you on the head with any straight-forward polemic, whilst also subverting some of the genre’s cliches.
The film is presented in an unusual but effective way too. DOP Luigi Kuveiller makes extensive use of the zoom lens, which was mainly used for genre pictures back then. Petri used it to speed up production (the shooting schedule was short) and possibly also to give it a documentary look, particularly in the sequences observing characters in the crowds at two key funerals.
Petri also chooses to zoom in on unusual details at the end of a number of scenes. Curti believes this may be an attempt to replicate Laurana’s role of a detective but one that looks too close, missing the bigger picture. It’s an interesting take that holds water, in my opinion.
Finally, I can’t end without mentioning Luis Bacalov’s wonderful score. This was made before Petri began working exclusively with Ennio Morricone but Bacalov proves his worth with music every bit as bold and expressive as that of the ‘maestro’.
Overall then, We Still Kill the Old Way is an excellent crime thriller that digs into the frightening power of those with influence and how this corruption was so embedded in Sicilian society at the time.
Film: 
We Still Kill the Old Way is out on 23rd September on Blu-Ray, released by Radiance Films. The picture looks remarkably good – sharp, natural and with gorgeous colours. I’ve used screengrabs throughout this review to give you an idea of how it looks, though these have been compressed. Audio is robust too.
Limited Edition Special Features:
– 2K restoration of the film by Movietime in association with Museo Nazionale del Cinema Torino, on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK
– Alternate presentation with English language title sequence and audio
– Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
– Archival documentary featuring interviews with writer Ugo Pirro, composer Luis Bacalov and Paola Petri (32 mins)
– Interview with make-up artist Pier Antonio Mecacci (2021, 29 mins)
– Interview with Roberto Curti, author of Elio Petri: Investigation of a Filmmaker (2021, 23 mins)
– Interview with Fabrizio Catalano, grandson of author Leonardo Sciascia (2021, 31 mins)
– Trailer
– Newly translated English subtitles for Italian audio and English SDH for English audio
– Reversible sleeve featuring artwork based on irigial posters
– Limited edition booklet featuring new writing on the film by scholar David Melville and a statement by Petri
– Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings
The archival documentary on the making of the film is excellent, featuring interviews with several key figures behind We Still Kill the Old Way. They talk in detail about the process, from writing to post-production to release and reception. Then the piece moves on to discuss Petri’s life and career following the film, then closes with a quote about the film from Petri himself.
‘Once Upon a Time in Sicily’ sees make-up artist Pier Antonio Mecacci talk about his experiences making We Still Kill the Old Way, discussing his relationships with members of the cast and crew. He has some particularly enjoyable tales to tell about working with Gian Maria Volontè, who was a true ‘method actor’ so could be rather unusual on set.
Fabrizio Catalano talks about his grandfather, author Leonardo Sciascia, who appears himself in an archival interview interspersed between the recent one. It’s an excellent piece, which delves deep into Sciascia’s life and work, particularly surrounding ‘To Each His Own’.
Finally, Roberto Curti provides his thoughts on the film. He gives a detailed and illuminating account of how the film came about and why it was an important turning point for Petri. It’s an excellent interview that should be required viewing alongside the film.
I wasn’t provided with a copy of the booklet to comment on that, unfortunately.
Overall, Radiance have collected a handful of substantial and valuable extras to complement an excellent film. As such, it gets a strong recommendation from us.
Disc/package:
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