A MAN ON HIS KNEES (1979) (Blu-ray review from Radiance Films)

A MAN ON HIS KNEES (1979)

also known as Un uomo in ginocchio

Label: Radiant Films

Region Code: A.B.

Judgement: Not rated

Duration: 110 minutes 29 seconds

Sound: Italian PCM 2.0 Dual-Mono with optional English subtitles

Video: 1080p HD widescreen (1.85:1)

Director: Damiano Damiani

Form: Giuliano Gemma, Michele Placido, Eleonora Giorgi, Tan Cimarosa, Ettore Manni, Luciano Catenacci, In Pazzafini, Fabrizio Forte, Nazareno Zamperla, Andrea Aureli

In the Damiano Damiani (The day of the owl) directed crime thriller/drama A Man on His Knees (1970) a former car thief named Nino (Giuliano Gemma, The Iron Prefect) has spent two years in prison for his crimes, and since his release he has gone straight. He has bought a small coffee and drinks stand in a busy square and seems to be doing well, taking care of his wife (Eleonora Giorgi, Behind the door) and his two children a priority. However, all that is about to be turned upside down one day when he hears from his pickpocket friend/employee Colic (Tan Cimarosa, How to Kill a Judge) that there’s been a hit on him. He can’t think of a reason why this would be the case, and sure enough, he’s being stalked by a known mafia killer named Plane tree (Michele Placido, The pyjama girls shop) who is conspicuously hanging around in the neighborhood. Nino does not try to hide or escape, no, he chases the hitman down the street and demands to know why he has been murdered. The two men play a bit of a cat and mouse game and eventually we discover that the Don Vincenzo Fabbricante (Ettore Manni, Luio Fulci’s Silver saddle) believes that Nino was one of eight men who were somehow involved in the kidnapping of a woman, all of whom are marked for death. Ultimately, Nino is the last man on the list, and must use all his street smarts to find a way out of the dire situation and protect his family, in an attempt to capture the mafioso so he can plead his innocence

Like most Damiano Damiani films I’ve seen, this one is peppered with a lot of biting realism and socio-political commentary, it has an almost Hitchcockian wrong-man edge to it with Nino as the innocent laborer caught between two warring mafia families. There’s also a fair amount of black comedy, most of it involving the hitman Platamona who says he’ll spare Nino if he can make it financially profitable for him, causing Nino to not only lose his liquor store but also return to the life of crime he left behind.

I found it surprising how it would all turn out, and Gemma is great in this story. He’s a bit dry/understated in a way, but he does a good job of portraying the stubborn cynicism of a man who understands the world and is determined to find a way to survive the untenable situation he finds himself in. He’s an unwilling pawn whose fate lies in the hands of warring mafiosi and their henchmen.

All in all a fantastic film to watch and one of my favourite Damiani films to date. I loved the tension, the ticking clock, the manoeuvres everyone was performing, it all came together so well and the somber finale set on a misty hilltop is delightfully depressing in its cynicism.

Audio/Video: A Man On His Knees makes its worldwide Blu-ray debut from Radiance Films, presented in 1080p HD widescreen (1.85:1). The film looks largely free of blemishes, though a few vertical lines do appear later in the film, but for the most part they’re just a few specks of white. Colors look good, black levels are adequate, and detail and texture are nice. Audio comes via Italian DTS-HD MA 2.0 dual-mono with optional English subtitles. This is a mostly dialogue film, but we do get city sounds and the occasional crack of gunfire and the screeching of tires, and they sound impressive if a little limited in range. The score by Franco Mannino (Murder obsession) is a highlight.

Extras include 39 minutes Archive interviews with stars Giuliano Gemma, Tano Cimarosa and assistant director Mino Giarda which appear to have previously appeared on a No Shame release, plus an exclusive 24-minute New interview with Alberto Pezzotta, author of Regia Damiano Damianand the 3-min TrailerAll interviews are conducted in Italian, with English subtitles.

The single-disc release comes in a full-height clear Scanavo keepcase with an Rreversible cover of artwork featuring both original and newly commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista. We also get Radiance’s signature Removable OBI strip making the packaging free of certificates and markings if you wish. With this first Limited Edition pressing we also get a Illustrated booklet of 20 pages with new script by Roberto Curti, and cast, crew, transfer, and release credits notes.

Special features:
– New 4K restoration of the original negative
– Uncompressed mono PCM audio
– Archive interviews with stars Giuliano Gemma (8:45), Tano Cimarosa (8:59) and assistant director Mino Giarda (20:41)
– New interview with Alberto Pezzotta, author of Regia Damiano Damiani (23:44) HD
– Trailer (3:13) HD
– Reversible cover with original and new commissioned artwork by Filippo Di Battista
– Booklet with new texts by Roberto Curti
– Limited edition of 3000 copies, delivered in full height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip, making the packaging free of certificates and markings