Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion

film by Petri [1970]

Also known as: “Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto”(Show More)

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June 29, 2026

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Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion is a 1970 Italian film directed by Elio Petri. The film is considered Petri's masterpiece and won an Oscar for best foreign film. It is described as a bitter parable about the degeneration of power. The film stars Gian Maria Volonté, who had previously worked with Petri on A ciascuno il suo. Petri was an Italian director and screenwriter known for his interest in social issues, often exploring the lack of moral values in modern consumerist society. His films, including Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion and The Working Class Goes to Heaven, were popular and critically acclaimed.1

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Elio Petri
…sopra di ogni sospetto (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion). The film—a bitter parable about the degeneration of power—won an Oscar for best foreign film. He collaborated with the poet and director Nelo Risi for the television film Dedicato a Pinelli (1970; “Dedicated to Pinelli”), a moving remembrance of…
Read More
…sopra di ogni sospetto (Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion). The film—a bitter parable about the degeneration of power—won an Oscar for best foreign film. He collaborated with the poet and director Nelo Risi for the television film Dedicato a Pinelli (1970; “Dedicated to Pinelli”), a moving remembrance of…
Read More