The atmosphere of these movies is much more lighthearted as well, with the likes of Goodfellas, Casino, etc. However, in American entertainment, the criminal is depicted more as a 'misunderstood anti-hero,' or someone who's trying to upend a 'corrupt system.' There is more emphasis placed on dirty cops, corrupt politicians, and greedy business owners, rather than the Mafia itself. The viewer gets no impression in their mind that the criminal lifestyle is one to aspire to, in any way shape or form. They showed the death, pain, destruction, and hardship that was caused by these groups without diluting any of it. They showed mafia bosses colluding to kill young kids, convincing a kid to let them kill his own mother, etc. When I watched Gomorrah (and foreign crime films like it), I found it refreshing, because they didn't hold back on showing just how awful the criminal lifestyle was.

A lesser known fact about Gomorrah is that there was also a film that came out before the series (also based off Roberto Saviano's work). One of the biggest things I notice when I watch foreign crime dramas in comparison to American ones, is the depiction of the criminal lifestyle. I'm an avid fan of crime films, and have watched many of the classics (Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino, etc.), and some of the more modern hits as well.

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