The Valachi Papers (1972)

I must agree with other IMDb reviewers who found this film flat and unconvincing. It has that "early 70s. low budget" look to it and lacks the realistic grittiness of The French Connection and Taxi Driver. Also, it definitely does not hold up well over time. First of all, Charles Bronson bears absolutely no resemblance to Joe Valachi whatsoever. His Italian accent and mannerisms are atrocious! The supporting cast is somewhat believable but not outstanding. The story itself does not flow very well and one blaring omission is that the actual Joe Valachi was coached by Federal agents prior to his Grand Jury testimony: i.e. his "knowledge of the pay scale for low-ranking mobsters in Detroit". Joe Valachi had a sixth grade education and absolutely no knowledge of anything outside of New York City! Personally, I found the History Channel documentary "Joe The Rat Valachi" much more informative, accurate, smoothly written and conforming to the novel written by Peter Maas.

It's 1962. Joe Valachi (Charles Bronson) is a marked man. Fed agent Ryan tells him that Don Vito Genovese thinks that he and Tony Bender turned states' witness against him. Bender is missing. When Valachi finally gets a meeting with Don Vito, the Don gives Valachi Il bacio della morte (Kiss of Death). Valachi returns to favor. Don Vito puts out a $20k contract on him. He immediately turns to Ryan for protection. In return, he tells his mob life starting with his imprisonment in Ossining Prison in 1929 where he first meets Tony Bender. Tony introduces him to the mob run by boss Salvatore Maranzano. He rises in the family as internal struggle leaves Genovese in charge.The movie sets up the 1962 story so well that I didn't really care about the history. I want to know how Don Vito is coming after Valachi. I want to know what happens to Valachi's kid. I want to know what happens next and not what happened before. The whole flashback structure is boring and not that engaging. I couldn't wait for the movie to advance in the 1962 story but that part of the story has no meat in it. There are better mob movies to come and 'The Godfather' is just a few months after this. This movie didn't have a chance even with a good performance from Charles Bronson.

The following year Charles Bronson would team up with director Michael Winner as a cop on the trail of the mafia, but the year before in "The Valachi Papers" he would find himself smack in the middle of it all as former mobster Joe Valachi serving 15 years in prison with a target on his head of twenty thousand dollars by mafia capo Vito Genovese. When he learns of it with there being no way of getting out of it when receives the kiss of death. Joe decides to spill his guts on the inner workings (extortion, vengeance and murder) of LaCosa Nostra for some sort of protection for him and his family. This would be the third European film of the trot between Charles Bronson and director Terence Young with the gritty crime flick "Cold Sweat (1970)" and buddy western "Red Sun (1971)" being the two before it. Coming out the same year as the similar in vein, but masterful classic "The Godfather". "The Valachi Papers" probably came and went with little notice. While not as stylish, it managed to have scope in its tough, trim and grippingly told narration splitting between past recounting and present situations. The plot was adapted off Peter Maas' novel of the same name that covers this true account of the mafia underworld and organised crime. A steadfast Bronson perfectly nailed down the lead with excellently respectable support by the likes of Lino Ventura, Joseph Wiseman, Walter Chiari, Gerald S. O'Loughlin, Angelo Infanti and Amedeo Nazzari. Director Young does a steadily routine job, but it's well done for such a minimal and straight looking production. For a running time of just over two hours, never does it feel it or seem to drag. The workmanlike execution gives the air a brutal (one raw act of violence would have any male squirming) and hardboiled touch, crafting well etched period (through the 1930s) location details and a having profound power in its escalating dramatics. A violent, tough-talking gangster feature with fine cast associated.

Charles Bronson had plenty of presence on the screen and was very effective in the likes of THE DIRTY DOZEN, DEATH WISH and a few others, but whenever he actually TRIED to act, his efforts were laughable. He simply could not act. THE VALACHI PAPERS may be his worst film. The director, Terence Young, shows absolutely no style or even a remote trace of caring (a large part of the film takes place in the 1930s but anachronisms abound --- there's a clear shot of the new in 1972 World Trade Towers, a 1970s era car speeds by the 1930s autos). Were the proper permits not secured to film this movie in NYC? Bronson gets little help in the film from the other performers. Walter Chiari is terrific, but he's certainly the exception. The supporting cast is populated with fine actors like Joseph Wiseman, Gerald S. O'Laughlin, Jill Ireland and Lino Ventura, but the dialog is so inane, they look foolish (Wiseman is particularly dreadful as Salvatore Maranzano, a crime lord who could not have been this dull). Aldo Tonti's cinematography is muddy and, as with most of director Young's work, the editing appears to have been done with a rusty razor blade.