Name: Retro Film Review: Gotti (1996)
Item: Gotti
Rating: 50
Author: @drax

(source: tmdb.org)

Coppola's Godfather films were often accused of glamorising Mafia and thus giving distorted portrayal of that social institution. In reality there was hardly anything particularly glamorous about Mafia, except in the case of one Mafia figure that, willingly or unwillingly, played the part created by Hollywood. His rise and fall is subject of Gotti, 1996 cable television film directed by Mark Harmon.

In this film Armand Assante plays John Gotti, low-level "enforcer" in Gambino family of New York Mafia. His mentor, old Mafia chieftain Neil Dellacroce (played by Anthony Quinn) sees talent and decides to protect him even when Gotti breaks few of Mafia's rules. When Carlo Gambino (played by Marc Lawrence), powerful head of the family, dies, new generation of Mafiosi is supposed to take over. The baton passes to Paul Castellano (played by Richard C. Sarafian) who doesn't like Gotti. Few years later struggle between Castellano and Gotti is resolved in spectacular and bloody fashion. Gotti becomes big Mafia boss, but that is not the end of his problems - his high profile position brings unwanted attention from FBI and media, but the real danger comes from his close associates.

Almost every documentary dealing with history of Mafia in last decades of 20th Century simply had to mention John Gotti and events that led to his downfall, so the plot would be familiar to large segments of the audience. Scriptwriter Steve Shagan and director Mark Harmon, therefore, had to rely on casting to make the film interesting. Armand Assante, who plays Gotti, is very effective in his role - he avoids usual Mafia stereotypes; his Mafia boss is neither refined "businessman" nor bloodthirsty thug. This middle-of the-road approach towards Mafia nevertheless gives grim and depressive picture of Mafia lifestyle; things like "loyalty" and "honour" mean nothing, friends turn into enemies and the only certainties are either violent death or life in prison. On the other hand, Assante's performance can't compensate for the lack of adequate content - generational conflict between old and young Mafiosi is never properly explained, and Assante fails to show why Gotti, unlike his wiser Mafia colleagues, enjoyed being in media spotlight. That flaws, however, aren't the reason why this "Emmy"-awarded piece of television shouldn't be recommended.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on November 6th 2003)