AllMovie

This political docudrama follows the real-life circumstances that led to the assassination of the anti-Mafia crusading judge Giovanni Falcone (Michele Placido) and his wife, in addition to the assassination of another such judge. A number of high-ranking Italian public figures were under investigation by the judge for their alleged association with the Mafia (and hence with these "hits") and they threatened lawsuits to prevent this film from being made or shown. Some small changes were made to prevent libel suits from being filed. Much of the dialogue comes directly from official documents in the cases the judge was prosecuting. It is interesting to note that, in interviews filmed for U.S. television, the judge acknowledged that his and his wife's lives were in danger, but he felt that the possibility reducing the power of the Sicilian mafia in Italy was worth the risk.