Blu Ray Review: The Valachi Papers (1972)

Before Charles Bronson settled into his fast-paced niche of vigilante actioners, he played some layered roles in well crafted films like Terrence Young's The Valachi Papers.

Released the same year as The Godfather, this film is a brutal, well-acted mob drama about a real-life Mafia informant but critics of the time compared it unfavorably with the Coppola hit. In fact, The Valachi Papers is somewhat foundational in that many of its ideas were incorporated in later mob films, as well as episodes of The Sopranos.

Bronson would eventually rely almost completely on a minimalist approach that rested almost solely on nuance. This one was made before Death Wish redefined his career, and thus his acting is broader when revealing the complexities of the person he is portraying.

The period detail is strong and the sudden bursts of violence are jarring without distracting from the narrative. Director Young frames the action nicely, editing between different angles and distnaces during a brutal mob hit to enhance the movie's rhythm.

Among the extras on the Kino Lorber blu ray is an informative and interesting commentary by Charles Bronson expert Paul Talbot, who wrote the Bronson’s Loose books.

The blu ray can be ordered here: VALACHI/BRONSON