Gomorrah

In Matteo Garonne's film Gomorrah, there is a strong struggle amongst the men, not only socially, but I believe internally as well. There is a struggle amongst themselves over the question "what is masculinity and how can they fulfill that status of a true man". Even though this struggle amongst themselves is not clearly stated, it can be seen through their interactions with one another. It's as though they are constantly trying to "prove" themselves to one another and one up each other. Everything is a competition and a challenge. At the beginning of the movie, when one of the gangs initiates one of the young boys, they tell him that "now he is a real man...".  This initiation process involves putting a shield on the boys and shooting them in the chest, which bruises the younger boys up. Also, in the film, the two young teens get so caught up in trying to prove something to the men around them, that it leads to both of their deaths at the end of the movie. The movie ends not really answering all of the men's questions about what makes a true man, but it just feeds into the vicious cycle of violence that boosts their egos.