Scena del crimine

It’s better to hear the sound of the prison gate closing than to hear church bells ringing,’ says a Neapolitan adage.  Better behind bars than dead.  The teens that are locked up on the prison island of Nisida, situated before the coast of Naples, use it as a wry joke to put their hopeless situation into perspective.

Scena del Crimine is a frame narrative in seven ‘scenes’ that begins and ends on the prison island of Nisida.  In between, we see five views of the city that have been determined by the underworld.  We hear the sad story of a grandmother about her murdered grandson.  At the forensic department of the police, detective Baiano tells how his former classmates fell prey to the mafia one by one.  At the military academy, they aspire to counterbalance  the chaos of the city with forced efforts.  We see how petty thief Mauro, confined to his home under house arrest, is going out of his mind with boredom while looking down longingly at the lively streets of Naples.

Scena del Crimine creates an oppressive image of an underworld that is as elusive as it is nearby.