May 1, 2009 -- This Italian movie about the Camorra crime clans of Italy explores different facets of life in areas controlled by organized crime. I had never heard of the Camorra prior to seeing this movie. A little background is useful before viewing it. The Camorra is the oldest criminal organization in Italy. Unlike the Mafia, which adheres to a hierarchy, the Camorra is a loose network of criminal clans with no vertical structure outside the clans.

This film, based on a book by Roberto Saviano, follows several people and shows how their lives are affected by the Camorra. Two teenagers, inspired by the movie “Scarface,” attempt to start their own criminal enterprise. A tailor defies the wishes of the Camorra and teaches his craft to a Chinese-run garment factory, with dire consequences. Two men working for a Camorra-run company dump toxic waste in an old quarry, enlisting the aide of unskilled workers and children to help them in the dangerous task, and exposing them, and the general public, to toxic chemicals in the process. A bag man for the Camorra delivers pension payments to clan members, and is attacked by members of other clans. If you are looking for heroes, you won't find any in this film. There are a couple of characters who aren't as bad as the rest. One is Roberto (Carmine Paternoster) who finally develops a conscience after exposing a lot of people to toxic waste. The other is Pasquale (Salvatore Cantalupo), a man who likes to teach people to sew nice garmets. He doesn't seem to be a bad sort, even though he gets some people killed because of his teaching activities which lead to retribution by the Camorra.

Most of this takes place in a run-down city that looks almost post-Apocalyptic. Reportedly, the Le Vele housing project of Scampia, a suburb of Naples provides the backdrop for much of the action in the movie. At first glance, I thought the movie is set in Mexico, because it is also infested with organized crime problems. I was surprised when I realized that it is set in Italy. This film is an eye-opener. The Camorra is responsible for 4,000 murders in the last 30 years, more than any other criminal organization in Europe (compare that to Mexico, where nearly 5,400 people have been murdered this year alone in drug-related criminal activities). Scampia is the biggest drug-pushing locality in the world, according to the film. Camorra profits are invested in legitimate businesses worldwide, including the World Trade Centers in New York, according to the film. In Italian, with English subtitles. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy or rent this movie in video and/or DVD format, or to buy the soundtrack, posters, books, even used videos, games, electronics and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

Copyright © 2009 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.

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