The Immortal (2019 film)

The Immortal (Italian: L'immortale) is a 2019 Italian crime film directed by Marco D'Amore. The film is both a prequel and a sequel to the events after the third season of the TV series Gomorrah.[2][3]

The Immortal
Theatrical release poster
ItalianL'immortale
Directed byMarco D'Amore
Produced byMarco Chimenz
Gina Gardini
Giovanni Stabilini
Riccardo Tozzi
Written byMarco D'Amore
Leonardo Fasoli
Maddalena Ravagli
Francesco Ghiaccio
Giulia Forgione
StarringMarco D'Amore
Salvatore D'Onofrio
Giuseppe Aiello
Giovanni Vastarella
Marianna Robustelli
Martina Attanasio
Gennaro Di Colandrea
Nello Mascia
Aleksey Guskov
Salvatore Esposito
Music byMokadelic
CinematographyGuido Michelotti
Edited byPatrizio Marone
Distributed byVision Distribution
Release date
  • 5 December 2019 (2019-12-05)
Running time
116 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageNeapolitan
Italian
Box office€6 million[1]

Plot

Following being near fatally shot by Gennaro Savastano on a boat in the Gulf of Naples, Ciro Di Marzio is rescued and given incognito medical care. He is then employed by crime boss Don Aniello Pastore who has links to the Russian mob in Latvia, run by Yuri Dobeshenko, who are at odds with indigenous Latvian gangs. Ciro moves to Latvia to become Pastore's negotiator with Dobeshenko, after which he is kidnapped by a Latvian gang which demands the Italians sell cocaine to them instead.

Ciro becomes reacquainted with his childhood mentor Bruno who, under the auspices of Pastore, processes imported clothing to resell as 'designer labels', and acts as a go-between with Ciro. Bruno provides accommodation for Ciro with his gang family, which includes Virgilio and his wife Vera.

Ciro ostensibly drives drugs to a meeting with the Latvians. However, the consignment contains Russians who kill most of the Latvians, the drugs being delivered by Bruno to Dobeshenko. Bruno's family questioned the safety of processing large quantities of cocaine, but saw they had no choice, especially after Ciro provided a large Russian payment while stating that Bruno's family would work for him, not Pastore. Virgilio brought news of a worsening situation in Naples, but the continued security of Gennaro Savastano. Ciro, when questioned, explained he asked Gennaro to shoot him.

A year later, while Bruno told Ciro he had decided to return to Naples, a further shipment of drugs is stolen under force by the Latvians, Bruno counselling no resistance during the raid at which four of his men were killed. Dobeshenko said the loss was Ciro's responsibility and that he should retrieve the drugs. To make his point, Dobeshenko shot Virgilio dead, and threatened to shoot all Bruno's family.

Ciro takes Bruno to negotiate with the Latvians, telling them he has switched sides. He returns and counsels caution to Bruno's gang's wives, and asks for Vera's help. Ciro again takes Bruno to meet the Latvians, they driving together in car convoy; the Latvian cars explode. Ciro tells Bruno that he knew it was he who helped set up the Latvian raid. Bruno expresses his resentment of Ciro for everything he became that he didn't. Ciro tells of his bitterness over Bruno causing the death of Stella, Bruno's girlfriend, but refuses to kill him, this being too easy. A Dobeshenko convoy arrived, with Vera as hostage. Vera was released, and Bruno walked into the woods. Dobeshenko says enemies should always be killed; Ciro shoots him, telling Dobeshenko's bodyguards there are now no bosses, with which they acquiesce.

Later, Ciro receives the head of Don Aniello Pastore, and a car arrives with Gennaro Savastano; he and Ciro walk toward each other.

Flashbacks

Throughout the film are flashbacks to Ciro's early life in Naples. Ciro had been rescued as a baby from the 1980 Naples earthquake in which his family had been killed. As a child he was sent to an orphanage, falling under the influence of Bruno, a small time criminal who controlled a street gang of child thieves, and collaborated with Neapolitan gangster and smuggler 'Blackbird'. Bruno, dissatisfied with his rewards from Blackbird, became enthusiastic when given a role in smuggling cigarettes. Because of his precocious talent, and affection for him, Bruno invited Ciro to watch his girlfriend, Stella ('The Angel') sing at a club restaurant. Ciro became infatuated with her.

During a smuggling operation for Blackbird, Bruno's speedboats were chased by police, with Ciro and Bruno in one of the boats. Ciro sacrificed himself and saved the run by jumping into the water, the pursuers stopping to save him. Blackbird expressed his appreciation of Ciro, and his displeasure of Bruno who endangered his smuggling. On a later smuggling run Bruno unloaded contraband for his own use as an answer to Blackbird's slights. Realizing his mistake and a need to apologize he sent Ciro to invite Blackbird to a meeting, at which Blackbird was ambushed. Later, in retaliation for the ambush, Stella was gunned down in front of Ciro.

Returning to Secondigliano, Ciro was met by Attilio , who invited him to meet Don Pietro Savastano.

Cast
  • Marco D'Amore as Ciro Di Marzio
  • Salvatore D'Onofrio as Bruno
  • Giuseppe Aiello as young Ciro Di Marzio
  • Giovanni Vastarella as young Bruno
  • Marianna Robustelli as Vera
  • Martina Attanasio as Stella
  • Gennaro Di Colandrea as Virgil
  • Nello Mascia as Don Aniello Pastore
  • Aleksey Guskov as Yuri Dobeshenko
  • Salvatore Esposito as Gennaro "Genny" Savastano

Production

Development

Throughout the filming of Gomorrah, while working on his character Ciro Di Marzio, Marco D'Amore repeatedly thought about writing a story about the childhood of Ciro. After writing enough material, he thought that there could be a screenplay for a cross-media project between cinema and TV.[4][5]

Filming

Filming started on 5 May 2019.[6] Filming began in Rome on 17 May, continuing in Naples, mainly in the northern area of Naples, reconstructing a Naples set in the 1980s, Riga, Latvia and some locations in France including Paris, Marseille, Vaucluse and Avignon.[5] Filming then ended on 13 July 2019.

Reception

In the opening weekend, The Immortal was the most watched film in Italy, with box office receipts of €2,816,155;[7] the film grossed a total of €6 million.[1]

The film received a positive review from Rosa Maiuccaro of Wired, who stated that "L'immortale is not recycled Gomorrah, but an important new chapter in the saga".[8]

References
  1. L'IMMORTALE
  2. "L'Immortale, un'altra Gomorra" (in Italian). esquire.com. 10 December 2019.
  3. "'The Immortal,' Prequel Film to 'Gomorrah' TV Series, to Roll Out in Italian Theaters". variety.com. December 2, 2019.
  4. "L'Immortale (2019): Intervista Esclusiva a Marco D'Amore - HD" (in Italian).
  5. "L'Immortale - Film (2019)". ComingSoon.it (in Italian).
  6. "Partono le riprese de L'Immortale - Cinema". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 2019-05-04.
  7. BOXOFFICE ITALIA 5 - 8 DICEMBRE 2019
  8. "L'immortale non è "Gomorra riciclata" ma un nuovo importante capitolo della saga". Wired (in Italian). 2019-12-03.
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