GOMORRAH

Well now, I think it’s safe to assume that we all like a good old fashioned gangster-flick every once in a while… It’s the great stars like Al Pacino or even further back Alain Delon that endeared them to us first. Loveable rogues, tough guys, “wise guys” (remember “Goodfellas” by Martin Scorsese?). That being said, in real life most of us have nothing to do with gangs and due to the “nature of the beast”, know very little about their workings in real life. It is not easy to find out about how gangs or the mafia work in real life and you may have to pay dearly if you do find out. You just ask Roberto Saviano. The young Italian writer is, as you may have heard, the author of a book named “Gomorrah” that gives a detailed account of the workings of the Camorra (a powerful Neapolitan mafia-like organization). His account was so accurate that he was subsequently threatened by a number of Neapolitan “godfathers”. The Italian Ministry of Interior appears to have taken this seriously because they responded by granting Mr. Saviano a permanent police escort… The book in itself must be fascinating; however, I am yet to read it. What I am going to focus on today is the adaptation to film of it by director Matteo Garrone. You may or may not have heard of the film but it literally shook Europe. Matteo Garrone walked away with the Grand Prix at Cannes, was nominated for the Golden Palm, won numerous David Di Donatello Awards was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film not to mention a César Award and many MANY more… In short, you name a festival in Europe, Gamorrah probably was at least nominated for a distinction there in 2008…

Now, this film comes with a disclaimer – it contains a lot of realistic violence and is tough to watch. It is not one single story: it is five stories of various characters in various strata of the gang. There is Don Ciro, a middleman who distributes money to families of imprisoned gang members. Toto, a 13 year-old grocer’s boy who winds up in the heart of the Camorra completely by chance. Roberto, a graduate who works in the waste disposal business and realizes that the business has a side that is dirtier than he ever could have imagined. Pasquale, a haute-couture Camorra tailor who has “extra curricular” activities in mind. And finally – the story I was most touched by – Marco and Ciro two teenage wannabe gangsters, continually and spontaneously reenacting scenes from Scarface and really trying to “play with the big boys”. The havoc they cause will have truly tragic consequences…

Now, I adored this film – but I have to warn you of one thing. When I started watching the film, I started with the added advantage of having watched an interview with the director about the film beforehand. I have heard from numerous people who have watched the film without this added bonus that they found it rather “piecemeal” and hard to follow. It is true that it takes a while to figure out that the five stories don’t necessarily connect per se – and even following the stories some of the time is also tough. You might do well to do the teensiest bit of research before you start on it. But I mean, this is no Donnie Darko, you will not need a guidebook. Just try not to watch it after a tiring day at work. And secondly, do not forget that the stories you’re watching are, if not % 100 true (and in some cases they are – Marco and Ciro’s story for instance – if I am not much mistaken) have their roots very firmly planted in reality. In my mind, it deserves every award it gets. Bravo…