A Man on His Knees
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Synopsis
Mistaken as a witness to a crime, Nino (Giuliano Gemma, The Iron Prefect), learns from a friend he has been put on a Mafia hit list and is being stalked by an assassin (Michele Placido, Romanzo Criminale). A man with a troubled past, Nino knows only too well what he faces and uses all his strength and cunning to keep himself and his family alive. Featuring stunning performances from both leads, Damiano Damiani (The Day of the Owl) applies his trademark realism and socio-political commentary to A Man on His Knees, charting Nino’s desperation as he refuses to kneel before the power of organised crime. Newly restored in 4K, Radiance Films is proud to present one of Damiani’s finest films on Blu-ray for the first time in the world.
Picture 9/10
Damiano Damiani’s A Man on His Knees arrives on Blu-ray from Radiance Films, presented on a dual-layer disc in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The 1080p/24hz high-definition presentation is sourced from a new 4K restoration, scanned from the 35mm original camera negative.
As expected, Radiance delivers an outstanding high-definition presentation. The restoration work is exceptional, with no significant damage visible, and the image remains consistently sharp and clear with stable motion. The encode is equally impressive, rendering grain and fine details cleanly and maintaining a natural, film-like texture.
The color palette leans warm and subdued, with the muted tones contributing to the film's overall aesthetic. While this restrained approach may appear bland at times, it feels deliberate, as evidenced by one striking moment in the film where bold colors—including a shot featuring a stunning blue sky—break through, leaving a lasting impression. Black levels are generally deep and inky, though a few darker scenes appear slightly milky, with limited shadow detail.
Overall, this is a terrific presentation, as expected from Radiance.
Audio 6/10
The film’s Italian soundtrack is presented in 2.0 PCM mono and sounds fine, though it’s limited by the typical constraints of Italian films from the period. As expected, all dialogue is dubbed and distinctly noticeable as such, often coming across as somewhat flat and hollow. That said, the track is clean, with no apparent filtering applied.
Extras 7/10
Radiance includes a modest selection of supplements, starting with a new interview featuring Alberto Pezzotta, author of Regia Damiano Damiani. Over 24 minutes, Pezzotta discusses the state of the Italian film industry at the time, which was struggling due to competition from television. He touches on the industry’s increasing focus on mafia-centric stories, citing examples like Damiani’s Day of the Owl. Pezzotta also delves into the social issues explored in A Man on His Knees, examining its characters, all of whom are simply trying to make ends meet—including the hitman! Additionally, he provides production insights, including script changes made by Damiani.
The disc also features two archival interviews with actors Giuliano Gemma and Tano Cimarosa, both running about nine minutes. Cimarosa reflects on working with Damiani on this film and Day of the Owl, sharing anecdotes, including a story about Claudia Cardinale and Sophia Loren. Gemma recounts how he was cast in the film and offers on-set memories, including Damiani’s concern that he might appear "too athletic" for the role. Gemma also notes that the central coffee stand seen in the film was fully operational during shooting.
Providing even more depth is an interview with assistant director Mino Giarda, who speaks for 21 minutes about his collaboration with Damiani on several projects. While he touches briefly on his own career, Giarda spends much of the interview discussing Day of the Owl and The Most Beautiful Wife. For the latter, he explains the legal complications around casting a minor that led the film’s lead, Francesca Romana Rivelli, to adopt the stage name Ornella Muti. Though the interview has little direct relevance to A Man on His Knees, Giarda offers a wealth of insight into Damiani’s work and what it was like working with him.
The disc is rounded out by the film’s trailer, and the first printing includes a booklet with an essay by Roberto Curti, which explores the film’s themes and context alongside other films around the mafia. While the features may feel a bit sparse overall, they’re all worthwhile and enhance appreciation for the film and Damiani’s career.
Closing
Radiance's new edition of A Man on His Knees pairs an excellent restoration with insightful, if modest, supplemental features.
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