High Crime (1973) Plot Summary Explained

The bombing was ordered by the new criminal organization that had entered Genoa's drug trade. After the Lebanese dealer was arrested, the new gang eliminated him to prevent him from talking to the police, while also killing four policemen in the process. Belli survived the blast, which intensified his determination to dismantle the entire operation.

Foreshadowing: Earlier in the film, Cafiero warns Belli about a dangerous new player in town who operates with ruthless efficiency.

• police car bombing
• Lebanese dealer
• new gang
• Genoa
• drug operation

The new player is a more ruthless and politically connected criminal organization that infiltrates Genoa's underworld. While Umberto Griva is initially identified as the boss, his brother Franco's subsequent murder reveals an even higher-level conspiracy involving political figures who seek to control the city's drug trafficking.

Foreshadowing: Cafiero, an experienced gangster, recognizes the threat immediately and decides to act before the police can intervene.

• new gang
• Umberto Griva
• Franco Griva
• political ties
• criminal organization

Cafiero helps Belli because the new gang threatens his own territory and operations in Genoa. Though he now claims to be a peaceful gardener, he remains a powerful underworld figure who resents the intrusion of the new organization. By warning Belli and providing information, Cafiero hopes to eliminate the rival gang before they undermine his own criminal enterprise.

Foreshadowing: Cafiero's warning about the 'new player' establishes his self-interested motivation for cooperating.

• Cafiero
• Fernando Rey
• Belli
• gangster
• former criminal
• information

The killer who murdered Scavino was hired by Umberto Griva's organization. The assassin, after being caught, reveals that Griva is the boss behind the drug operation before being killed himself. The stolen dossier contained crucial information mapping Genoa's mafia connections, which would have exposed the entire criminal network.

Foreshadowing: Scavino mentions there isn't enough evidence to crack the system 'from top to bottom,' hinting at the dangers of pursuing such leads.

• Commissioner Scavino
• Umberto Griva
• murder
• dossier
• assassin
• killed

Franco Griva was killed because he was Umberto Griva's brother, and his murder was orchestrated by the higher-level political figures behind the entire operation. This elimination signals that someone with broad political connections was maneuvering to take full control of Genoa's drug trade, eliminating anyone connected to the previous hierarchy.

Foreshadowing: After Umberto Griva is identified as the boss, the film quickly moves to his brother's murder, showing the conspiracy extends beyond local gangsters.

• Franco Griva
• Umberto Griva
• political conspiracy
• drug trade
• murder
• control

The attacks on Belli's family were retributions from the criminal organization he was pursuing. After Belli sends his daughter to safety, the gang tracks her down and kills her, while simultaneously beating his girlfriend Mirella. These brutal acts are meant to break Belli's resolve and stop his investigation.

Foreshadowing: Cafiero's warning about the danger to Belli's family precedes this tragedy, showing the gang's willingness to target loved ones.

• Belli's daughter
• Mirella
• retribution
• attack
• family
• killed

Belli receives a crucial tip from Cafiero, who warns him about the location of the large drug-smuggling operation. This information allows Belli to arrive at the scene where a fierce shootout erupts between the criminals and police.

Foreshadowing: Cafiero's earlier warning about the new gang and his decision to act first sets up this critical intelligence sharing.

• Cafiero
• drug smuggling operation
• tip
• location
• shootout
• Belli

Belli arrives at the drug-smuggling location and a intense shootout erupts between his officers and the criminals. Belli survives the confrontation while all the criminals are killed, effectively destroying the criminal network that has plagued Genoa. However, this victory comes at tremendous personal cost.

Foreshadowing: The build-up through Cafiero's tip and Belli's personal losses all lead to this climactic confrontation.

• final shootout
• drug operation
• survival
• criminals killed
• confrontation
• network destroyed

The ending is bittersweet because while Belli successfully destroys the criminal network and eliminates the immediate threat to Genoa, he has paid an enormous personal price. His daughter is dead, his girlfriend has been beaten, and many police officers have died. There is no sense of triumph, only a pyrrhic victory achieved through immense sacrifice.

Foreshadowing: The film's dark tone and escalating personal tragedies throughout the narrative foreshadow this somber conclusion.

• bittersweet ending
• pyrrhic victory
• personal cost
• sacrifice
• criminal network
• destroyed

Umberto Griva is initially identified as the main boss behind the drug operation in Genoa. However, his brother's subsequent murder reveals that Griva himself is merely a figurehead, with actual control resting in the hands of higher political figures who manipulate the criminal underworld for profit and power.

Foreshadowing: When Belli traces the killer to Umberto Griva, the film immediately complicates this by introducing his brother's murder.

• Umberto Griva
• boss
• drug operation
• political figures
• hierarchy
• control

Rico, Cafiero's trusted lieutenant, is revealed to be a mole secretly working for the new criminal organization that has entered Genoa. His betrayal puts both Cafiero and Belli in extreme danger, as the new gang gains inside information about their movements and plans.

Foreshadowing: Cafiero's warning about a dangerous new player precedes the revelation of Rico's betrayal.

• Rico
• mole
• betrayal
• Cafiero
• new gang
• trusted man
• infiltration

The dossier compiled by Commissioner Scavino contained detailed information mapping Genoa's entire network of mafia connections. It represented the police's best chance to crack the criminal system from top to bottom. However, Scavino believed there wasn't enough hard evidence to bring down the higher-ups, and his murder with the stolen dossier prevented any legal action from taking place.

Foreshadowing: Scavino's hesitation to act on the dossier, citing insufficient evidence, highlights its potential significance.

• dossier
• mafia connections
• evidence
• Scavino
• police
• investigation
• criminal network