Paolo Sorrentino... said Rosi was 'a maestro who taught us how to stage political cinema. He's probably the most imitated Italian director by those of us who have tried to make his kind of cinema. I often saw 'Cadaveri eccellenti' to try to understand how one does that type of film. It was the best example of a political thriller ever made, for its capacity to combine genre and an author's vision. And also for the performance of Lino Ventura.'