Confessions of a Police Captain (Italian: Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della repubblica, also known as Confessions of a Police Commissioner to the District Attorney) is an Italian crime-drama film.
Police Captain Bonavia (Balsam) arranges the release of a criminally insane prisoner, Michele Lipuma, who immediately sets about settling a score with a local construction magnate, Ferdinando Dubrosio. As Bonavia follows Lipuma's initial movements, it becomes clear that Bonavia orchestrated his release for that outcome. Lipuma's attempt to kill Dubrosio fails—Dubrosio was tipped off somehow and left three gunmen in his place...all of whom, including Lipuma, end up dead.
D.A. Traini (Nero), energetic and idealistic, takes over the case and is informed by Bonavia of the stranglehold Dubrosio has over the local construction industry, and how he and various government officials game the system for their own benefit. As the case unfolds, Traini realizes that Bonavia masterminded the events as intricately as any criminal, and vows to bring him down. Traini believes whole-heartedly in the system and its officials, refusing to accept corruption of any official, but is countered by Bonavia, who explains that all he has to do to derail Traini is muddy the water with slander.
Central to the overall case is the whereabouts of Lipuma's sister, Serena, who was once involved with Dubrosio and privy to many of the conversations held between Dubrosio and the government officials. As witnesses to Dubrosio's activities tend to disappear, when Bonavia finds Serena, he puts her in a safe house known only to himself. Traini finally decides to start the prosecution of Bonavia, prompting Bonavia to write a full confession, including the murder of Dubrosio, which he then commits while Traini is reading the confession. Bonavia immediately turns himself in, and when the arrest is mentioned on TV, Serena calls the courthouse to enquire...only to have Dubrosio's thugs arrive at the safe house, claiming to be sent by the court. She is unceremoniously killed, encased in a concrete, and incorporated into a local construction project.
From prison, Bonavia questions whether Traini will investigate how Dubrosio found out where Serena was hidden...as it was only after she contacted the courthouse...but Traini refuses to consider any possible collusion between parties. He reassures Bonavia that the system has integrity and will serve justice in the end. Bonavia responds that prison is a different world, and one where Traini holds no influence. Bonavia is duly killed in prison, eliminating the last 'loose thread'. With that, Traini realizes that the word could only have come from the Attorney-General himself, who smugly smiles and asks "Is something wrong?" when finally confronted.
