Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion — Ending Explained

The central twist of "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" is not a 'whodunnit,' as the killer is revealed in the opening scene, but a 'will he get away with it.' The Inspector, a high-ranking police official, murders his mistress and then deliberately plants clues to incriminate himself. The suspense of the film comes from watching him manipulate the investigation, taunting his subordinates with his guilt, while they remain willfully blind to the truth. The true spoiler lies in the film's unsettling conclusion and the psychological unraveling of its protagonist.

As the investigation progresses, it becomes clear that the Inspector's motive is not simply to prove he is above the law, but to have his absolute power affirmed by the very system he represents. His desperation grows as his colleagues, including the Police Commissioner, refuse to even consider him a suspect. They create elaborate alternative theories and ignore the mountain of evidence that points directly to him. The system is so invested in protecting its own that it cannot even conceive of one of its leaders being a common criminal.

The film's climax is a surreal and ambiguous sequence in which the Inspector, having finally confessed to his superiors, finds that they refuse to believe him. They force him to sign a confession of his innocence, a moment of supreme absurdity that underscores the film's satirical critique of power. This scene is then revealed to be a dream, and the Inspector wakes up to find his colleagues arriving at his apartment. The film ends on this cliffhanger, leaving the audience to ponder whether the dream was a premonition of reality or a manifestation of the Inspector's deepest desires. The final quote from Kafka suggests that, as a 'servant of the law,' the Inspector is ultimately beyond human judgment, implying that he will, in fact, get away with his crime. The hidden meaning that becomes clear upon reflection is that the Inspector's true punishment is not legal but psychological; he is a man trapped by the very power he so desperately sought to affirm.

One of the most debated aspects of "Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion" is its ambiguous ending. After the Inspector's frantic confession to his superiors, which they refuse to accept, he wakes up in his bed as they arrive at his door. This has led to several alternative interpretations of the film's conclusion.

One interpretation is that the entire confession scene was a dream or a fantasy. In this reading, the Inspector's deepest desire is to be held accountable, not out of remorse, but as the ultimate confirmation of his power. The dream represents his ideal scenario, where the system is so corrupt that it will protect him even from himself. The arrival of his colleagues at the end then becomes a moment of truth, where the audience is left to wonder if reality will mirror his dream.

Another interpretation is that the dream sequence is a deliberately surreal and satirical device used by Petri to heighten the film's absurdist tone. In this view, the dream is not meant to be taken literally, but as a symbolic representation of the inherent absurdity of the situation. The 'real' ending, with the arrival of the police, is deliberately open-ended to suggest that the cycle of corruption and impunity will continue, regardless of the Inspector's personal crisis.

A third perspective suggests that the film is not about a literal investigation at all, but is a broader allegory for the political state of Italy at the time. The Inspector represents the ruling class, and his crime is a metaphor for the crimes of the state against its people. The investigation is a sham, and the ending reflects the inability of the system to reform itself. In this reading, the specific outcome of the Inspector's case is less important than the film's overall critique of a society in which the powerful are unaccountable.