Product: The Valachi Papers (1972)
Rating: 4.0
A genuine effort in telling a true story in America
THE VALACHI PAPERS (1972) with the well known star, the late CHARLESBRONSON, will interest those viewers with a passing curiosity oncrime phenomena, as well as fans of that actor and those interestedin the historical undercurrents of America, in matters of theperpetual cat-and-mouse game of those operating within the legalframework, with large sums of money at stake from commercialoperations, being the cops and robbers.The picture is long in playing time.The final product shows high filming quality, with unusual clarityof the dialogs and script, a logical flow in which the storyunfolds (easy to understand.)This movie is also not for everyone, or for the casual viewer,considering the often vicious, homicidal behavior of the individualsparticipating in the gang activities ( pistol shootouts, rub outs,etc.)It also shows the paradox of 1st and 2nd generation Italians inAmerica, struggling for supreme power and financial controlsover various revenue generating rackets (protection, alcohol,commodities, etc.) in their own ethnic group, while remainingproud of their cultural and other heritage.The music is tastefully chosen, and the director indeed was capableand brave enough to show some more private, realistic and humanisticmoments by the gang members, which tends to underline thebiographical, and true nature of the story told within, vs. thefantasy tales, and robotic nonsensical behavior too often seen inmovies released post 1990's.There is an admirable effort in portraying scenes at the turn of thecentury, and the decades following WWII, with proper automobiles,street scenes, clothes worn by the gangsters.Overall, this picture is a genuine effort in telling the story of amob family from the perspective of a low-level member who managed tolive to tell his story to the world.