Rating: 4/5
Criterion Challenge 2022 | 46/52 | Michael K. Williams’ Closet Picks
2004 We open at a tanning salon in Naples, where Camorra members hang out. Some guys from another clan of the Camorra come in and take out the guys there, triggering the Scampia feud between members of the Camorra and secessionists.
Don Ciro is a clan middleman who distributes money to the families of imprisoned Camorra clan members. Totò is a 13-year-old grocery delivery boy whose life weaves through the clan’s actions. Marco and Circ are young men running a small racket on clan turf and treat gangster life like it’s Scarface. Franco and Roberto work in waste management, helping industries illegally dispose of dangerous materials. Pasquale is a high-end fashion tailor who works for a factory with ties to the Camorra.
We watch how the feud plays out through these five intertwining stories.
The filmmakers based the film on a book of investigative journalism with the same name. It explores how organized crime has permeated Naples since the 18th century. The book exposed the Camorra’s territory and business connections, putting the author, Roberto Saviano, under permanent police escort for safety from Camorra leaders. Similarly, rumor has it that director Matteo Garrone paid protection money to be able to make the film and include actual members of the Camorra in the movie.
In exploring these various facets of Camorra rule, we get a deep sense of how, like many political structures, it only benefits a few at the top. Otherwise, despite its promises, it becomes another system of oppression. One might think joining them will provide more protection, power, and money, but as we see, most along the hierarchy still struggle, needing more to survive than the Camorra can provide. Add to that the war with the secessionists, which most didn’t sign up for, and the day-to-day becomes life or death.
The film aims for gritty realism. The music is diegetic and sparse. The cinematography is clean and documentary-style. The scenes are relatively short, giving us each story in doses. The performances are grounded—even the cartoonishly stupid Marco and Circ are believable because we’ve seen the movies they’ve seen, and we understand their ambition, however misguided.
The character I understood the most was Pasquale, who wanted to be appreciated for his work. So, when an opportunity came to teach Chinese garment workers his skills, he took it, even though the Chinese worked for a competing firm.
I don’t tend to care about gangster stories because I can never find a way to relate. By focusing on the folks it does, this film humanizes the characters and allows me to feel the weight and desperation of their choices.