‘Caliber 9’ Blu-Ray Review – Italian Crime Thriller Reminds You Why You Love The Genre

Fernando Di Leo’s Italian crime classic Caliber 9 (Milano Calibro 9, 1972) is presented here in a stunning 4K restoration. Small-time gangster Ugo Piazza (Gastone Moschin, The Godfather Part II) has just been released from prison. He tries to convince the police, the mafia, and his one-time associate Rocco (Mario Adorf, The Tin Drum), a sadistic hoodlum who enjoys sick violence and torture, that he wants to go straight, but everyone believes he has $300,000 of stolen money hidden somewhere. Caliber 9’s stylized violence, fast-paced action sequences, tight editing and plot twists prefigure the work of Quentin Tarantino and John Woo. The film also features a notable score by Luis Bacalov (Django) and the stunning Barbara Bouchet (Casino Royale) as Ugo’s go-go dancing girlfriend.

The restoration of Milano Calibro 9 was carried out in 2022 by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia – Cineteca Nazionale from the negatives made available by Minerva Pictures. To reconstruct the version desired by the director, the title cards were reintegrated, recovered from a copy conserved in the archives of the Cineteca Nazionale.

For thoughts on Caliber 9, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:

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Video Quality

Caliber 9 debuts on Blu-Ray with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in its original 1.85:1 from a gorgeous 4K restoration. From the opening moments of the movie, you can tell how much care has been put into restoring this to its full glory with so much detail and texture in every shot. There is barely anything in the way of nicks or scratches to be found. The close-ups hold up better than most long shots, which can occasionally appear a bit soft. Black levels are strong with good detail in shadows and no major instances of crush. Digital noise is mostly avoided while the natural film grain shines through. Colors are saturated admirably in a way that brings the most out of the locales, and the color grade is pleasant and consistent. Raro Video has provided one of their best presentations yet here. 

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a favorable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track in the original Italian with optional English subtitles, along with an English dub in the same format. While we always advocate for the original language track for artistic purity, this is a case where the English dub track also sounds notably worse with a very thin presentation compared to the robust Italian track. Dialogue stays focused on the center channel as it comes through clearly without being overshadowed by competing elements. Environmental sounds such as car engines or gunshots are rendered well alongside everything else. The memorable score radiates out with nice fidelity throughout the duration of the film. There does not seem to be any egregious instances of age-related wear and tear, but you can spot some areas where the source is not in the best shape. This audio presentation complements the visuals well. 

Special Features

• Audio Commentary: Film Historian Rachael Nisbet provides a very informative commentary track in which she discusses where this falls within the pantheon of Italian crime films, the reactions to the unflinching violence, the filmmaking techniques throughout the narrative, the locations within the story, the thematic resonance of certain choices and more. 

• Documentary On The Making Of Caliber 9: A 30-minute archival documentary in which the filmmakers and various figures discuss the legacy of the film, the work of director Fernando Di Leo, the source material, the structure of the story, the performances and much more. 

• Fernando Di Leo – The Genesis of the Genre: A 39-minute archival piece focused on the career of director Fernando Di Leo and his impact on the Italian crime genre, his approach to morality, his penchant for dialogue and more. 

• Documentary – Scerbanenco Noir: A 26-minute archival piece on the Italian author Giorgio Scerbanenco which explores his career, his interest in class dynamics, his way with violence and more. 

• Photo Gallery with Audio Commentary by Gastone Moschin: A three-and-a-half minute audio interview with the lead actor is provided over stills from the film and marketing material is provided. 

• Trailers: This disc provided the English Trailer (3:14) and the Italian Trailer (3:17). 

Final Thoughts

Caliber 9 is a top tier example of Italian crime films done right. The film has a very engaging narrative which does manage to shock you with some of its twists and turns. Director Fernando Di Leo does not skimp on the brutality as you feel the weight of being ensnared in the world. The film maintains a good pace throughout so you never have time to even consider being bored. Raro Video and Kino Classics have delivered a Blu-Ray with a top notch A/V presentation and an array of excellent supplemental features. This is the type of film that makes you fall in love with the genre. Highly Recommended 

Caliber 9 is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and Digital. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Raro Video and Kino Lorber have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.