Gomorrah: Season One Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.0
Overall		4.5

Gomorrah: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 29, 2021

"Gomorrah: Season One" (2014-2016) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The only bonus features on the release are original trailers for the other seasons in the series. In Italian or English, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

On the cover of this recent release there is a short quote declaring that Gomorrah is “Italy’s answer to Breaking Bad”. I am sorry, but it isn’t true. Gomorrah wasn’t conceived to compete with or answer to anyone, and for what it’s worth Breaking Bad isn’t even in the same neighborhood with it. Gomorrah is a unique Neapolitan gut punch that takes your breath away and leaves you terrified, speechless and shaking because it instantly makes it crystal-clear that what is captured in it is one hundred percent real.

All of the drama in this remarkable TV series is fueled by an original idea that came from Roberto Saviano, whose best-selling novel of the same name inspired Matteo Garrone to direct his Oscar-nominated 2008 film. Predictably, the series visits Secondigliano, the dangerous urban jungle in Naples the Camorra clans have called home for decades. Unlike Garrone’s film, however, the series goes much farther and reaches its bottom.

The drama is seen primarily through the eyes of Ciro Di Marzio (Marco D’Amore), a top enforcer in the Sevastano clan. He is in his late twenties, possibly early thirties, and secretly dreams of replacing the current leader of the clan, the brutal Don Pietro Savastano (Fortunato Cerlino), who controls the bulk of the drug business in the area. Ciro’s strategy to get to the top of the Sevastano’s clan is built around a crucial friendship with Don Pietro’s son, Genny (Salvatore Esposito), who is in his early twenties and does not seem to have the charisma and strength to be a leader. He realizes it too, which is why he spends most of his time just partying with various local troublemakers.

When a turf conflict evolves into a bloody war and Don Pietro makes a silly mistake that sends him to prison, Ciro concludes that the time to begin climbing up the ladder has come. Standing in his way is Don Pietro’s wife, Immacolata (Maria Pia Calzone), who dislikes Ciro and senses that he is pursuing a lofty goal. Because she can’t tell precisely how, Ciro is removed from the Sevastano clan’s executive meetings and ordered to begin overseeing a new drug dealing spot. Ciro’s standing in the clan is then further weakened by Genny is dispatched on a business trip to South America, where he is expected to negotiate a massive deal that will effectively force all drug dealers in Naples to do business with the Sevastano clan. But with Don Pietro in prison and unable to control the complex business relationships and politics of the Savastano clan, slowly but surely a lot begins to change, creating opportunities for other ambitious criminals like Ciro. One of them is Don Pietro’s biggest rival, Salvatore Conte (Marco Palvetti), who has managed to rebuild his organization in Spain after being forced out of Naples.

Season One has twelve episodes, each approximately an hour long, that premiered between 2014 and 2016. Seven were directed by Stefano Solima, three by Claudio Cupellini, and two by Francesca Comencini.

While there is an obvious thread that connects each episode, the drama that flourishes is so far-reaching that it effectively overshadows the evolution of the individual relationships that are being followed. This is essentially the main reason why the series is so disturbing -- it offers an in-depth look at the cancer that has metastasized in Naples and is destroying its people. The violence that seems to be at the center of the series is just a byproduct of the total collapse of the local community’s social fabric, which has made it possible for the cancer to grow.

The characterizations are outstanding. Everything from the body language and mannerisms to the Neapolitan lingo is pitch-perfect, so once the drama begins to unfold it looks and feels like the camera has secretly penetrated Secondigliano and miraculously left to roam freely amongst some of the area’s real crime elements. The older actors that play Don Pietro’s associates, in particular, could not have been any more convincing.

The direction is confident and sleek, but in no way flashy and leaving the impression that it seeks to produce memorable visuals. It is why the entire Season One has a distinct organic flow.

An indescribably dark electronic soundtrack from ambient rockers Mokadelic routinely transforms parts of Season One into bone-chilling hypnagogic hallucinations.

Gomorrah: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Gomorrah: Season One arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

On my system all of the episodes from Season One looked terrific. Delineation, clarity, sharpness, and depth were exceptional during daylight and nighttime footage. However, in a few episodes, during daylight footage, I spotted aliasing sneaking in. I did not find it distracting at all, but my TV screen is quite big, so it was very easy for me to recognize its presence. On the other hand, I tested a few of these episodes on my projector and it was awfully difficult to identify the same issues. (Screencaprture #24 is from one such area where I spotted aliasing). Color balance was outstanding, but this should not be surprising given the fact that Gomorrah is such a recent production. Image stability is great. All in all, I think that Season One looks great on Blu-ray, so I cannot to begin exploring Season Two. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Gomorrah: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: Italian DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for each episode.

The electronic soundtrack from ambient rockers Mokadelic transforms Gomorrah into a serious trip. I instantly fell in love with it and had the volume of my system turned up quite a bit. I wish to warn you that this is probably not a very good idea if you don't have friendly neighbors because there is some very intense action footage as well. A lot of the dynamic contrasts that emerge are outstanding, perhaps even of reference quality, so keep this in mind when you begin viewing Season One.

Gomorrah: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailers - each disc has original trailers for Gomorrah Season Two, Season Three, and Season Four.

Gomorrah: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The hype that has surrounded Gomorrah during the last couple of years is entirely justified because the series gets absolutely everything right. Honestly, folks, Season One routinely sent chills down my spine because it felt like I was visiting Secondigliano and spending time with some of its most ruthless residents. Incredible production. Kino Lorber's presentation of Season One is very good, but I would have loved to see some elaborate bonus features revealing how this project was put together and shot on location in some of the darkest corners of Naples. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.