Ricco the Mean Machine

Ricco the Mean Machine 

Genre: Crime, Poliziottesco, Gangster Film

Original title: Ricco

AKA: Cauldron of Death / Gangland / The Dirty Mob 

Director: Tulio Demicheli

Year: 1973

After serving time in prison Ricco Aversi is released & seeking revenge on the gang that murdered his father

Ricco The Mean Machine begins with a bloody shootout which shows a man being blown away at point blank range. It soon becomes clear that this is Rico's rather that has been killed & rico is hellbent on making his fathers killers pay. The character of Rico is played by Christopher Mitchum, the son of legendary 50s actor Robert Mitchum. With his blonde fringe he has an air of casual coolness about him though he does come across as emotionless with his big droopy eyes & then there's a scene where he shows off some martial arts skills that leaves a lot to be desired. He is serviceable to a point & likable enough to get behind but I couldn't help but think the film would of been so much better with somebody such as Tomás Milián, or even Ray Lovelock as the films leading man. 

Christopher Mitchum, forever in his fathers shadow & for good reason.

We're introduced to the character of Scilla (played by Italian genre film regular Barbara Bouchet)  as she's conning people by asking if they have any change for her counterfeit bank notes that her uncle is making at home, this whilst in a skimpy outfit to help seal the deal. She soon becomes Rico's girl & also partner in crime which leads to a fantastic scene where she distracts a car which is delivering a large shipment of money by giving us a fantastic striptease in the middle of the road, Rico throws both men over a bridge as they exit the car. Whilst I don't usually admire Barbara Bouchet compared to some of the other sexbombs of Italian cinema I can't deny that she looks fantastic as a redhead here in Ricco.

The star of the film is without a doubt Arthur Kennedy as the unimaginatively named Don Veto. An experienced actor who had played a big part in Lawrence of Arabia but to fans of Cult Italia he's also the Sergeant in Let Sleeping Corpses Lie. His portrayal as the gang mob leader who is feared for his ruthlessness really gives the film its best moments. Anybody who betrays him or dares step in his way will end up tossed into a chemical pit where they'll melt do death. In one scene his right hand man is caught sleeping with the Don's girl (the beautiful Malisa Longo) & is held down whilst they remove his penis with a flick-knife before disposing him in the chemical pit. It's brutal & graphic in its horrific nature, in fact so horrific that in some places the film was released as Cauldron of Death with a poster which boasted a tag-line that read 'tender flesh, burning acid' which surely must be conned people into thinking they were about to see a horror film.

Despite any shortcomings Mitchum may have as a leading man it doesn't hurt the film too much as its so brilliantly written with strong characters, memorable scenes & a solid Nando De Luca score. Director Tulio Demicheli who is a lesser known figure in Italian genre cinema with films such as The Two Faces of Fear & Sabata The Killer does a terrific job here balancing a well scripted revenge story with some harsh violence & keeps it moving at a pace that'll keep you gripped throughout. 

Rating: ★★★★

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