Gomorrah

A gritty look at gangster society in Naples. Captures the pervasiveness and banality of organised crime. Oh, and the locations are brilliant. Not your standard gangster movie, but I would thoroughly recommend it.

Throughout, the imagery of the environments surrounding Gomorrah’s characters depicts their entrapment by their circumstances and illustrates the norm of their futile human condition in an environment controlled by crime, corruption and exploitation. It is a film, which through its themes of despair and nihilism, reveals glimpses of beauty and humanity through its artistic palette of subtle colours and the individual stories of some of its characters yet these serve only to heighten the sense of bleakness for as humanity may try to live out vestiges of human fulfilment this proves fruitless in a world controlled by the worst of human traits.

In the sordid, prison-like structures of the maze of cell-type homes that Don Ciro moves quietly through, a wedding celebration reveals an attempt by humanity to survive its predetermined fate, albeit this may be a pointless attempt it is perhaps an indication of a glimmer of hope for Don Ciro’s future.

Marco and Ciro in their aspiring to be local leaders, fatally flaunt their bravado, imitated from Hollywood movies. Gomorrah is no Hollywood. The bosses are fat and jaded and live unglamorous lives. It has no heroic gangster plot or action shots and Marco and Ciro’s attempt to bring this to their world of Camorra controlled Naples is seen as vain from the outset. Hauntingly and strikingly beautiful scenes frame them. They play with guns like small boys on a grey and neutral beach. They walk between trees that slice the screen like innumerable bars of a prison cell.

Conversely to Marco and Ciro’s playing and fooling around a scene with two young boys, Toto and his friend Simone, barley more than children, is shocking in revealing how their childhood has been stolen from them. Simone calmly and matter-of-factly tells Toto that they were friends but are now enemies and will kill one another. Toto’s fate is bleak. Barley into his teens he actively seeks Camorra membership. As the camera focuses on his face his emotions reveal his understanding of what his involvement here means yet despite his experiencing inner conflict he carries out his role for the Camorra.

Franco has apprenticed Roberto into his successful Camorra waste disposal business. In a scene at the airport with Roberto’s father we understand the hopeless prospects for Roberto’s future without his current position yet Roberto’s long silent glances throughout the film reveal his struggle to accept the brutal disregard for humanity endemic in all that surrounds him.

When Don Pasquale’s mentor, in his ongoing attempt at exploiting Don Pasquale’s talent as a dressmaker, tells him that he has done everything for him Don Pasquale’s reply is that he has used him since he was a boy. We see the position Don Pasquale’s talent should have given him when the workers in the factory bow to him and applaud him and we see the exploitation of such talent when the exquisite gown he has painstakingly made and received little for is worn to the Oscars by a Hollywood actress. We see his exploitation in Don Pasquale’s beaten demeanour and frustrated knowledge of his fate.

Gomorrah is a film whose images and message leave a lasting impression in exposing a culture of intimidation and control common in so many current global situations.

Probably the most disturbing film I have seen in all my 30 years of adult life.

What's most disturbing is the fact that all of this is still happening now, in 2012.

I came here from Gerald Seymour's (romanticised) novel 'The Collaborator' and wanted to learn more.

My thanks to the original writer and the film maker for this.

I have never been to Naples, I think I will go there later this year when the weather is cooler and look around the churches and coffee shops. Not to Scampia.

The real crook (IMHO) is the architect who designed and built those towers ... they shouldn't have been built.

But nothing will ever change in that part of the world. Life goes on ... sometimes life stops ...

There is a thin line between the first world and the third ...

Don't miss this film... it's one of the best films i've seen in years.

Don't listen to these reviews that say this film is boring. It couldn't be more from the truth.

If you like your films true to life, factual, violent, and with a good storyline then this is it.

I was mesmerised for the 2 hours and 11 mins of the film and it flew by. A good indication as to how good it is.

Only drawback is the subtitles, but 15 mins into the film i was so into the film i didn't mind reading the subtitles.

I really highly recommend this to anyone who likes dark, violent, but also tense and shocking.

Enjoy the film...i did.

Good film which certainly paints a vivid picture of the power & reach of the Neapolitan Camorra, but I would recommend reading Roberto Saviano's book 'Gomorrah' before watching this film as the story may be quite hard to follow otherwise. The book gives a fairly in-depth and methodical overview of Camorra's 'business' interests & methods but this is somewhat confusingly represented in the film and the sheer number of characters introduced in the short space of two hours makes it hard to keep track of who's who. If you've read the book, however, it makes perfect sense & the harsh images of the film reinforce the book's grim story.