In 1999,David Chase’sThe Sopranosdebuted on HBO and madeJames Gandolfini’s Tony Soprano a household name.
However, despite how similar they are,Martin Scorsese was never a fan ofThe Sopranos.
It’s easy to surmise thatChase was a fan of Scorsese and 1990’sGoodfellasin particular.
Image via HBO
So many more actors inGoodfellaslater found themselves inThe Sopranostoo, from the likes ofMichael ImperiolitoVince PastoreandTony Sircio.
They live in New Jersey with the big houses?
I dont get it.
Image via HBO
They use language four-letter words in front of their daughters, at the dinner table?
I dont get that.
I just didnt grow up that way."
New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano deals with personal and professional issues in his home and business life that affect his mental state, leading him to seek professional psychiatric counseling.
That’s not the case.
So many lives are lost inThe Sopranosand it’s never glamorized.
Characters who are in it for the prestige of the lifestyle never last long.
It took a lot to create Tony Soprano.
Scorsese didn’t grow up that way,but that’s not the point.
Most of his films have no connection to his own life.
He had some commonalities but was not a caricature of what you might find in a Martin Scorsese film.
He felt real and raw, like a fleshed-out person.
He might have had a big house, but he didn’t live a lavish lifestyle.
What really made Tony Soprano work was the inner turmoil.The Sopranoswas never about the violence.
The bloodshed was the result of or the instigation of an event, but it was never the focus.
It was about the personalities.
That’s why we kept coming back.
It’s a shame Martin Scorsese couldn’t see that.
The Sopranosis available to watch on Max.
