This is what I call a movie, and not any movie, but Hard Caliber! Volontè is a policeman, as in the "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion"(1970), but this time he's a totally different kind of cop. You must watch both films one after another to understand why Volontè is the greatest actor of all time. The characters, though both cops, are diametrically opposed. In "Investigation...", he is the super-intelligent but evil and fearless cop, who commits a murder only to prove himself how idiotic is the whole Italian police-justice system, rotten to the core by the mafia. In "I Am Afraid" he is also a very smart cop, but who is this time just a fearful good, too good man. Because he's working for the same Italian police-justice system rotten to the core by the mafia, and he is afraid for his own life, he is forced to kill, even he doesn't want to. It is Damiani's best film and one of the best movies ever made. Damiani also worked with the genius called Volontè in another masterpiece, "A Bullet for the General". All actors are exceptional. Especially Ingmar Bergman's favorite, Erland Josephson, and the favorite of many international directors, the brilliant Mario Adorf. Angelica Ippolito, in the role of Gloria, Volontè's girlfriend, is more than compelling. Great cinematography by Luigi Kuveiller and great music by Riz Ortolani. This movie deserves all the possible stars, unfortunately, 10 are the maximum...
