Cadaveri eccellenti (The Context)

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I had to help wash him

so I saw him naked.

I never realised

he was so small, so short

Yes, Inspector...

Judge Varga used to come here

every Sunday.

He liked talking to the mummies.

He'd make the dead reveal

the secrets of the living.

-He'd talk to the mummies?

-Of course.

You're from Rome. There are

some things you can't understand.

Open it.

See him?

Bernardo da Corleone

a great 17th century lawyer.

In those days

the dead person's family

would come and tell

the deceased their secrets.

And our Don Bernardo,

who at the time was still alive,

would come down

to the crypt at night

and get the corpses

to tell him everything.

So he knew everthing

about everybody.

Everything about everybody.

"Let me talk about little white jasmines..."

This fatal,just-picked blossom

symbolises the purity

of his existence.

And its scent

evokes the goodness

he brought to the courts

and to his family.

It was this Spring blossom

which caught the last breath

of Judge Varga, who will

now appear before

the ultimate Judge and be

admitted to His Kingdom.

For thirty years he fought

against crime and the Mafia,

and the Mafia has killed him.

He was the Mafia!

He was the Mafia!

Organised crime has never

been so daring before.

It's the first time

a judge has been murdered.

Mafia! You're the Mafia!

You're the Mafia!

It's an appalling crime aimed

against the whole judiciary...

and it's a challenge

to the State's authority!

Why is your name linked to

the dead judge and garbage?

They attack me

because I was his best friend.

What about the garbage?

Come and have a look.

Hear that?

They're not striking for more pay.

They even have cars to come to work.

They're starting a cholera

epidemic just to screw me.

Where does Judge Varga

come into it?

Varga was murdered because

he was about to arrest them.

Not these wretches,

but their puppeteers.

Give me a hand.

This guy's dead.

He has no pulse.

Judge Varga knew every secret

behind every door.

He had drawers full

of court files.

He acted on some,

but ignored the others.

You were his friend.

You admired him, didn't you?

I liked the man.

He wasn't in it for money.

He thrived on power.

Inspector.

A phone call from Rome.

Sorry. I need your authorisation

to move elsewhere right away.

Where?

They killed another judge

some 100km from here

The two crimes

may be linked.

Go, but keep me informed.

The Minister is concerned.

Shall we arrest him?

Why?

As usual, they won't talk.

This guy heard nothing,

saw nothing, knows nothing.

Do you get many lemons?

Alot. They want to cut it down

to build houses

Tell me something ...

Did you know the judge?

Of course. He issued the orders

to resume the farms.

What was he like?

Like this town...

Just what they wanted.

Sargeant.

Captain.

Is this you?

It might be.

Did you bring us all this way

just to identify a photo?

Why were you at Judge

Varga's funeral?

Were you a friend too?

We had ceased to be

on friendly terms.

But when he was

a junior judge...

When you killed

that unionist...

Everyone was acquitted.

Sure. But this time

you've gone too far.

You shouln't mess with judges.

Inspector, you're wasting your

time with us. And you know it.

If it's payback as you call it,

that's between the judges.

Brave Chief Judge Calamo

is dead.

He's the third judge to be killed.

The police do nothing

to stop this mad slaughter.

And their inertia gives rise

to all sorts of speculation.

We're being killed off and

our reputations are tarnished.

The judiciary is sound

but parliament is ineffective.

The government is weak.

They're the reason the country

is plunging into chaos.

Find me that raving maniac.

Only a maniac would go around

killing judges.

Get this into your heads.

As chief of police,

your head will be the first to roll.

You're our best man , but yours

will be the first head to roll.

Stop the damaging stories

about the murdered judges.

What's this?

The late Chief Judge Calamo

had them in a drawer.

He had several million

in the bank.

What on earth are you doing?

Piecing together three lives.

Don't waste time with the dead.

We need somone

who's alive and guilty.

Stop looking for rationality.

We're dealing with a paranoid.

If he's paranoid,

it's with good reason.

What did you mean by

"paranoid with good reason"?

Three judges have been killed

in twenty days,

in three towns

quite near each other.

All killed the same way,

by bullets from the same gun,.

which must be a rifle and silencer.

Enough evidence to suggest

a vendetta.

A vendetta?

By whom?

A victim of a judicial error.

Do you know

whether the three judges

were ever on the same case?

Yes.They worked together

for eight years

Doctor. The plane is ready

to take off.

Let me say one more thing.

Actually I knew there'd be

another killing in this town.

I have'nt made a mistake.

I was here

when they shot Calamo.

Then the papers are right

You're a jinx.

Anyway, I've come up

with some facts.

Three people from this area

were unjustly sent to jail

for several years.

A chemist whose wife

tricked the judges,

a mechanic rumoured

to be gay,

and a trucker

who's now a hobo.

So, what's your next step?

One of the trio is the killer.

- How are things?

- Bad.

- What's bad?

- Everything.

- And before?

- Before what ?

Were things better before?

- No.

- So ?

So... Here we are.

What do you think about

these judges being killed?

Were you sentenced by Varga?

He was the prosecuting judge

in that trial.

He asked for 30 years.

He said he regretted

there was no death penalty.

Did Judge Sanza

deliver the sentence?

Judge Sanza gave me

a discount... 27 years.

But he wasn't alone.

I know.

Judge Rasto was there too.

And Rasto is still alive.

What do you want from me?

Later they proved

I was innocent.

True.

You were innocent

and spent four years in jail.

I've served 52 years

unjustly.

Spending four in jail

was no big deal.

Jail is a safe place.

- Who's there? What do you want?

- Police.

Leave me alone.

You've made my life miserable.

Enough. Get out of here!

Come here.

Do you remember Judge Varga?

Chief Judge Sanza and the other one Calamo ?

Bastards...

They were all bastards.

And so you killed them.

- I wish I did.

Do you live here?

Have you a gun?

Go and get it.

You get it.

Clear off!

You don't answer me like that. Understand?

What shall we do?

No one's seen him.

He might be sleeping.

Stay here

and keep an eye out for him.

Yes, doctor.

Is Dr Maxia here.

That's me.

Can I help you?

I'm inspector Rogas.

I'd like a word with you.

At your service.

I'll be back shortly.

Please sit down.

Thanks.

This is what I want

to know.

I'm told you're the only friend

of the chemist, Cres.

Friend!

It's hard to use

the term in Cres' case.

Let's say a frequent caller.

- So you see him often?.

- Yes, yes.

Actually, I'm the one

who keeps an eye on him.

I try to get him to mix.

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