Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini) is one of the toughest men in New Jersey where he operates within the walls of the state’s mob scene. When health issues land him in therapy with Dr. Jennifer Melfi (Lorraine Bracco), his outlook on the world begins to change. With the involvement of his wife, Carmela (Edie Falco), mother, Livia (Nancy Merchand), his two children, and a plethora of confidants--including his uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) and nephew Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli)--life in the underground can get a bit hairy. The Sopranos is the story of Tony finding himself in a troublesome world and ensuring that his loved ones remain safe.
Over the course of the past twenty-plus years The Sopranos has been regarded as one of the best television shows of all time. Fans have boasted about the wonderful acting, relatable content, and sophisticated storytelling by the writers and the show’s creator, David Chase. There is some truth to the wonderful things that have been spoken about the show, and the majority of the show's success comes from the ability of the writers to develop unique but emotionally relevant scenarios in which viewers may become attached.
The Sopranos relies heavily on dialogue, and a show of this nature demands that the dialogue be relevant and relatable. Tony is the guide through this twisted tale, and his character development is what ultimately becomes the most important aspect of the series through the first season. We see much of his character development through the aforementioned dialogue, and much of who and what Tony is comes into question throughout. Ambiguity is the best possible way in which to sum up Tony Soprano, as the entirety of the first season sees him change drastically from one moment to the next, forcing viewers to question that development. Viewers see spurts of wisdom, naivety, rage, understanding, etc.--that list seemingly never ends--making him one of the more dynamic characters in the history of cinema and television. He’s both the bad guy that you love and the good guy you hate, and his entire existence lives in a gray area. While I appreciate the fact that Tony is so dynamic, I found instances of his character somewhat frustrating, as it is sometimes difficult to understand him.
The meaning behind each of the alterations to Tony throughout the season seems calculated and deliberate, but I couldn’t help but to ask myself whether or not the writers struggled to come up with a definitive direction in which to take the character. I’m not sure that this is a mark of poor writing, or rather a sign of the infantile stage in which the show existed at this point. The back and forth and the inability to give viewers answers regarding Tony caused me to struggle with my own feelings toward The Sopranos and even begged me to imagine that it was a ploy to keep viewers around. Interestingly enough that potential ploy works--and that alone is a testament to the minds behind this highly-regarded series. My views on Tony’s development are just as ambiguous as the development itself, and at this juncture in the series I’m not sure what to expect.
In a show that focuses so heavily on emotion, mob activity, and backstabbing the cinematography plays a massive role in whether or not viewers accept what they see on screen. Much like the juxtaposition that exists within Tony, viewers see a juxtaposition in the way in which this first season is filmed. A combination of light and dark as well as first-person and third-person, plus a series of unique shots create a narrative that places viewers directly in the middle of the story but keeps them far enough removed as to keep them in the know only when necessary. Transparency is not what The Sopranos is all about, and viewers play a role in attempting to solve the mysteries that exist through the series’ first leg. While I was fully immersed in the events occurring throughout this season, there was an appropriate separation from the many characters and their stories that kept me intrigued. This fact rattles the emotions of everyone watching, pulling them in close to the characters, but providing them the ability to know not to get attached.
The Sopranos, while primarily focusing on Tony, possesses an ensemble cast. There are so many characters to keep track of and there are moments when the many Italian names become overwhelming to remember. Regardless, however, of the difficulty of the numerous names, the fact of the matter is that with every additional character added to the cast the less likely it becomes that every single actor delivers effectively. The Sopranos sees each and every person, down to the tertiary characters such as Artie Bucco (John Ventimiglia) and Adriana La Cerva (Drea de Matteo), come to life with great vigor as a result of the actors portraying them. The cast is beautifully talented, and the show shines brightly as a result.
I’ll be honest, I fully anticipated that viewers would be left on a cliffhanger at the end of the season, but things seem to be neatly wrapped up at the conclusion of season one. With that comes the many questions about where the show goes from here, and viewers are now fully on board with whatever happens next. Questions still loom regarding Tony’s stability, his family ties, and the many other characters that circle him throughout the series’ introductory season. I’ve become invested in a show that I believed I would struggle to appreciate and that comes greatly as a result of the writing--through both the storytelling ability of the men and women behind the scenes and the development of Tony. So much has gone into this first season and it promises bigger things to come in the future--I don’t imagine a drop in the productivity of the show in future seasons, but even with the flaws that exist, the bar is set rather high.
Directed by David Chase, Dan Attias, John Patterson, Matthew Penn, Nick Gomez, etc.
Written by David Chase, Jason Cahill, Frank Renzulli, Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess, etc.
Starring James Gandolfini, Lorraine Bracco, Edie Falco, Michael Imperioli, Dominic Chianese, Vincent Pastore, Steven Van Zandt, Tony Sirico, Rober Iler, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Nancy Marchand, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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