L’IMMORTALE/ THE IMMORTAL

Italy, 2019, 116 minutes, Colour.

Marco D' Amore, Giuseppe Aiello, Salvatore D'Onofrio, Martina Attanasio, Gennaro Di Colandrea.

Directed by Marco D’ Amore.

The Immortal is a movie spin-off from a very successful television series, Gomorrah, which the star, Marco D’ Amorer starred in and directed. He has directed this film, and created an enigmatic character for himself.

The initial setting is Naples, the waterfront, the gangs of past decades, frauds and knockoffs. The film offers a portrait of the young boy, Ciru, orphan, bonding with other boys, but finding a father-figure in Bruno, one of the leaders in the Neapolitan neighbourhood. The boy is also devoted to a young woman, Bruno’s girlfriend, a singer in clubs. However, there are betrayals and the death of the singer.

The film opens enigmatically with a long staring shot of two brothers, Ciru then finding himself drowning in the water, a woman and son in a building which collapses, the baby surviving. The adult Ciru survives, is given a commission in Latvia to look after cocaine imports and distribution, linked with the Russian drug dealers in the aftermath of the Soviet Union, but challenged by local drug dealers who resent the Russian dominance. Ciru plays one-off against the other.

Bruno, 30 years later, is now his loyal subordinate, urging the local Italians who produce knockoffs to become involved in cocaine dealing. However, Bruno is jealous of Ciru after all the decades, betraying him, leading to a shootout.

The film was well received by Italians who also admired the television series.

1. Tradition of Italian gangster films? Neapolitan settings? And television miniseries? This film is a spin-off form the television series, Gomorrah?
2. The Italian settings, homes, waterfront, smuggling and fraud? The Latvian settings, the Italian community, the local drug dealers, the Russian dealers, conflicts? Importing drugs, dividing, selling on? The waterfront sequences? The musical score?
3. In the initial focus on Chiru and his brother, the stair, Chiru in the water, his memories, his story? His history of survival? His nickname of The Immortal?
4. Chiru, the Don, survival, being sent to Latvia, in charge of operations, the contact with Bruno, Bruno and his loyalty, the other members of the crew, Virgilio and his wife, their work in fabricating knockoffs? The invitation to participate in drug deals? The money? Decisions?
5. Chiru, in Latvia, his luggage and furniture, the extra drugs? The meeting with the Russians? His being taken by the Latvian dealers, the confrontation? His opting for the Russians, the double deal, the meetings and the massacre? The Russian chief and his support? The passing of time, Chiru and his life, loner, Virgilio’s wife and her interest, initial suspicions? Chiru and his devotion to his work? Betrayals, setting up the Latvians, the shootings? Final confrontations? And the finale with his brother?
6. Bruno, mentor to Chiru the past, their work together, reliance, stories, Chiru the orphan, finding a father-figure, Stella and her singing at the club, his devotion to her? Betrayals, her being shot?
7. Bruno older, 30 years in Latvia, loyalty to Chiru, the work, the team, the decision about the drugs? His betrayal? His jealousy of Chiru? The final confrontation? The Russians, the shooting of Virgilio?
8. The success of the film as a gangster story, dealers, Italians, European story? Portrait of a loner gangster? Complications of loyalty and betrayal?