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I just bought the Blue Underground DVD release, which is the first uncut print of this movie released in the U.S. It's around 15 or 20 minutes longer than the old VHS version (titled THE FAMILY). The restored scenes were never dubbed into English, so they appear with subtitles in various places throughout the movie. The widescreen print is sharp and excellent.
Crime boss Telly Savalas blackmails hitman Charles Bronson into joining his "family." Throughout the movie Bronson finds plenty of time for romantic interludes with Jill Ireland (who appears in various stages of nakedness in several scenes).
Overall, the movie is okay, but nothing great. Also, VIOLENT CITY is a somewhat misleading title. Sure, the movie has its share of violent scenes (including Bronson repeatedly slamming a guy's wrist in the door of a truck). But compared to the loud, mega-bloodbaths in some of today's movies, this flick is reasonably tame.
There is one OUTSTANDING scene involving a sniper shooting people in a glass elevator. The entire scene is silent, except for the sound of the bullets cracking the glass. Very well done.
Directed by Sergio Sollima, and co-written by Lina Wertmuller!
Saw this one like a year or two ago, I got to see several eurocrime movies and this one is one of them. I sort of agree with oyur analysis, it's a very well done film that somehow ends up disapointing. The ending is great, but the rest runs just too slow, and neither Bronson nor Ireland seem the most adequate actors for what it looks like a failed character study.