Illustrious Corpses (Italian: Cadaveri eccellenti, French: Cadavres exquis) is a 1976 Italian-French thriller film directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Lino Ventura, based on the novel Equal Danger by Leonardo Sciascia (1971).

"[4] The film starts with the murder of Investigating Judge Vargas in Palermo, amongst a climate of demonstrations, strikes and political tension between the Left and the Christian Democratic government.

After Rogas discovers evidence of corruption surrounding the three government officials, his superiors advise him "not to forage after gossip," but to trail the "crazy lunatic who for no reason whatever is going about murdering judges."

After a fifth killing in front of the Justice Building, the two main eyewitnesses, a policeman and a prostitute, report having seen two young revolutionaries run away from the scene and a car speeding off afterwards.

Rogas is demoted and told to work with the political division to pin the crimes on the revolutionary Leftist terrorist groups.

Amongst rising tensions between revolutionaries and the government, which mobilizes the army, the Chief of Police reads a statement which blames the killing of Amar on the mentally unstable Rogas, who committed suicide after the murder.

The latter declares that the party will accept the government's official version of the murders to prevent an open confrontation which could be carried out into the streets.

[3] While Claudio Sorgi of La Rivista del Cinematografo called Illustrious Corpses an "important film",[2] Vincent Canby of the New York Times titled it "disappointing", "predictable" and "trivial" despite all the talents involved.