Director Giacomo Solaris has made a provocative film about a corrupt prosecutor who is closely intertwined with the Mafia. The reactions in Palermo are fierce, because the allusions to the influential Alberto Traini are unmistakable. When Traini dies shortly afterwards under similar circumstances as his film character, Solaris begins to investigate on his own. The deeper he delves into the case, the clearer it becomes that in this system of power, intimidation and loyalties, no one is innocent. "Why did prosecutor Traini have to die?" is one of Damiani's sharpest and most intelligent works from his politically influenced creative phase. Franco Nero carries the film with great presence, while the ingenious construction of film-within-a-film, crime plot and social analysis gives the material an unusual depth. Instead of mere action, Damiani relies on atmosphere, mistrust and the oppressive realization that justice and crime are ominously intertwined here. A dark, highly suspenseful Italo thriller for viewers who appreciate Poliziotteschi with substance.