So, it turns out there's not a word in English for Guappo. Guappo means some sort of swaggering thug that belongs to the Camorrah or Gammorah or whatever they are called.
These Alfonso Breschia/Mario Merola collaborations are like confused love letters to Naples. They seem to celebrate the down to Earth qualities of the people coupled with their capacity for love and honour, with little references to the food (pizza), discussions about how to make coffee, and the cigarette smuggling that seems to be the main source of income for Neapolitans that don't sell food or coffee. We also get little 'travelogue' scenes of every day life in Naples, with shots of the Castel Nuovo, the Capidemonte and of course, Vesuvius.
The confusing part is that all this love is interlaced with violent criminality and death. Maybe Neapolitans just took that part for granted and just wanted to see their man Merola, who went from poverty to riches in the city, doing a bit of acting for a change. I've got to say that he does seem to carry a bit more emotional weight (and physical weight) that lends him a more realistic edge that say, Luc Merenda.
This one, just like all the other ones, involves Merola as a cigarette smuggling Guappo who insults a rival at a local farmer's market (something I haven't seen before, admittedly). This rival (Luciano Cantacinni) swears to his sidekick (an aging Nello Pazzafini) that he's going to get even and kill Merola. He sets up a meeting to do just that, but Merola's son is knocked down chasing a dog and is taken to hospital. It's scenes like this I think that shows the audience the kindness of the people of Naples are everyone rallies round the help the kid.
Things aren't looking good until Merola finds a statue of the Virgin Mary and swears that if his son recovers, he will quit a life of crime for good, and when his son recovers, he does just that. This loses him a lot of face and allows Cantacinni to step into his shoes, but he doesn't care as he settles down to help his son through life.
Years later, Merola's son has graduated as an accountant, Cantacinni is selling drugs, and his son has just gone a fallen in love with a high maintenance actress who has also drawn the eye of Cantacinni. Trouble is a brewing and the path is heading for violence, and a character sailing off while singing about how much he loves Naples!
Mostly, this film plays out like a drama. Merola takes ritual humiliation from various folks for stepping down but is unwavering in his love for his son (and Naples). His son is just a teenager with his emotions out of control (I guess it's not easy when your chasing after Sonia Viviani!). Even Cantacinni himself shows humanity when he gives Merola's son a chance to walk away before he causes a scene. It's all strangely effective, especially considering it's Mr War Of The Robots behind the camera.
How many of these film did these two make? I'm just about to start watching Napoli Serenda Per Calibro 9, which starts with a musical number about how much Merola loves Naples.
