How The Sopranos Changed TV

For all of its monumental symbolism, and intrinsic characterisation, the sopranos, at heart, is an American love story. An ode to the American dream. Gravitated around the anti hero Tony soprano, HBO’s hit series revolutionised the society it reflected and the television they would watch from then on out. This multidimensional exploration into the heart of a boss, a husband, father and a killer captivated audiences around the world for 7 years (1999–2007), but in particular it struck home with Americans. Perhaps the audience saw fragments of themselves in Tony, whether it was midlife anxiety, romantic disillusionment or generational fragility, but what is true, there was an empathic connection between the characters and the audience, something rare, invaluable. I want to explore how the highest rated show in American history changed the world forever.

What is often forgotten about the show is it’s filmic quality. Behind each captivating story ark was a shot that allowed the audience to experience the narrative, on an emotional level, as purely as possible. The Sopranos revolutionised cinematic experiences on the couch at home, closing the gap between the silver screen and the home screen. HBO’s desire to distance themselves from the normal demographic of television watchers gave the show “esteemed cinematic lineage”. There was a post modern noir to each shot, whether it was the dark purple tones in ‘Bada Bing!’, or the artificial lighting in the domestic palace where Carmella resided. The use of lighting and colour could transform a scene into something malevolent in nature. Note episode 5 in series 5 as a clear example. The small office of the ‘crazy horse’ club bleached with a red that symbolically matched the romantic mood of the scene, where Tony and Adrianna so nearly kissed. The rouge colour palette there also contributed to the romantic trauma felt by Christopher after his suspicions were raised. Think of the use of blues in both episode 1 series 1 and episode 13 series 6. Both episodes worlds apart in chronology, but both with the same symbolic intent. The blue noted the peace at heart Tony felt, either pool or lake side, but also gave the uneasy feeling of the eye before the storm.

The camera itself was the gateway into the heart of the show. Shakespearian in nature, it allowed the words to do the talking. Alik Sakharov noted how he was “naturalistic” in approach and how “The Godfather is a benchmark for all filmmakers. I love Gordon Willis’ work, especially on those films, so much that it is hard to express,”. The Godfathers naturalistic undertones is clearly a benchmark the sopranos wanted to achieve and they did so. With many critics identifying the sopranos as the TV version of the god father. Slow Pans and the delicate balance between close ups and wide cuts allowed the form of the show to match the content. The slow paced ‘old country’ coffee breakfasts at ‘Satriales meat market’ were matched with wide angled shots that moved only when Tony moved to light his customary cigar. The cinematography orbited around Tony, tight close-up’s and fast moving tracking when he was angry or in danger, motionless wide angles when he was relaxed. Such filmic techniques hark back to Scorsese films. The show, as much as it lumbered the weight of symbolism and thematic intensity, the often simple cinematography allowed the story to evolve. Modern TV can attest to this, with ’breaking bad’ and ‘mad men’ ( created by Matthew Weiner, who was executive producer of the Sopranos, which indicates creative parallels ) being the sopranos children in how they tell their stories. The sopranos gave TV the precedent to explore new ways to tell the story, with meaningful camera processes and lighting. It revolutionised what audiences would see and would expect to see from there on out.

The story of the dysfunctional American crime family is television folklore. Symbolised elegantly by the ducks who settled into Tony’s pool in episode one of series one, family life can be enjoyable yet fleeting and very much mortal. The nuclear family of the 60’s is replicated in the 90’s here, with a demented twist to it. Firstly we have A.J, who in my opinion is of huge significance. Described by ‘Entertainment weekly’ as the tenth biggest “brat” in Television, A.J embodies something more. Early scenes with him in the first season show us a disaffected child, slightly overweight, pale with the excess of television. IN many people’s eyes his emotional turbulence shown in series 5 and 6, and the depressing floundering in all of the seasons up to it, are pre empted in the first few on screen minutes. He appears paralysed by Television, which only becomes more essential to him when Tony gives him the cold shoulder.

The counterpoint to Meadow’s success and guile, A.J, perhaps like the name incriminates is the spoilt failure. His whines and sarcastic comebacks to his parents reflect a society where teenage boys feel vulnerable. IN one of his discussions with Dr Melfie, Tony summarises his hatred for his failure of a son. He say’s “he will be sitting up there in his fucking underwear, wasting his time in some chit-chat room, going back and forth with some other fucking jerk off, giggling like a little school girl, I want to smash his fucking face in”. Although at heightened point emotionally for Tony, what he says, really matches what the audience is thinking. A.J is pathetic, made so by his environment. The emotionally ambivalent father, the over sympathetic mother and entertainment that subdues. One critic mentioned how “watching the sopranos is like opening a novel”, if this is true AJ draw parallels with Holden Caulfield in ‘ The catcher in the Rye ‘ disaffected, lost and chronically unhappy. This portrayal of a lost boy, out at see with the world ( note how he constantly refers to existentialist beliefs about God’s death ), revolutionised how TV portrayed young people. It gave them a voice, instead of being generically happy and social the show gave a realistic observation of 90’s America children, characters like Sally Draper in Mad Men can only thank the leaps made in young character development by David Chase.

