SUBURRA

Italy, 2015, 130 minutes, Colour.
Pierfrancisco Savino, Greta, Jean- Hughes Anglade. Alessandro Borghi, Elio Germano, Claudio Amendola Scarano.
Directed by Stefano Sollimo.


Suburra is a much grimmer picture, gangsters in Rome who want to make Ostia something of an Italian Las Vegas. It is set in 2011, November, and actually opens with the Pope (reminiscent of Benedict XVI from the back) kneeling in prayer, confiding in a young priest who has contacts with a cardinal and informs him that the Pope wants to step down (as Benedict did fifteen months later). The Vatican connection in this film is the Vatican banks and the various links to politicians and developers for the Ostia project.

The world of Italian criminals tends to be merciless although there are portraits of families and the effect of crime and murder on them.

1. The popularity of Italian gangster films? The tradition of the classics? The popularity? This film in that tradition – the with echoes of La Dolce Vita and of Poulos Sorrentino’s The Great Beauty?

2. The title, the suburb of Rome? The city of Rome, Ostia and the Port, the coast Western Mark the site for development? The scenes in the Vatican? The musical score?

3. The plot, the plan development in Ostia, making it a new Las Vegas? The political implications, the parliament and zoning? The developers and the owners? The role of the gangsters and their connections, ownership, Finance? Reliance on Vatican finance?

4. The opening the Vatican, the Pope praying, 2011, Benedict the 16th, his assistant, the consultation, the preparation of the meal? Confiding in his assistant? The plan for the Popes resignation? The actual resignation happening in early 2013? The role of clerics, information and gossip, the Cardinals, the Vatican bank, the connections?

5. The political background, Mal Grady, seen in parliament, his skills, admiration, his reputation, phoning his wife, yet going to the hotel, the two young prostitutes and his behaviour, the death of the young girl, the decision to cover it up? Sabrina at her getting rid of the body, the gypsy contact, putting the body in a lake?

6. The local gangsters, Samurai, his background, right wing, politics, financial connections? His cover, the service station, his wealth? Vatican connections?

7. The gypsies, the Anacleti family, disposal of the body, interest in the scheme, stand over tactics, collecting payments?

8. Sebastiano, the pimp, arranging parties, with his father, his father killing himself? The threats from the Gypsies? The arrangements for paying debts? Organising parties for celebrities
and politicians?

9. Dagger? Blackmailing the politician? His nickname of Number eight, his violence? Deaths, family revenge?

10. Number eight, his father, criminals, political connections, the local sellers, stand over tactics, his relationship with Viola, drugs?

11. The politician, Sebastiano, the gypsy family? Violence? The connections with Samurai? Peace and deals?

12. Betrayals, the abduction of the politician’s son?

13. The buildup to betrayals, shootouts, motivations? The seeming calm, political immunity, the Vatican giving the money, the gangsters and other owners of their profits?

14. The tangles, the possibility of prosecution, the central characters and their deaths – and Viola and her getting her revenge?