Gomorrah Blu-ray Review

The Blu-ray presentation of "Gomorrah" delivers a visually compelling experience at 1080p resolution, utilizing the AVC/MPEG-4 codec and maintaining the film's original 2.35:1 aspect ratio. The transfer, meticulous in its execution, was supervised and approved by director Matteo Garrone and cinematographer Marco Onorato, ensuring a faithful representation of the original artistic vision. The work undertaken to clean up debris, stains, and warps using MTI’s DRS system and Pixel Farm’s PFClean system showcases an almost pristine print with minimal remaining imperfections.

Throughout the narrative's shifting stories, image quality varies, but details remain sharp and well-defined where intended. Skin tones are lifelike, revealing pronounced details like the deep lines in elderly figures' faces. Criterion's transfer excels in capturing contrasting aesthetics—ranging from over-saturated scenes to washed-out hues—while maintaining strong contrast and formidable detail. The grain structure is consistently healthy, contributing to an organic, filmic texture that aligns with the movie's gritty aesthetic.

Although there are occasional challenges, such as aliasing in shots with toxic containers and minor color banding, these imperfections are minor and infrequent. Subtitles could be difficult to read in certain scenes due to white lettering against light backgrounds, but this is a minor flaw given the overall high quality of the visual presentation. Despite these small issues, the Blu-ray edition successfully honors the film’s documentary-like aesthetic, underscoring its raw and realistic atmosphere while maintaining high technical standards typical of a Criterion release.

The audio presentation for the Blu-ray of "Gomorrah" is exclusively available in Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, with optional English subtitles. This deliberate audio choice reflects the film’s intent to remain authentic and immersive, eschewing flashy sound effects for a more realistic auditory experience. The audio remains aligned with the movie's stark visual representation, providing an accurate portrayal of the world of the Camorra without unnecessary embellishments. Notably, moments where music is used are exceptional, creating a wide soundstage that contrasts sharply with the film’s otherwise subdued tonality. These musical interludes utilize the front speakers robustly, merging rich, mellow vocals that complement character development.

Gomorrah's dialogue is also handled with precision. The track's vocals adapt well to changing environments, with different timbres and resonances adding depth to the characters’ speech. The centre channel integrates seamlessly with the frontal array, ensuring speech clarity even amidst background noise. Environmental effects such as subtler echoes are meticulously crafted, contributing to an immersive listening experience. This attention to detail continues with the treatment of gunfire, which avoids Hollywood-style exaggerated sounds in favor of realistic pops and cracks, shaped by camera proximity and environmental context. Although these sounds are more subdued compared to typical action films, they punctuate scenes effectively due to the often silent or desolate surroundings.

The surround channels are employed strategically to set scenes and enhance ambient noise, ensuring a faithful representation of bustling city life without overextending into the action. The mix supports strong dynamic range and surround activity where appropriate, enhancing specific sequences such as those on the beach where weapon sounds reach a high point in clarity and intensity. The Pro Tools HD 24-bit mastering from the original audio master ensures excellent quality throughout. Overall, despite its sparseness at times, the soundtrack achieves its objective with finesse, capturing the essence of its gritty narrative while delivering superb fidelity.

The Blu-ray extras for "Gomorrah" provide a comprehensive and insightful deep dive into the making and context of the film. These features are invaluable for anyone looking to gain a fuller understanding of Matteo Garrone's adaptation of Roberto Saviano's book. The centerpiece, "Gomorrah: Five Short Stories," offers an intimate fly-on-the-wall look at the filming process, revealing the organic methods Garrone employs to elicit authentic performances from his actors. Exclusive interviews with director Matteo Garrone and actor Toni Servillo add depth by discussing the film's genesis and thematic underpinnings. Meanwhile, the interview with Roberto Saviano furnishes crucial background information on the real-life events that inspired the book and film. Deleted scenes and an actors' interview round out the package, offering additional layers to an already complex narrative.

Extras included in this disc:

• Gomorrah: Five Short Stories: Hour-long making-of documentary directed by Melania Cacucci.
• Matteo Garrone: Exclusive interview discussing the film's creation and influences.
• Toni Servillo: Exclusive interview with the actor about his character and working with Garrone.
• Actors: Short interviews with Gianfelice Imparato, Salvatore Cantalupo, and Toni Servillo.
• Roberto Saviano: In-depth interview with the author of "Gomorrah."
• Deleted Scenes: Six deleted scenes focusing on various characters.
• Trailer: High-definition trailer of the film.

Matteo Garrone's "Gomorrah" makes a powerful transition to Blu-ray, maintaining an unflinching eye for realism in depicting the criminal underbelly of Naples. Unlike the stylistic flourishes of Scorsese and De Palma, Garrone's film rejects romanticized portrayals of mob life in favor of raw authenticity. Using a fragmented narrative to weave together five distinct stories, the film offers a snapshot of the Camorra's pervasive influence in Scampia. Each storyline—from the ambitions of teenage misfits Ciro and Marco to the desperate choices of characters like tailor Pasquale—cumulatively illustrates a world where the brutal immediacy of violence and difficult moral choices overshadow any semblance of glamour.

Critically, "Gomorrah" captures the inexplicable code and hierarchy within the Neapolitan mafia, rendering it difficult for outsiders to decipher. This deliberate opacity reflects the real-world complexity Roberto Saviano sought to expose in his source material, even if it occasionally confuses the viewer. Essential to this realism is Garrone's reliance on genuine locales and his collaboration with individuals familiar with Camorra's operations. By avoiding glamorization and focusing on human tragedy within this criminal microcosm, Garrone underscores the pervasive grip of the mafia on everyday life.

The authenticity of "Gomorrah" further benefits from Garrone's meticulous direction and the film's stark visual portrayal of Scampia—its decayed urban architecture acting as a silent witness to the pervasive criminal activities. The film succeeds in its aim by portraying the relentless grind of gang life without glorifying it. Its brutal, documentary-like style serves as a stark contrast to conventional gangster cinema, presenting crime as a bleak, pervasive reality rather than an exhilarating escapade. Through this approach, "Gomorrah" stands out as one of the most realistic and harrowing depictions of organized crime committed to film.

Matteo Garrone’s "Gomorrah" stands out as an exceptional film, illustrating a gripping tale of corruption with a non-linear narrative that evokes comparisons to "Pulp Fiction." The film's structure may initially challenge viewers, but its depth and brilliance quickly become evident. Released in 2009, "Gomorrah" surpasses many contemporaneous Italian films, marking it as essential viewing for cinema enthusiasts.

The Criterion Collection's Blu-ray treatment of "Gomorrah" is exactly what we've come to expect. While the film's cinematography doesn’t render it a showcase for demo material, the image quality is impressively close to reference grade, with effective efforts to clean up the visuals and maintain grain integrity. The minor visual flaws are easily overlooked due to the overall superb picture quality. The audio is similarly outstanding, capturing the essence of urban landscapes and complementing the on-screen tension with immersive clarity.

In conclusion, this Blu-ray release exemplifies Criterion's commitment to quality, balancing high-standard audio and visual fidelity with straightforward yet insightful extras. This makes "Gomorrah" a film brought to home format in an exemplary manner—gripping, essential, and highly recommended for any film aficionado.