Carmella Soprano, portrayed by Edie Falco, is the archetypal American housewife. Pillar of her family, her friends and even the catholic church she strives to be there for everybody, even if that means being left emotionally bare. The “Mob Wife” in nature she “legitimises” Tony and his actions by providing a loving household that is clean and stocked with food. Her determination to make her kids succeed, and herself become a more well rounded individual is nearly and impossible job. Note how she tries to watch the movies on the “top 500 movies list” with her friends to be more cultured, or her trip to Paris in series 6. Strutting around the house in high heels Carmella Soprano is the symbol of what women are supposed to be in modern western culture. The sex object, the cleaner, the cook, the saint and the parent, all whilst being available to cover up any firearms if the feds come calling. The demand for her to be perfect is unsustainable, often leading to disputes with her husband.

The Sopranos uses Carmella as a vehicle to explore gender roles, it creates an argument between traditionalism, which benefits the family vs. modern feminine values which benefits the individual. The on off affair between her and Furio in season 4 is an example of such a debate. On a personal level the fling would have made Carmella feel “special” (she admits to Tony, “when he looks as me, he looks at me like I’m the only woman there” ). The Italian culture and romantic passion Furio brings surely would have made Carmella feel like a woman again. But the counter argument occurs when you think of the nucleus of the family in general. The fling would have ended her ability to look after her kids, her husband and she would have lost her social and religious respect. The debate of gender roles in modern society was blown wide open by Edie Falco’s multiple ‘Emmy’ award winning performance. On one hand it stressed the importance of liberation and freedom, romantic in nature. But on the other highlighted the importance of family values and traditions, repeated by Tony frequently. The Sopranos “opens a new door to a new female audience. No longer is it simply gun-shots, power and violence, (typical conventions of the genre) that may appeal to men, women can now relate to her desire to protect her family, and her need to be listened to and considered an equal to Tony in the family home.”The role of women in a society was reviewed by the Sopranos and in the process, aided the argument for gender equality and the perception of women

Tony Soprano is perhaps the most captivating and mystifying main character in TV History. The believability over characters like Dexter and more dimensional than Don Draper or Gil Grissom. He has perplexed and shocked audiences for years and the final unsolved conondrum about his potential death was ( according to one reporter ) the most requested answer to an assassination since JFK. His psyche was perplexing, a mixture of Don Corleone, Homer Simpson and Humphrey Bogart, Tony Soprano was a multi sided man. The deconstruction by Dr Melfi is pure genius, taken off of his pedestal the psycho analysis provides the audience with such deep characterisation it is mesmerizing. Between discussions on his mother, his love life, his kids and his crime we uncover who Tony is, here he is demystified. As a boss his rare, but unmatched intensity shows the audience as much about him as the therapy does. IN season 6 episode 6, we see Tony fly off the hook and throw a cash machine at his bar man for making a remark that didn’t sit well. Two episodes before we see Tony beat up his new, hot head driver over the fact that he “ slammed the fridge door loudly”, in a “Napoleonic” manner to mark his territory. Tony’s complex leadership strategies leads Tony to be “an anachronistic parody of previous cinematic gangsters stranded in the wrong time in history” and this is certainly true, his obscene violence in the time modern period feels wrong. As a husband he cheats and often wrongs his wife. His attempt to split work from family often leads him to fantasise and realise such fantasies about other women, ranging from woman figures who remind him of authority, ( who look like Melfi ) to strippers who want a cheap buck. Tony’s turbulent love life, often with Carmella none the wiser is a physical culmination of his life. To get away from both his middle aged wife to remain youthful and to feel emotionally free, having sex with a woman in a non commitment situation.. He strives to conquer the world of New jersey putting anyone down in his way, Pussy Bonpinsiero, Ralphie and even making his cousin Christopher Choke on his own blood. Tony Soprano is the Gatsby of 90’s Newark he wants to rein visage the past whilst maintain a future, and he will do anything to achieve it.

The sopranos was more than a show, it was a cultural tornado. It changed how TV shows would relate to film, how they would be shot, edited and scripted bringing the two solar systems closer together. It gave the young people of America, and the 21st century woman a voice. But most importantly it humanised crime. It gave it a face, a morality, a mortality. The Sopranos was more than a show, it was a philosophical message about work and love, that transcended adverts or ratings, it broke post modernist malaise and depicted a world vibrant in blood and beauty.