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Blu-ray Review: “The Climber” Is A Brutal Italian Crime Drama

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A hungry young buck who aspires to be a career criminal starts out working at a warehouse for a gangster, and because of his ruthlessness and dependability, he begins to ascend the ladder of organized crime.

“The Climber” is an Italian crime film that stars Joe Dallesandro. I knew Dallesandro’s name but wasn’t exactly sure from where. Then, I realized that Dallesandro is mentioned in Lou Reed’s song “Walk on the Wild Side.” I’m not a tremendously large Warhol fan but I am a huge Lou Reed fan. I remember Lou Reed’s 1978 live album, ‘Take No Prisoners,’ where Reed mentions that Dallesandro was very handsome but extremely dumb. Apparently, not much had changed between when Reed and Dallesandro were friends and the shooting of this film. That isn’t to say that Dallesandro gives a bad performance, in fact, it’s a remarkably good (if limited in range) role based on the fact that Dallesandro largely acts as himself.

Aldo (Dallesandro) plays a young man who aspires to become a career criminal. As he rises from a delivery driver to a crime boss, the titular “climber” in the film’s title references individuals who are ascending through the ranks of organized crime. This might sound like the film is focused on the mafioso, but it isn’t. “The Climber” is about dirty, unpolished crime and very different from other Italian crime films of the time.

The movie is uncomfortable because there’s no character with which the viewer can relate. There’s also a large number of people killed without any type of lesson being offered. There are certainly similarities between this film and De Palma’s “Scarface” but whereas the coke-ridden script for DePalma’s script (written by Oliver Stone) reaches for transcendence and a lesson in the main character’s ultimate demise, that doesn’t happen here. Some people have claimed that “The Climber” even served as the inspiration for “Scarface” but I don’t know if I would go that far. Both films, however, do ultimately have roughly the same structure as well as the same Shakespearean downfall of an ending.

To make another comparison, “The Climber” reminds me of Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs.” Or, vice versa. Both films are shot in a dirty, rushed, blunt manner that doesn’t attempt to wow the viewer with pristine shots or well-staged scenes. Instead, the film’s director tells the story in a manner that is a fine match for the plot of the film.

Knowing the Lou Reed connection is what got me into this film, but “The Climber” is actually a pretty enjoyable (if visceral) crime film. Arrow has done a masterful job at remastering this film and preparing it for Blu-ray release. Interestingly enough, Dallesandro did not provide the English dubs for “The Climber” and even discusses this oddity in a bonus attached to the Blu-ray.

Now available in a 2-Disc Special Edition Blu-ray + DVD

 

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