The story of Emergency Squad is a simple one. Meet cop hero, learn his wife has been killed, see cop hero pursue leads to eventually find the murderer. This ranks right up with boy-meets-girl stuff or “stop the presses” stuff in reporter films. It’s common, often duplicated, andmethodically mundane. In the case of this film, though, there are interesting bits that separate it enough to warrant your interest.

Meet our cop hero. His name is Ravelli. Quite possibly he is one of the most reserved and passive police officers of all time. He never raises his voice, and is constantly chomping on a cigar, mumbling his dialog while smoking, only removing it to relight or start a new one. This is but one trademark; the other being his beret. Tomas Milian, who portrays Ravelli, does a superb job with the character. He plays the character with a true conviction and while stylized like a brooding comic book hero, he makes it believable.

The man is constantly reminded of the criminal responsible for the death of his wife five years earlier, where she was at the wrong place at the wrong time. The criminal was never caught and, worse yet, was never even identified. All that changes soon enough when evidence at a botched, but rather intricately planned, robbery leads Milian to believe that thecriminal involved in the latest case is the same person that murdered his wife.

This is what sets the story in motion. Obviously it isn’t going to win any screenwriting awards, but it is respectable for some nuances. There is a good deal of characterization throughout the supporting cast, particularly the villains.

The leader of the gang, Marseilles (Gastone Moschin of The Godfather Part II fame) is by and large the most despicable bastard you'll see, played as completely evil with very little humanity. But the other gang members come across as good opposition. The script accomplishes this by giving its characters enough incidental dialog so that they all seem real. Take, for instance, one criminal, much more a thief than a killer, who begs Marseilles not to shoot at the police officers that are tailing them. Or, more notable, the cops that are in pursuit of them aredeveloped in only a few sentences by them discussing and joking about an attractive girl that rides by on a bicycle. Their vehicle is about to explode with them inside it, but the scene works much better by giving them personalities.

Even the style of this film is pretty cool. There are some great P.O.V. shots, a pretty cool soundtrack, and even some blur effects which are used appropriately (and amusingly in one strip club scene.) The action is well choreographed with the minor chase scene and a fairly decent helicopter chase. It almost seems like, stylistically, the character of Ravelli was a much more relaxed Popeye Doyle. Hell, if you are going to rip from other movies, pick the good ones, right?

Where the film really suffers, though, is not in the acting, the script, or even the direction – which was Stelvio Massi’s first picture in this genre – but in the pacing. I felt that there was never any real pacing to speak of. I think this might be due to Ravelli’s nonchalant style, but Ithink it also has to do with the lack of protagonists that get screen time. We are given an excellent view of the criminals, but the crew that Ravelli runs with is largely unimportant and underdeveloped. This wouldn’t necessarily be an issue if Ravelli was a driving force, but with his laid-back existence he doesn’t help to push things forward.

So, when examined from all angles, as another in a long line of Italian poliziotteschi genre of violent cop dramas, Emergency Squad serves as little more than just another entry. But it certainly deserves some credit for being one of the most subdued and realistic. So if the lack of realism is what has turned you off from these types of films in the past, this one might be the one you love. It’s a fun picture, if not a great one.

Disc Presentation 
A sound effort. While I am positive that this is the best that Emergency Squad has ever looked, I can’t say I was wildly impressed by the video quality. It is correctly presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic aspect ratio, but other than that there isn’t any real need for applause. It is a suitable transfer for a film of its generation and looks fairly clean with little artifacts. The audio quality is also good. The Italian Mono track was what was listened to for this review and it sounds clear and all sound effects are crisp. An English dub is also available and, naturally, English subtitles are included.

Extras  
Stelvio Massi - The Last Round (8:49) - This is the very last interview that director Stelvio Massi was able to give before his untimely death. The interview is short. Although Stelvio appeared in relatively high spirits and seems quite lively in wanting to speak about his films, there really isn’t a large amount of information to be had here.

Tomas’ Squad (13:35) - This feature is a slightly more in-depth discussion with Tomas Milian, the lead actor of Emergency Squad. Tomas’ absolutely delights in himself and is quite profound in the “I’m the greatest, you’re a pig” sort of way. He talks about how he has to constantly rewrite his lines and how he has a great deal of money. That’s nice, but it doesn’t make you less of a douche, Tomas.

Director’s Intro (0:32) - As simple as it sounds. Stelvio asks us to enjoy the movie with him as he smokes a cigar.

Original Italian Theatrical Trailer (2:43) - A standard Italian film trailer, complete with nudity to get your attention.

Poster and Still Gallery (0:34) - This collection of posters is only seven frames worth, but is worth it to illustrate that the absolutely awful cover art fits thematically with the way the film was advertised.

Stelvio Massi’s Still Gallery (5:16) - Over 60 stills! These are accompanied by the film’s soundtrack. A nice comprehensive set from Stelvio’s personal collection.

As always, NoShame’s booklet is a wealth of information. In addition to the liner notes we get bios on Stelvio Massi, and actors Tomas Milian and Ray Lovelock. All the bios are comprehensive, and the liner notes shed some interesting light on the genre. I admit, I am kind of surprised that they left out a bio for Gastone Moschin, the lead villain.

Fine
I enjoyed this film for what it is; a well acted 1970s crime movie. It isn’t quite as enjoyable as The Last Round (also directed by the late Stelvio Massi) but it is somewhat more realistic than that film. Likewise, it isn’t as flamboyant as A Man Called Magnum. But if you are a fan of 1970s grit, Emergency Squad is a film that should not be missed. It’s a solid film, if not exceptionally great. If you are only to pick up one of the NoShame poliziotteschi films though, you would be better off with either of the other two releases.