The Sopranos: A Gift That Keeps On Giving

We had been re-watching The Sopranos from the beginning of the series and were well into the final season when the news came out that James Gandolfini had died. I think there was a tremendous collective deep breath of grief from everyone, everywhere. It is a tragedy that he died so young and I think there was a depth of feeling there that extended beyond the grief I felt for other entertainers. For some reason, his body of work seems elevated. I think he was a true artist.

There is an old adage in acting circles that advises, "Acting happens behind the eyes." There was so much going on behind those eyes of Gandolfini. He was always riveting and entertaining to watch. What makes it surprising is that you love his character, while, at the same time hating and despising Tony Soprano. Is there a more lovable villain than Tony Soprano? It is a Richard III dilemma.

When I watched the series fresh again, I appreciated it more deeply. It is an astounding series. The entire cast is phenomenal. One of my favorite all-time performances was the portrayal of Richie Aprile by David Proval. My goodness, every second that man was on screen you could feel a palpable psychotic tension. He radiated volatile violence. I felt like I was walking on eggshells just watching him, waiting for him to snap. The way Proval was able to keep that simmering mad anger boiling away, again, behind the eyes, was an electrifying piece of acting to behold.

So many great performances. I think at drama schools and film schools, they should just sit the classes down and play this series. Janice Soprano played by Aida Turturro was a tour de force. The character was completely realized. Her character is exactly the person you believe Tony's little sister would have grown up to be. This deep psychological roundedness to the characters draws entirely into the screen world.

It is often mentioned that books always deliver more of an emotional journey then film or T.V, but here I think we witnessed a turning point in the medium, what some might like to call a television game changer. It elevated television to a level of artistry and storytelling that like a good book, can bring you into a whole new world, captivate you, take you on a journey that when it ends, there is a sense of loss because what you experienced touched on universal truths and feelings at the core of this human condition.

It was a double blow when we finished the series, knowing that it was over but that also a great artist had died. I felt at a bit of a loss. You kind of wander around in a state of disappointment, a bit lost, wishing that somehow you could wipe your memory and re-live the joy of watching it all over again afresh.

There were moments of brutality I could not handle. Ralph Cifaretto beating the young stripper to death I could not watch. It left me a bit hollow and depressed. The Sopranos never took its foot off the pedal on its heroic depiction of the harsh reality of that timeless theme: the human beings inhumanity unto itself.

What better Mafia series is there? For my money nothing touches The Sopranos. Martin Scorsese? Come on, what would you rather take with you on a desert Island if you had a choice, Scorsese's entertaining yet often a heavy-handed fare, or our Sopranos? Like I said, I am betting on The Sopranos coming out on top in the pantheon of mafia explorations as the critics of tomorrow and the far-off future sift through our cultural offerings. It is Shakespearean in its power and artistry.

Every shot, every moment captured with superlative camera work. A game changer? Hell yes. It was a monumental cultural shift in that we caught onto an understanding that this medium had an ability, this small screen had the chutzpah, to step into the shoes of the heretofore much-lauded film industry, so long thought of as the superior visual art form. The Soprano's put a bullet square in the head of those critics that sneered at television with the assumption that it would never be capable of high art.

I loved the nuances of Tony Soprano and how as the story unfolded, we as an audience, crossed our fingers that their might just be a little humanity within him. As the story unfolds, we see that the glimpses of what we once saw as the potential for an empathic soul, dissolve in the evil wrought on Tony's victims. We understand, as Melfi does, that this is a man beyond help. Beyond help yes but as a study of this variation on the human species is spellbinding. This sociopath is fascinating to us because he is one of us and they are among us. This is a horror story made real through Tony's connection with family and in the real world.

The Soprano's is inspirational. It is a treasure and may James Gandolfini rest in peace. I am so very grateful for his gift. This incredible body of work. It was saddening listening to snippets of what a great guy he was offscreen. The life of the celebrity did not sit well with him. He was selfless in his promotion of others and cast members could hear for themselves his work ethic as he worked up his scenes in his trailer. He took his craft to its pinnacle. He was a storyteller of genius and taken too soon. Yeah, a sad loss but his legacy is undeniable. Still, the sadness of his loss still resonates. You just can't get great work like that out of your head, it rumbles in your subconscious just like a great novel or a masterful piece of music.