The Italian 'poliziotteschi' movement of the 1970s, initially seeming like American crime film imitations, actually tackled Italian issues like the Sicilian Mafia and red terrorism. What's more intriguing is the hasty production process, where stars performed their own stunts, and the blurring of lines between real-life crime and movie crime.
Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s
The 1970s Italian 'poliziotteschi' film movement, initially appearing to be mere imitations of American crime movies, actually tackles pressing social and political issues specific to Italy.