Starring: Marco D’Amore, Fortunato Cerlino, Salvatore Esposito
Directed By: Various
BBFC Certificate: 18
UK Release Date: July 18th 2016 (UK)
If brilliant TV shows have clearly overtaken films over the last 10 years in terms of quality, then that revolution has been spearheaded by foreign language series. In the UK we have been lucky enough to have the superb Nordic Noir series, led by the mighty The Killing. That seemed to open the floodgates, and now we are far happier settling down to a box set of foreign-language brilliance than the latest Hollywood offering.
From France we had the mighty Spiral, from Germany Deutschland 83, even a series set in Corsica, the ususual Mafiosa, which is perhaps the closest to Italy’s entry into the canon, the mighty Gomorrah.
What is amazing about this series is that we have seen its themes so many times before, yet it still manages to be totally original, utterly compelling and unpredictable. It’s the story of the mafia’s dubious methods of gaining and holding control, which basically means money, through threat and occasional bursts of violence. The gangsters are polite in front of ladies, love food, their mums and designer clothes, and are absolutely ruthless. Clichés all, yet somehow it all works.
The credit for this should probably go to Roberto Saviano, who wrote the book exposing the Camorra family and their grip over the southern town of Naples. There is almost a Shakespearean feel to the plotting and characters, especially as in this series Don Petro has been replaced as the head of the clan by his son Genny. Genny has grown from fragile mummy’s boy to tough gangster who knows how to use a gun and inflict pain on people.
However, just as Genny’s grip on the city’s drug supply, guns and general sleaze looks untouchable, he faces an enemy in the unlikely form of Ciro, his once-loyal lieutenant. Ciro is not the only one plotting against the Savastanos either, as rival gangs are eyeing up Naples’s huge drug market.
Another Reason Gomorrah is so satisfying is its brilliant use of visuals. Naples has never looked so grubby, with it’s seedy nightclubs, grubby backstreets and dingy gangster hangouts. The occasional use of neon-lit bars or a flash of the blue sea and green hills makes these characters’ existence seem even sadder and grubbier. Crucially though there is some empathy for these characters, however hopeless and nasty they seem.
Overall Verdict: Gomorrah is a riveting, downbeat, brilliantly acted piece of work that is worth comparisons to The Wire and Mafiosa. It may not have you rushing to book tickets to Naples on EasyJet though.
Reviewer: Mike Martin
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