Moksha World

I promise I’ll find a fun series for my next post! I do not approve of crime, however I have realized from doing these posts that I watch a lot of crime drama. This is one of the most brutal and disturbing series, yet one of the best, that I’ve ever seen. It deserves a mention on this blog as a standout series in this genre.

The series was adapted for television from a book by Roberto Saviano. It focuses on a mafia family in Naples, headed by Pietro Savastano. There are the usual power plays and violent acts committed against other families, as expected. The scenery and the music successfully expresses the feeling of hopelessness. Most crime or mafia series paint a picture of power and money. This series is very different.

The producers have done a superb job of highlighting the characters that are “collateral damage”. They serve a purpose only for the ambitions of the mafiosos. One teenage boy goes from being the mafioso’s mechanic to helping out with odd jobs. His life is shared with us over a few episodes. We meet his family and his girlfriend, and we start to like him. When he is asked to do a job, he doesn’t question it. Soon he finds out that he murdered a very important mafioso from another family. What he thought to be a great opportunity to prove himself to his boss was literally a dead end. This cycle is repeated with many characters throughout the series.

The producers have portrayed a harsh reality. We all want to believe we can improve our lives – earn more money or have a nicer house. What chance does a person have against the ambitions and power of the mafia? Even a good job as a city official is at the mercy of the mafia (yes, government corruption plays its part here). There are, of course, people who choose honest professions and manage to survive. But how appealing is it to belong to that power structure and believe you have a chance to break the cycle? The author of the book said in an article in 2020, “We forget what Gomorrah really is: Gomorrah is not a mere synonym with Camorra (Italian mafia), Gomorrah is an economic system wherein everything is missing, where there are no investments, no opportunities, no education, no jobs, no resources, no businesses.” It reminds me of a terrific Indian movie, Chandni Bar, in which a mother tries to ensure that her daughter does not become a bar dancer like her. It is not an uplifting movie, but it conveyed the hope and ultimate disappointment this mother faced. Yes, we all have choices, but some of us have more than others. 

If you’ve studied Italian and think this will be good practice, don’t even try. You need the subtitles. The dialogue is in Neapolitan dialect, and was subtitled in Italian for the rest of Italy. There are several references to characters that believe they have “made it” because they can speak “proper” Italian.

The series finale is currently shooting in Italy. Hopefully it will make it to HBO Max soon. It took me a few episodes to really get into the story, but I then I was hooked. I dread how many more characters I will have to mourn in the next two seasons. However, the series is so good that’s it worth the emotional pain.

Another good series from this production company is Suburra,which focused on crime families in Rome (available on Netflix). I liked that series a lot but I feel Gomorrah is a refreshingly realistic and thoughtful portrayal. If you have a penchant for mafia stories, please check this one out and let me know what you think.