Not since The Shield ended have I followed a TV show with so much devotion. Romanzo Criminale, an Italian crime series aired between 2008 and 2010, in two seasons, is one of the best reasons to watch television in recent years. It's adapted from a novel which in turn is based on the real life events surrounding the Banda della Magliana, a criminal gang that operated in Rome between the 1970s and 1990s. In the late seventies, the entrepreneurial and ambitious Lebanese, the leader of a four-man gang in Rome's Magliana area, makes an alliance with another four-man gang, led by Freddo, to kidnap a wealthy Baron and demand a ransom. They invest the money on drugs and start controlling the supply in all of Rome, muscling out small pushers and dealers and powerful, Mafia-backed crime bosses. The visionary Lebanese turns the eight members into the leaders of Rome's underworld, with him as the self-declared King.
And once they run out of enemies, they start killing each other. The series is mainly about two things: first of all, the themes associated with these kinds of stories: loyalty, honor, betrayal, greed, arrogance, power. The hard work Lebanese puts into creating a united gang is constantly undermined by the members' individualism supplanting their communal activities. All men are corrupt and no one wants to be controlled: everyone has a side racket, everyone is making deals with someone else, everyone is stealing a bit of the profits; it's not even for them – it's because they have wives and kids on the way, or mothers to take care of; or they just want to buy expensive houses, cars and clothes, or they have a prostitute to keep. Conciliating the personal with the professional is one of the main themes of the show. The members recognize that being united has brought them great advantages, but there's always the propensity for corruption threatening to destroy Lebanese's dreams. But it's not just corruption: in Freddo's case, for instance, love makes him question his place in the group. Like Lebanese, Freddo's one of the great characters whose personality dominates the series. When either isn't present, you feel the lack; and when they're on screen, the show crackles with energy.
The other thing the series is about, is giving a vast vista of Italy during the Years of Lead, a period ranging from the late '60s to the early '80s, when Italy was in socio-political turmoil: left- and right-wing groups killed hundreds of innocents in explosions, and the government, the secret services, and the organized crime were all working together for mutual gain. Several historical facts are alluded to throughout the series, namely the assassination of Prime Minister Aldo Moro in 1978, the death of Roberto Calvi, known as God's Banker, in 1982, the 1980 Bologna train station massacre, and more. The characters, like their real-life counterparts, were involved with neo-fascist groups and the secret services, in a complex web of favours, blackmailing, and mutual interests. The series is political and dense. In this regard, I'd compare it to the French mini-series Carlos. The series was made for Italians, though, so don't expect information to be spoon-fed. These events are so recent in Italy's history, like the P2 scandal, that the creators presumed viewers would still be familiar with them. Non-Italian viewers are advised to do a bit of research: it's actually quite informative and interesting. However, it's not so overwhelming viewers will feel lost. At least I didn't.
But if you can put up with these bits of Italian history, you'll be rewarded with a fascinating, well-written story about the rise and fall of the gang members. The first season deals with Lebanese's transformation into a powerful boss, but also chronicles his inability to maintain power due to what in tragedy we're taught to call 'character flaws:' arrogance, paranoia, micro-management. Season two allows Freddo and Dandi, Lebaneses's best friend, to grow as characters as one struggles to keep the group united and the other forges new alliances that will make his old friends irrelevant in his thirst for power. But although those three are the best delineated characters in the series, everyone gets a chance to shine. One of the things I appreciated here was how the characters were dynamic instead of being stuck in their own circumstances. There's for instance a character called Ricotta in season 1 who seems like a mere Mafia henchman, but throughout the series he slowly becomes a part of the gang and turns into a pivotal figure in the final episodes. The same can be said for Bufalo, who at first was just another member, but whose quest for revenge in season 2 becomes one of the most spectacular subplots of the show. Everyone is granted his moment of humanity and after 22 episodes, it's hard not to sympathize with all of them, even if some are despicable people.
On the other side of the law there's Scialoja, a policeman investigating the gang for years, trying to disrupt their activities. Like Lebanese, Freddo and Dandi, he's one of the most interesting characters of the series. Idealistic, reviled by peers for alleged communist sympathies, he's the classic do-gooder, except in a highly-corrupt society his power of maneuver is greatly debilitated. Fans of The Wire who loved the final season's downbeat ending will love this pessimistic look at the law and the portrayal of a society where justice is broken and the actions of good men are pointless.
Like The Shield, Romanzo Criminale is a work of long-term plotting. Its 22 episodes have to be seen in order, each episode continues from the previous one. And if possible, it has to be re-watched: some scenes are heartbreaking in retrospect, like the football game in episode 2. Now that foreign shows are finally becoming popular – The Killing, Spiral, Wallander – it's a good time to discover Romanzo Criminale, one of the best shows on TV in recent years.
