AllMovie

Take a revealing look at the infamous, 1980s-era Maxi-Trials that took place in Palermo, Italy in this chronicle of the Italian Mafia based on the book by author Alexander Stille and featuring the shocking photography of Sicilian photojournalist Letizia Battaglia. In the beginning the Cosa Nostra only killed their own, but at the dawn of the seventies the notorious criminal organization also began targeting prosecutors, judges, and anyone else who dared to question their violent ways. Now true crime fans can take an in-depth look at the efforts of fearless prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino in delivering justice to hundreds of powerful offenders as filmmakers detail the trials that took place in a heavily guarded underground bunker the size of a football field in the mid-1980s. Compelling photos and detailed interviews with both Falcone and Borsellino (both of whom were assassinated in 1992 bombings), paint a frightful portrait of the post-World War II relationship between the mafia and Italian politicians. The title Excellent Cadavers is derived from a quote by Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia who was refering to the powerful figures who were targeted and killed by one of the most resourceful criminal organizations ever.