After I bought this series on DVD and watched the first episodes, I found myself glued to the television, and finished the 4DVD set in two days. Riveting stuff! The Series follows 4 young boys from the town of Corleone. Two of these are celebrities like Toto Riina and Bernando Provenzano, eventual leaders of the Cosa Nostra, and the hero Biagio Schiro – who in the face of Mafiosi turns to the straight and narrow path (something of a rarity in the mafia stronghold of Corleone). Biagio vs Riina drives the story throughout the better part of 50 years and it is a classic case of cat and mouse.
The Main characters and the people connected to them (wifes and children) are well developed. I quite often found myself in the mindsets of both Schiro and Riina, and the actors portraying this pair did a great job. The only character I felt lacked something was Provenzano. He was a very important figure to the corleonesi-cosa nostra but is not as prominent as one would expect. However, acting, directing and dialogue are top notch in general. The hours just fly by! I particularly enjoyed the scenes between Schiro and Boris/Falcone, where there is some much needed comic relief and nice one-liners.
Don't get scared by the Italian, put the subtitles on and enjoy one of the best mafia tales of the 00's!
