This Is Italy
Do you remember Gomorrah? This controversial book by investigative journalist Roberto Saviano was published in 2006. In it he opened a book about the infamous Neapolitan mafia. Parts of the book were adapted into the 2008 film Gomorrah, directed by Matteo Garrone. Now, six years later, crime is still rampant in the Scampia-Secondigliano district and there is Gomorrah: the series on DVD and Blu-ray.
Different from the movie
The series is not a sequel to the film, nor does it share any storylines with Gomorrah. However, according to the makers, the series is based on the insights from Saviano's book. Again we get a glimpse into the cold practices of the Camorra. The lives, the lies and the human dilemmas behind the bloodshed of the Neapolitan mafia are still there, as is the bleak real-life backdrop of the outskirts of Naples, where you won't find tourists.
Ciro, Pietro and Gennaro
Gomorrah: The series follows the Camorra through the eyes of the young Ciro Di Marzio. In 12 episodes of 55 minutes we follow Ciro, the right-hand man of godfather Pietro Savastano and mentor of his son Gennaro.
The boss's son is far from ready to succeed his father at the head of the organization. And Pietro, according to Ciro, makes unauthorized mistakes. For example, we can see that the boss causes the death of several members of his own clan in a revenge action.
Ciro broods for his chance to hold sway himself. When Pietro ends up in prison, Ciro seizes the opportunity to unleash the power struggle. But of course the Savastano family does not give up easily. The result is another bloody gang war that stretches far beyond the boundaries of the neighborhood. Now all of Naples has to deal with the Camorra.
“The series breaks one of the most important rules of modern television series, which says that you have to have characters that the viewer can identify with or at least have empathy for.” – De Volkskrant
The mafia how she really is
The series shows the mafia what it really is. Miles away from the romance out The Godfather or from the films of Martin Scorsese. The main characters are not heroes. We see the tragedy of a life surrounded by drugs and murder.
Roberto Saviano says he is satisfied with the result. “The characters are fictional, but the problem is real. We want to show the world the problem of the mafia, without the heroic or dramatic elements with which it likes to portray itself. Hopefully countries will join forces to tackle this major problem.'
Saviano previously stated that the mafia is by no means an Italian problem, but that it also operates a lot from the Netherlands, for example.
Director Stefano Sollima previously managed to surprise us with the excellent performance Criminale Romance about the Banda della Magliana, the criminal organization that managed to terrorize Rome in the 70s and 80s. Gomorra: the series exudes the same high production quality.
Gomorrah: The Series, Season 1
Country: Italy
Director: Stefano Sollima
Cast: Salvio Esposito, Walter Lippa, Fortunato Cerlino
Running time: 166 min (12 x 55')
Recommended retail price: €34,99
Photos: Emmanuela Scarpa
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