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Gomorrah
(2009)
Gomorra
"Almost too real to not be called a documentary." This has been a criticism of sorts levelled at this adaptation of Roberto Saviano's novel about the alternative Mafioso of present day Naples, Italy. What we have laid out in all its seedy, grisly reality is a collection of short stories about the lives of some of the people affected by the actions of the Gomorra themselves. All taking place in and around Scampia in Naples, the central hub for the business dealings for the organisation.
Using a large cast of mostly unknown and unaccredited actors, director Matteo Garrone paints a pretty vulgar picture for us to be suitably horrified by. In a year when the likes of Slumdog Millionaire makes for a surprising hit, Gomorrah also is reaching the kind of audiences that Garrone himself may have been surprised by.
This is no Godfather movie. There is little glamour or sense of accomplishment at any level of the Gomorra that we are afforded a view of. From the young, naive but eager young children, looking to make a living any way they can to the bosses, who you might expect to be living a high life, instead of skulking in the darkened recesses of dilapidated outhouses and the living rooms of miscreants and disillusioned single mothers. In no way are the Gomorra made to look like anything other than a rag tag band of modern day pirates and guiltless bullies with guns. Despite the fact that the organisation make millions of Euros a week in income. It never appears to be enough to drag those involved to a level where a real difference to their community could really be made. Either that or the need to make this kind of change is not really an issue for those involved, a message that was hinted at and not lost on this viewer, at least.
The film is naked in its brutality and does not avoid the difficult subjects when it inevitably comes to them. There are many scenes in the film that are original, even if the story and premise is not, and these make the innocent viewer sit up and take notice about what is taking place in front of their eyes, suggesting a lesson is being learned, and as such, the director's job is therefore done.
It portrays a life in the Gomorra as harsh, unrelenting, regrettable and ultimately fruitless. Every story is both intriguing and handled with suitable respect, though in every vignette, there is the same result of being doomed to failure and suffering with only the level of personal hardship changing from each character we meet.
It may be no surprise, but there is no message of hope here. There is no chance for the viewer to take any kind of positivity from the film, as there is none to speak of. We are left with an uncomfortable feeling that this even goes on at all, but maybe selfishly grateful that we are not embroiled in it ourselves.
Directed excellently by Garrone with some haunting cinematography which after 24 hours still sit in the back of your mind, aided by a screenplay adapted from Saviano's own novel, which caused him to flee abroad, on receiving death-threats from the Gomorra themselves, as a punishment not for bringing them to the attention of the world, but instead for telling the world about how it made its money. This is not a comfortable visit to the movies in any sense, but nonetheless compelling, darkly beautiful and undeniably honourable to its subject matter.
-Steve Leadbetter
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2004-2009 Thoughtsonfilm.com |
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Director:
Matteo Garrone
Writer: Maurizio Braucci, Ugo Chiti, Gianni Di Gregorio, Matteo Garrone, Massimo Gaudioso, Roberto Saviano
Starring: Salvatore Cantalupo, Gianfelice Imparato, Maria Nazionale, Toni Servillo, Gigio Morra, Salvatore Abruzzese, Simone Sacchettino, Ciro Petrone
Distributor: IFC Films
Runtime: 137
min
Rating: R
Release Date: February 13, 2009
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