What is Naples? Abel Ferrara's ancestors lived in Naples. Later, he will make several films in Italy and turn to the theme of his small homeland.
He will decide to make a fresco in the style of the great neorealists, Rossellini and Pasolini. To do this, Ferrara will “hook” the most unassuming street views showing Naples from a fast-moving car. And it will be very far from that sunny, glossy "tourist" image of Naples.
And that's just the beginning. The film focuses on dialogues with women serving time in a Naples prison. They reflect on life... answer the question: is the mafia good or bad?
It turns out very unusual even for documentary, not to mention classic Italian cinema. Ferrara is set by Wittgenstein’s discourse, cutting his tape theme: “What is reality in Naples?”
And Ferrara finds her own answer. His Naples isn't too beautiful. It has little sun and a lot of confusion. Accepting this reality is not easy, nor is it easy to argue about its authenticity. Abel once said, “Once you find the right reality, you need to find that layer between real actors and real people who can express themselves in front of the camera.” This is the direction I am exploring.
So, in terms of personal growth, this tape for Ferrara I consider an absolute breakthrough. The very fact of having such a description of Naples in his filmography is a great success of this man. The other thing is that watching this movie as a spectator was not easy for me.
Obviously, the picture could be significantly strengthened, made more interesting and dynamic. And, most likely, the film of Ferrara will serve as a starting point for several Italian art tapes, developing the “formulated” reality of Italian streets.
4 out of 10