‘Gomorrah’ paints a dark portrait of the mob

All of the glamour of organized crime is brutally shattered within the first few minutes of the new film “Gomorrah,” as several gangsters are gunned down while pampering themselves in a tanning salon. The violence that erupts within the film’s first scene loudly proclaims that this particular gangster movie is nothing like “Goodfellas.”

Whereas American cinema since the 1930s has often portrayed gangsters as having elaborate and intriguing lifestyles, the real-life crime syndicate known as the Camorra is depicted onscreen by Italian director Matteo Garrone as coarse and ultimately bleak.

Director Martin Scorsese has helped develop a distinct fashion in which the mafia is portrayed on film, romanticizing a lifestyle that offers unlimited lavishness as well as a solidified notion of respect that all “wiseguys” strictly abide by.

While Scorsese’s film is based on true events, the lifestyle presented is more of a fantasy. The protagonist of “Goodfellas,” actual one-time gangster-turned-FBI informant Henry Hill, is completely attracted to the sophistication of life in the mafia and the entire film revolves around the desire to be a part of it.

This fantasy lifestyle becomes the main attraction in “Goodfellas,” and while the film is to some degree realistic, “Gomorrah” emphasizes the fact that life in the mafia is not always as fantastic as many perceive it to be.

As well as a play on words of the actual crime syndicate’s name (Camorra), the film’s title is also derived from the name of the biblical city of Gomorrah, which was said to have been destroyed by God in response to the wickedness of those who resided there. The title is fitting because, while takes center stage in Scorsese’s film, ruthlessness is the overwhelming theme in “Gomorrah.”

Set in the city of Naples, Italy, five different perspectives on the Camorra unravel together and produce outcomes that are both positive and tragic. The narratives range from young kids to middlemen, all the way up to the top of the ranks.

By separating the narrative, instead of having one concrete storyline, the film completely filters the already established idea of organized crime and reveals all elements, no matter how minimal or trivial some of them might initially seem to be. The truth is that there is no difference between an established boss and a small boy who grimly witnesses his first murder.

All areas of the Camorra are plagued by viciousness without the slightest hint of glamour.

The people who are killed at the hands of the mafia are mostly insignificant; women and even children are killed for trivial reasons that oftentimes remain ambiguous, never really adding to the bigger picture of what the Camorra actually desires.

The actual crimes committed are not lavish, either. One mob boss makes a considerable amount of money by dumping toxic waste. The criminals themselves encompass all forms of human waste, both figuratively and literally.

So where is the decadence?

There are no nice suits, fancy cars, popular nightclubs and most important there is no mutual respect. The honor and loyalty found in films like “The Godfather” has been eradicated by greed and a lust for power.

The gangsters here are all almost always overweight, filthy and unattractive. They live in small apartments that are just as dirty as they are and spend time worrying about who might want to kill them next.

“Gomorrah” presents the mafia as more dangerous because the common attitude is pure apathy. The gangsters do not care how horrible they have become as long as business is taken care of.

These are not the gangsters of Hollywood. There is not a single attractive aspect about life in the Camorra, and without taking any credit away from a filmmaker like Scorsese, who is in fact credited as the film’s presenter, the true gruesome nature of the mob is revealed.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the film is that one character, a cocky wannabe member of the Camorra, has a fascination with the film “Scarface.” He often proclaims himself to be Tony Montana, as well as wearing similar clothing and even quoting many of the fictional character’s lines.

He deliberately wants a life of violence because popular culture has presented him with an elaborate image of this lifestyle. He, like American cinema, is fascinated by the gangster fantasy, while at the same time is completely unaware of its often fatal repercussions. “Gomorrah” abundantly distinguishes the glamour from the overwhelming brutality of life in the mafia.

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