Luca il contrabbandiere (1980)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Lucio Fulci

Writers:

Gianni De Chiara (screenplay)
Gianni De Chiara (story)

Release Date:

8 August 1980 (Italy)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Cigarette smugglers in Naples run into problems with cocaine operations being set up by a rival smuggler...

Plot Keywords:

Smuggler | Italy | Rape | Blow Torch | Cigarette Smuggler

Cast

Fabio Testi	...	Luca Di Angelo
Ivana Monti	...	Adele Di Angelo
Guido Alberti	...	Don Morrone
Enrico Maisto	...	Micky Di Angelo
Daniele Dublino	...	Assistant Prosecutor
Giordano Falzoni	...	Charlie, the doctor
Giulio Farnese	...	Alfredo
Fabrizio Jovine	...	Chief of Police
Ofelia Meyer	...	Ingrid
Ferdinando Murolo	...	Scherino
Tommaso Palladino	...	Capece
Venantino Venantini	...	Captain Tarantino
Ajita Wilson	...	Luisa, "Little Nepolitan"
Marcel Bozzuffi	...	François Jacois, the Marsigliese
Saverio Marconi	...	Luigi Perlante

Also Known As:

The Smuggler (International: English title) (UK) (video title)
Contraband (USA)
Luca the Smuggler (literal English title)
The Naples Connection (UK) (video title)

Runtime:

97 min | UK:88 min (25 fps) (cut version)

Country:

Italy

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

New Zealand:(Banned) | Norway:15 (uncut) (2007) (DVD) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 (2007, DVD version) | Italy:VM14 | USA:Unrated | West Germany:(Banned) | Norway:18 (video premiere) | Finland:K-18 | Australia:R (DVD release) (2005) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Naples, Campania, Italy

Goofs:

Continuity: When Ingrid is first seen she clearly has red nail varnish, but when she reaches into her underwear for the drug lipstick, she has clear nail varnish.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Alenbi Romance (2005)

fairly average crime-thriller heightened by Fulci's gruesome effects

"Contraband" is a fairly average crime-thriller, about a group of cigarette smugglers in Naples. There seems to be someone who is trying to get this group out of the picture, and a power struggle ensues.

Now, the smugglers are led by Luca (Fabio Testi) who doesn't seem to be doing too badly for himself, given his digs. He does get the crap beaten out of him a few times while trying to battle his rivals, but he keeps coming back for more. The smugglers have found that their rivals intend to peddle drugs to school children, and are rather incensed by that. Kind of an ironic statement, whether it was intended to be that way or not. Anyway, eventually, with the help of someone higher up the food-chain, the crime bosses band together to battle it out with those who are trying to muscle into their territory.

The action is heightened in this by Fulci's gruesome effects. Backs of heads blown out, torture of a woman with a blow torch (or a Bunsen burner, I don't remember exactly which), and plenty of just plain nasty gore, which kicks this up a notch over your average Italian crime-thriller.

If you're a Fulci fan, and haven't seen this, go ahead, it's OK, just don't expect another "Zombie". If you're not a Fulci fan, but enjoy Italian crime-thrillers, well then, proceed with caution, this is nasty stuff. 6 out of 10.