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The Hidden Review: L'immortale - Film Review
The THR has been a guest at the 23rd edition of the Napoli Film Festival 2022, hosted by Mario Violini and Giuseppe Borrone. We watched the screening and the Q&A with Marco D'Amore for the Feature Film "L'immortale" (The Immortal), directed by the same Marco D'Amore, who also portrays the lead character in the movie.
Ciro Di Marzio, whose nickname is “L'immortale”, is a fictional character born and introduced as a lead. Besides, other lead characters such as Genny Savastano, played by Salvatore Esposito in the fortunate Tv series "Gomorra - La Serie" produced by HBO, Cattleya, and many more.
However, the movie follows from the end of the 3rd season about "Gomorra - La Serie" from where left off.
As Mr D'Amore explains, the movie is not a prequel or sequel to the series. Therefore, it is a crossover meaning that the events happen alongside what happens in Gomorra - La Serie.
Therefore, it makes more sense because the 3rd season finished with a sad exit by the same character and actor, but both made their appearance in the movie showing with visual events what happens to Ciro Di Marzio, which as audience, we thought that he died in deep Neapolitan waters by the hand of his best friend at the time Genny Savastano.
The movie opens with the line which says "Quando ero piccolo, e stavo all’orfanotrofio, lo sai che mi dicevano le suore? Il terremoto è volere di Dio, fa bene alla terra. Come quando uno sta male e accumula, accumula. Finchè, o si libera e sfoga o muore."
(When I was little, and I was at the orphanage, do you know what the nuns used to tell me? The earthquake is God's will and it is good for the Earth. It is like when somebody is sick and more and more. Until then, he frees himself and vents or dies).
And we see Ciro falling deeply into the sea, but eventually, he gets rescued secretly and brought into a hospital where he recovers. At the same time, the movie shows some flashbacks since born of a young Ciro while his mother rescues him from an earthquake that collapsed the building where they were living. On that occasion, his nickname becomes “The Immortal” as it was his first survival from that trauma.
However, later on, the story shows the coming of age of this character and his progress and process in becoming what this character is, so we see him raised by different communities. But, these communities are the ones that taught him how to live and survive on the streets by stealing and doing other illegal acts.
And in parallel, we see how the older Ciro survives in his current circumstances leading him to Latvia, where he starts working under Don Aniello Pastore and his Russian collaborators, and eventually, he meets an old friend Bruno again. Some flashbacks show what Bruno has done for him while raising and introducing him to that world until he encounters another young character called Attilio, that recommends him to work for Don Pietro Savastano.
The movie, therefore, shows his process and all events that change him to become who he is in that present brilliantly. Moreover, it shows how a few circles of life started and ended, in particular, the one and most important as the friendship, brotherhood, and rival between Ciro and Genny presented at the end of the movie displaying exactly a deep tension between these two characters.
That emotional fight has characterised the entire storyline of the Tv series "Gomorra-La Serie" and the movie. This latest work showcases brilliantly through locations, inciting incidents, and climaxes the journey of a character who looks for a change within himself and the community he lives in, therefore is the true leader in this story.
Moreover, what happens next in the 4th season is a consequence of what happens after the meeting between Genny and Ciro at that port when Genny finds out that his best friend, old brother, and villain is alive now. So, for both of them, that story will end only when one character perishes, like what happened to Ciro at the end of the 3rd season, but this time will not survive. So, who will survive this fight now?
Overall, Marco D’Amore (director and screenwriter) gives justice by introducing a story that needed to be told and heard. During the series, we only see one face of the metal, but this time it was the right time to showcase the other face of that metal, which is for both characters characterised and immersed by the blood of lost family members and the traumas of a fight and rival which Mr D’Amore developed for a new beginning of the 4th season, brilliantly.
Congrats cast and crew!
Hidden Fire stars 9/10 ⭐️
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