Rosi builds the story of La sfida by moving his camera through the busy streets of Naples and the farmland around it. His sets are the working-class neighbourhoods, such as the Spanish quarter in whose courtyards, balconies and terraces an entire population is forced to live by its wits. He shows the new buildings with their great panoramic windows overlooking the Bay of Naples. He even takes us into pool or “pelota” halls where gamblers try their luck in an atmosphere reminiscent of American detective movies.

Part crime movie, part political statement, part thriller and part sociological dossier, La sfida, stands at the crossroads of numerous influences, in the decadent splendour of a city illuminated by blazing sunlight, pointing its finger at what lies behind the disastrous decisions to cut finances to such an area and choke the energy of those who might otherwise be strong enough to put an end to this financial tyranny.

Jean A. Gili, Francesco Rosi, Études Cinématographiques Vol. 66, 2001