The Film:
La Scorta (AKA The Escorts AKA Bodyguard) was a very successful film in its native Italy following the theatrical release and went on to win the equivelent of five Italian Oscars at the David di Donatello awards for best sound, producer, director, editing and cinematography. The film also won the Grand Prix award at the Cognac Festival du Film Policier and was also nominated for the Golden Palm award at the Cannes Festival. Directed by Ricky Tognazzi (Strangled Lives, Io No) and starring Claudio Amendola (The Horseman On The Roof), Enrico Lo Verso (Che Guevara), Carlo Cecchi (An Impossible Crime), Ricky Memphis (Strangled Lives) and Tony Sperandeo (Outsider), La Scorta is a well put together film about a group of young cops who are to become the bodyguards of a Judge.
The film is based on the true events of a government prosecutor who stood up against the Mafia and the corruption within Sicily's political vines which has been adapted to screen by Graziano Diana and Simona Izzo. It all starts when a high profile judge working on a mafia case is murdered along with his bodyguard. He is replaced a lot sooner than people anticipate by a judge from out of town who is undergoing marriage problems, yet is not afraid to stand up for what is right. At first, the bodyguards who are brought together to protect him argue amongst themselves about the lack of bullet proof cars and vests as well as the fact that this job is an invitation to their death beds, but as they work with each other they discover more and more about how far the corruption reaches, they soon put their lives, and their families lives at risk by doing what they believe is the right thing for their country.
Quite possibly the best thing about this film, is the fact that it does not rely on heavy action scenes. In fact, other than a car bombing and the occasional other scene, the film relies heavily on suspense and succeeds in doing so making it hard to look away. All in all, a great story, some great acting and a well put together film makes this a must see and makes me wonder why this didn't do well outside of Italy. Not only that, but it makes you think a lot about the true story on which it is based and how closely the film relates to it.
The DVD:
Video:
Blue Underground have given us a very nice looking anamorphic 1.85:1 transfer and it is nothing short of impressive with every part looking extremely detailed. Although there is slight grain, I believe it is intentional to keep with the grittiness of the film. The only other problem were skin tones were occasionally too dark. Subtitles are available in English for the main feature only and they are optional. They were clear at all times and seemed to move with the film correctly, never going to fast.
Audio:
Blue Underground have not only seen fit to give us the original Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround mix, but they have also treated us to an Italian Dolby Digital 5.1 track. I flicked between the pair of the tracks throughout the film and had no problems whatsoever with sound seeming consistent and no crackling or hissing present. Soundtrack fans may also like to know that Ennio Morricone is responsible here so you know you can't expect a good one!
Extras:
Audio Commentary - We start off the extras with an audio commentary featuring director Ricky Tognazzi and producer Claudio Bonivento who both speak English and are moderated by the owner of Blue Underground, Bill Lustig. You can hear from his voice that Lustig has a deep love for this film and if he wasn't there I feel that the other two may have struggled and there would've been some quiet spots. As it is though, the commentary is non-stop and very informative but I wish subtitles were included for this has the strong Italian accents were sometimes hard to muster.
Judging La Scorta - Thankfully, this featurette has something which we don't see often enough: a spoiler warning. I've read too much about people complaining that they have had a film spoilt when watching extras before the feature. Truthfully, they are stupid and it's their fault for thinking they wouldn't contain spoilers but anyway, what this featurette includes is interviews with director Ricky Tognazzi, actor Claudio Amendola, co-writers Graziano Diana and Simona Izza, producer Claudio Bonivento and cinematographer Alessio Gelsini. All give an informative view about their roles in making the film and it is certainly worth a watch. It runs for a total 25 minutes and 56 seconds.
The Rest - We finish off with a couple of trailers: The US trailer (2:01) and the Italian trailer (0:31)
