Slap the Monster on Page One

In the weeks before a national election a sensationalist newspaper becomes a stage for power plays today. A wealthy young woman is murdered in a brutal assault that could swing the vote, and the paper's editor in chief uses his influence to steer the police inquiry. He treats the case as a weapon to protect the right leaning candidates favored by his bosses, betting that sensational coverage will tilt public opinion. The newsroom buzz grows tense as threats and pressure from political patrons mount, and the line between journalism and propaganda grows thinner. Ordinary citizens and investigators alike are left to question who and what to trust when facts begin to feel negotiable in a crowded political moment. Rumors spread.

Directed by Marco Bellocchio and written by Sergio Donati and Goffredo Fofi, Slap the Monster on Page One appeared in 1972 as a hard edged Italian drama that probes the ethics of media power and political manipulation and its implications.

The film is often read as a pointed critique of the way tabloids can tilt political discourse. Bellocchio's terse visuals and Volonté's measured performance sharpen a discussion about truth accountability and responsibilities of those who shape public memory in a media saturated era. Its imagery tightens the critique's punch overall.

Critics praised the film for its unflinching approach to corruption and its atmosphere of moral ambiguity. The work foregrounds themes such as the corrupting reach of wealth the fragility of investigative process under political pressure and the uneasy complicity between press and power. A steady meditation on truth and power.

Box office data for this title is not widely documented and not readily available in public sources. It remains discussed primarily for its political audacity, Bellocchio's direction, and its place in Italy's cinematic dialogue about media and democracy in Europe.