BLOODY FRIDAY

Original Title: Blutiger Freitag
Year: 1972
Director: Rolf Olsen, Lee Payant
Writer: Valeria Bonamano, Rolf Olsen
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068295/
Genre: Action / Crime

Heinz Klett escapes police custody during his transport to court, then begins his plan to commit a huge bank robbery. He, his regular partner Luigi, and Luigi's girlfriend's brother Christian begin the heist when everything goes awry

We're informed that this is based on true events.

This film for the most part was standard hostage fare, with some interesting social commentary as well as a little gratuitous violence sprinkled on top.

The acting here was solid. Heinz Klett in particular is a rough character, and I really liked his over the top look… the flowing mane and bushy beard, the Eastwood style cigars, and the giant, gaudy shades. Pretty cool stuff. No characters otherwise are over the top or hammy for the most part.

For a film with an obvious low budget, the action sequences were impressive. There was a really cool scene with a biker clinging to the car after he is struck head on. The guns were a bit weak… they sounded really bad, and the special effects of someone getting shot were not that great, but serviceable.

There was a social commentary in this film, particularly with the crowd outside the bank where the hostages are being held. These were interesting scenes with a reporter asking bystanders their opinion on how the criminals should be treated. Many of them say the death penalty should be reinstated. A Jesus saves crowd makes an appearance… even a hot dog vendor trying to make a buck off the crowd. People outside think that so much attention would be paid if no one inside was “important” (there is a politician's daughter being held captive.)

SPOILER notes

-Brutal beatings in the courthouse's restroom
-I really like the look of Heinz… hair and beard
-Christian, expelled from the military for killing a comrade, goes in on the plan to help out his sister who is broke and pregnant -Stealing explosives from the U.S. military…. this guy means business
-Great scene with the biker being beaten off the side of the car after crashing through the windshield
-I love that we are given constant closeups of his badass shades. I think we were just shown his boner too
-Kid with a grenade…. this cannot end well
-I was right… SPLAT. Stupid kid
-“Bank robber… heh heh heh. That sounds so ordinary. Just call me Jack the Ripper.”
-Interesting character in the bank that hates his family and wants to travel with them
-Cool shot with businessmen and cops in lower corner in front of an old church
-The old transmitter in the suitcase trick!
-The gunshots sound so weird in this copy of the film
-Klett likes the C word!
-Trippy sex scene mixing scenes of butchering meat with actual sex.
-Everything completely falls apart and Christian and rich girl make an escape to horrible 70s music

SPOILER end

This one sounded really interesting when I first read about it. It was a little lower budget than I thought it would be, but I enjoyed it. There is enough uniqueness (look for a trippy sex scene!) and the brutal Klett character to keep it interesting.

Solid. I wish I had a better transfer of it.

I would recommend seeing this.

7 out of 10