just watch it!

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

THE DAY OF THE OWL is a stylish and early 'polizia' film from Italy, made a few years before the Euro-crime genre really got going. It starts off with an arresting murder sequence which shows off director Damiano Damiani's considerable style before moving into a character-focused battle of wills between police and gangsters.This is a low-key and realistic affair that eschews action and explosions in favour of nitty-gritty police work and characterisation. Thus those hoping for thrills and excitement would be better off looking elsewhere as THE DAY OF THE OWL goes much deeper and is more of a mature and reflective work as a result. Franco Nero does well as the hard-nosed cop (a role he would play over and over again through the years) while Lee J. Cobb is a perfect fit as the mafia don.As ever, Claudia Cardinale lights up the screen with her arresting beauty every time she appears, and she has an important role to boot. The real star of the show is Damiani, a man who brought style to whatever film he made - from high-star classics to cult horror like AMITYVILLE II: THE POSSESSION.

Wow,the composer of the music for The Godfather could be cited for plagiarism. LISTEN to this production. Ah yes this is a more accurate account of what the "Black Hands " are all about. Deceit,obfuscation, murder and corruption of government. Performances are okay a little overdone in spots. Something very Italian to the whole production. Sound is not well produced and camera movement can be distracting. The mafia as an entity is the main character. The organization was at that time even in Sicily openly discussed as "no such thing." What one should perceive from watching this film is the fundamental institutionalization of that concept. The social imperatives on the island perpetuate that pernicious myth.

A very involving thriller about a small town mafia don (Lee J. Cobb) doing battle with a new upstart police captain (Franco Nero). When a farmer witnesses a murder and then disappears, his wife tries to get help from both. Claudia Cardinale is the wife and she's excellent, desperate for answers and getting nowhere with these warring factions. It's a hard boiled film with director Damiano Damiani skipping the predictable good guy vs bad guy clichés and leaving out any romance between Franco & Cardinale. It's a far too unforgiving film. Franco and Cobb are well matched and the first rate supporting cast includes Nehemiah Persoff as one of Cobb's less savory underlings and the great Serge Reggiani as a not so lucky informant. The stunning cinematography is by the legendary Tonino Delli Colli and the exciting music score is by Giovanni Fusco, who worked throughout the 60s with Antonioni & Resnais.

For many years now I have always felt that anything shot by the venerable film-maker, Damiano Damiani is well worth a look; and as far as I'm concerned 'Day of The Owl' is most certainly no exception. The entertainment value of 'Day of The Owl' (aka) 'Mafia' increasing exponentially with a stellar cast including Franco Nero, Claudia Cardinale and Lee J. Cobb. (From what I can gather this might actually be one of the earliest examples of the gritty Italian police procedural that ultimately became the more rumbustious Euro Crime genre which we know and love so dearly! As with many Damiani titles his rich and layered work focuses far more on character development and plot, rather than repeated car chases and wild, ungainly haymakers! (That would be you Maurizio Merli!)