New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano starts seeing a psychiatrist.
This is an excellent start to a great show that sets the scene perfectly and introduces one of the great characters in popular culture.
I think it's one of the best starts to a television series. It not only introduces you to the main characters and themes of the overarching story, but it works as a standalone piece of filmmaking.
Tony Soprano is an ingeniously written character. He is portrayed with many antisocial traits, but you can't help but like and identify with him and his issues. James Gandolfini brings him to life with humour, sadness, intimidation and unbelievable charisma.
The Sopranos frames Tony's existential crisis perfectly through fears that everything around him is changing in a negative way. He is depicted as someone obsessed with the past who is facing the world as it approaches the twenty first century. This pilot wonderfully introduces many concepts associated with this angst that are given further depth as the series goes on. Gary Cooper, the ducks, his dream and various other exchanges of dialogue are all unforgettable examples of how David Chase hooks the audience with the insight and vulnerabilities of a Mafia boss.
We also have strong introductions to other characters such as Livia, Carmela, Uncle Junior, Dr Melfi and Christopher. I never tire of watching the scenes involving Gandolfini, Nancy Marchand and Dominic Chianese.
The production values are generally good but they improve greatly in future episodes. Some song selections and camera angles are a bit random. Also the realism is improved, particularly around how characters behave in front of onlookers. However, there are plenty of iconic images such as the opening and closing shots, the intimidating use of the Passaic River bridge, the scene inside Satriale's and various other location shots around New Jersey.
Some of the editing contains great humour, particularly when we have transitions like from Tony saying "It's a beautiful day. What could be so bad?" to the miserable, cantankerous faces in the next scene.
I first began watching the series back in 1999 and I'm pleased to say the pilot has lost none of its capacity to entertain. It's not a perfect hour of television but it sold a network the idea of The Sopranos and for that alone it is worth its weight in gold.
This is an excellent start to a great show that sets the scene perfectly and introduces one of the great characters in popular culture.
I think it's one of the best starts to a television series. It not only introduces you to the main characters and themes of the overarching story, but it works as a standalone piece of filmmaking.
Tony Soprano is an ingeniously written character. He is portrayed with many antisocial traits, but you can't help but like and identify with him and his issues. James Gandolfini brings him to life with humour, sadness, intimidation and unbelievable charisma.
The Sopranos frames Tony's existential crisis perfectly through fears that everything around him is changing in a negative way. He is depicted as someone obsessed with the past who is facing the world as it approaches the twenty first century. This pilot wonderfully introduces many concepts associated with this angst that are given further depth as the series goes on. Gary Cooper, the ducks, his dream and various other exchanges of dialogue are all unforgettable examples of how David Chase hooks the audience with the insight and vulnerabilities of a Mafia boss.
We also have strong introductions to other characters such as Livia, Carmela, Uncle Junior, Dr Melfi and Christopher. I never tire of watching the scenes involving Gandolfini, Nancy Marchand and Dominic Chianese.
The production values are generally good but they improve greatly in future episodes. Some song selections and camera angles are a bit random. Also the realism is improved, particularly around how characters behave in front of onlookers. However, there are plenty of iconic images such as the opening and closing shots, the intimidating use of the Passaic River bridge, the scene inside Satriale's and various other location shots around New Jersey.
Some of the editing contains great humour, particularly when we have transitions like from Tony saying "It's a beautiful day. What could be so bad?" to the miserable, cantankerous faces in the next scene.
I first began watching the series back in 1999 and I'm pleased to say the pilot has lost none of its capacity to entertain. It's not a perfect hour of television but it sold a network the idea of The Sopranos and for that alone it is worth its weight in gold.