What is so appealing about gun-toting New Jersey mobsters eating Ziti al-Forno, cheating on and yelling at their wives? Maybe it’s the timeless legacy of “The Godfather” that has viewers pledging their loyalty, or perhaps it is simply that the mafia is just the quintessential bad-ass “in crowd” that everyone regrets to admire. Either way, awards and ratings prove that The Soprano’s is one series that fans can’t seem to fughet-about.
The sixth season of creator David Chase’s dramatic series is scheduled to come out on March 12th. The season will have 12 episodes picking up where it left off in season five. HBO also announced that in addition to the upcoming sixth season, they will produce an additional eight bonus episodes to debut in January 2007.
The Soprano’s has been winning awards for its outstanding dramatic achievements since 1999. At first glance viewers might be turned off by the show’s candid vulgarity; violence, sex, general obnoxiousness on the part of some characters. But after sitting through two or three episodes, the show’s charisma becomes clearly defined by its artistic cinematography, sensational acting and the dramatic events that manage to suspend our pseudo-law abiding reality for one hour at a time.
Three time Emmy winner James Gandolfini stars as Tony Soprano in the hit HBO show. Edie Falco has also earned three Emmy’s by playing Tony’s wife Carmela. The show portrays the not-so-humble family and business sides of Tony’s mob-boss life, which is plagued with tragedy and turmoil. Suprising?
Tony and Carmella’s two kids are Meadow (Jamie-Lynn DiScala) and Anthony, Jr.(Robert Iler). Though the family lives in a good part of New Jersey, Tonys professional life takes place in the bad parts of town. Dealing with bookies, street men, under men, dealers, racketeers, and tricky gangsters is no joke. The show conveys the darkest sides of such a lifestyle, which is bleak to begin with. Even considering the glitz of three-thousand dollar Italian end-table statues and the glamour of stolen Hummers at first-rate discount prices- to most shrinks murder isn’t what would be considered a head-healthy business.
So our bulky head-of-the-family man Tony Soprano takes Prozac for his problems and talks about his stressful life with a psychiatrist, Jennifer Melfi (played by Lorraine Bracco).
As episodes pass, Gandolfini’s alpha-male dominance helps to clarify his role as leading man-one that men want to model and women hate to admit turns them on.
Taken out of context Gandolfini doesn’t do much to impress. Balding, overweight (unusually chubby-fingered) middle-aged men, well – society has an abundance of that. But Tony Soprano’s powerful position combined with his wealth glamorizes the man. Not to mention he’s got a steal set of (meat) balls.
Michael Imperioli plays Tony’s nephew, Christopher Moltisanti, and Dominic Chianese plays Tony’s Uncle Junior. Whether husband and wife, or Boss and Captain, the relationships between each character are full of mistrust and disloyalty.
An enticing part of The Sopranos is that the characters are consistent, right down to minuscule details. The heavy nasal breathing that occurs each time Tony eats, or the glossy crimson polish of each gangster’s wife’s nails- these stylistic aspects add a distinctive touch to the show.
Even the tacky clothes they showcase add to the authenticity of the personas. When Tony isn’t wearing his loud short-sleeved shirts, he’s doused in more formal gangster attire, like a black suit and heavy over coat. Of course his crew defines themselves with polyester pants, running suits, tight knit shirts, and loud silk shirts and slacks. Award winning costume designer Juliet Polcsa ventured to strip clubs in New Jersey to get inspiration for the clothing.
Hopefull the new season of The Sopranos will continue to showcase the dramatic and disturbing content that adds to the shows ability to intrigue us. To desensitize and mesmerize audiences, then keep them coming back for more. This bona fide American tragedy is an exceptional interpretation of Media-glamorized mafia that has fascinated society since the early 20th Century.
