During a wave of political violence in Italy, a policeman who's already survived an assassination is assigned to act as a bodyguard to a morally upright judge. He feels increasingly fearful as the links of the upper echelons of police and government to the violence become clear.
Acting
Volonté's trembling restraint — fear as physical exhaustion.
Direction
Damiani frames Rome as a labyrinth of complicit silence.
Writing
No heroes, no villains — just men accepting their small betrayals.
Director
Damiano Damiani
Gian Maria Volonté
Brigadiere Ludovico Graziano
Erland Josephson
Judge Cancedda
Mario Adorf
Judge Moser
Angelica Ippolito
Gloria
Giorgio Cerioni
Major Masseria
Bruno Corazzari
La Rosa
Laura De Marchi
Elsa Meroni
Paolo Malco
Caligari
Laura Trotter
Raffaele Di Mario
Colonel Ruiz
Joe Sentieri
Tognon
Claudio Zucchet
Rino Lunardi
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Made during the Years of Lead, when neo-fascist bombings and state collusion were daily Italian reality. The fear isn't metaphor.
Volonté, a committed leftist, reportedly insisted on the title change from 'The Bodyguard' to emphasize systemic helplessness over individual heroism.
IT
