Michael Killin

Beautifully shot and acted film of the first part of the Neapolitan Quartet.Superbly depicts life in post war Naples and the lives and hardships of its people. Moves through the period seamlessly and is true to the story. The children in the early episodes are wonderful as are those portraying the later years. Having said that, all of the casting and staging - the scenes, clothing, colouration all invoke a real feeling of the time and even the optimism in the face of poverty and underlying violence. The film and book serve to provide an important view of the social history of a community and its people trying to come to terms with itself after experiencing a turbulent period in its history. In the UK this was not available on TV so I guess I've come to it a bit late. Having now read the sequel, I am firmly hooked and am looking forward to reading the rest of the story and seeing the corresponding films.