From frail to feral: Cornered humanity in Matteo Garrone’s films

This article analyses three of Matteo Garrone’s films, L’imbalsamatore ( The Embalmer ) (2002), Gomorra ( Gomorrah ) (2008) and Dogman (2018), exploring how the drab, non-functional, run-down environment in which the protagonists live influences the way they behave, determines their perception of ethical boundaries and choices, and turns even the mildest of them into monsters. All the protagonists of these three films are victims not just of their specific situations, but also of the perceived lawlessness of their environment. ‘Eco-monsters’ contribute to the oppressive, claustrophobic feel of these films, in which characters seem caged and forced to become obsessive and desensitized to the value of human life.