After its debut at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, Claudio Giovannesi’s juvenile gangster flick Piranhas went on to win the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay, before playing the worldwide festival circuit; Sydney, New York, Gent. Making its UK premiere at the BFI London Film Festival, Piranhas lives up to high expectations, as Giovannesi delivers a neat and alternative interpretation of the classic Italian mob film.
Set in Naples, Piranhas is named after the gang of children at its heart; like their namesake, these children are fierce and committed in spite of their small stature. These kids dip their toes into crime, running errands for the city’s gang leaders and causing general chaos on the streets. Whilst aware of deep-running rivalries and the instability of local mob politics, it is not until the arrest of a Neapolitan mob leader that the group see an opening to grab control of the city for themselves. Led by Nicola (Francesco Di Napoli), a fifteen-year-old boy seeking to support his working-class family, the young gang launch themselves into the brutal world of gang life.
Still childish and inexperienced, Nicola’s drive to gain power within the city is consistently backed by an awareness of his social responsibilities, making him easy to empathise with and a useful central focus of the film. Envy of the rich is a common theme within Nicola’s everyday periphery: the delighted shock of a friend’s lavishly decorated apartment fuels his desire to succeed even further, underscored by the sharp contrast of the pokey bedroom he shares with his younger brother. Beyond his own social mobility, Nicola’s concerns extend to the rest of his community – once he establishes power within the area, he immediately stops protection payments from local businesses, promising that they need never worry about debts to the mob again.
These light touches and moral considerations make it even more awful when things begin to go wrong for Nicola and his boys, and as they descend further into a life of crime, the difference between their boyish habits and their lives as mobsters becomes increasingly heartbreaking. One moment, Nicola is arguing with his brother over jam tarts, the next, he is breaking into people’s homes and murdering them, trapped in warped ideals of power and justice.
The Verdict
Piranhas doesn’t tread much new ground and clearly owes a debt to the many mob films that have come before. Nonetheless, the film is an enjoyable and heartfelt take on some well-explored themes, with these cliches and traditions filtered through the eyes of a child.
Rating: 7/10
Words by Meg Christopher