Joe said:
I liked the Sopranos, though not as much as a lot of people seem to have. It seemed like the same ground covered by movies like Goodfellas, but not as good.
I have to say, I'm surprised you liked it, when overall it does kind of glorify gangsters. You panned Unforgiven for that reason.
I tried Goodfellas once again recently, just because it's such a respected film. But it just didn't keep my interest.
I really don't think that Sopranos gloriefies gangsters, on the contrary. My problem with Unforgiven was the "glorious" climactic gun fight which went contrary, emotionally, to the message of the rest of the film's message. The film "said one thing and did another".
The violence in Sopranos is not glorified. And the characters are shown as what gangsters in all likelyhood are: complex human beings which have big flaws like most people, except they tend to have a really big one that some of them struggle with (Tony does), and some don't even recognize: a huge violent temper, out of control.
None of the big, famous gangster films have really been big favorites of mine. But somehow they managed to make something completely different of the genre with The Sopranos. I am not sure how, it's just a different beast.
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One thing interesting about Goodfellas is that the Joe Pesci character was physically the complete opposite in real life - tall and muscular. However, he was, if anything, more psychotic.
I tried Goodfellas once again recently, just because it's such a respected film. But it just didn't keep my interest.
Is it respected? I wonder if any other director had made it, would critics have loved it as much? I thought it was good, escapist fun but nothing more.
I really don't think that Sopranos gloriefies gangsters,
I disagree. Admittedly I haven't seen beyond Season One, but it seemed like it did glorify The Life. Despite Tony's problems, you see him enjoy the money and power - and you see the same things from his underlings. Unlike Donnie Brasco, The Sopranos doesn't really show the small time guys that barely make ends meet.
It might affect others differently, but it definitely never made me feel like being a gangster. They are shown as living lives in constant anxiety, danger from the cops, the feds, other gangs, and even from their closest friends and family.
I don't mean to imply that I wanted to be like them! ;-) I mean, for one thing, I'm not too keen on killing people.
When I talk about glorifying the gangster life, it's scenes where they talk about being honorable men, like when Tony garrottes a man who had broken his oath, at which point we're supposed to applaud him - just like we're supposed to applaud William Munny for wiping out the people who killed his friend. We're supposed to think that this is a justified revenge killing. That seems to be the case - the guy took an oath to these people and betrayed them, he died just like I heard they killed Big Pussy. The guy did have it coming. But it's that kind of thing I'm talking about.
Is there organized crime in Denmark? I figured they were all too busy making pornos.
"it's scenes where they talk about being honorable men, like when Tony garrottes a man who had broken his oath, at which point we're supposed to applaud him"
It did not seem that way to me.
"Is there organized crime in Denmark?"
I guess there is some, but I never heard of anybody paying protection money or something. Except of course in the form of the world's worst tax pressure.
It did not seem that way to me.
We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. :)
I did like the show, but I guess not as much as you.
"I don't mean to imply that I wanted to be like them! ;-) I mean, for one thing, I'm not too keen on killing people."
Except when you're hungry and all out of dolphin meat, that is? ;-)
"he died just like I heard they killed Big Pussy"
Was he a relative of Deep Throat?
"Is there organized crime in Denmark? I figured they were all too busy making pornos."
I think this is precisely why Big Pussy and Deep Throat wouldn't talk at family reunions... ;-)
If I were into shooting pornos, I'm sure I too would be too busy to use firearms and do crimes.
It might even be worth the effort of learning a barbaric-sounding language like Danish! (After all, I already speak Arabic. And FRENCH! Barbaric-sounding languages don't intimidate me.)
Except when you're hungry and all out of dolphin meat, that is? ;-)
Damn! I forgot I'd already outed myself on that score!
It might even be worth the effort of learning a barbaric-sounding language like Danish!
Really? I like the sound of Danish - not at all harsh - like, say, German. Of course, I've only ever heard it spoken in pornos.*
*I'm not coming off looking too good here - a porno-watching cannibal...
No, you're right. It could use a little added sparkle on your CV.
:-)
Is there difference between the Sopranos and a Soap Opera, no or si? Besides the gangsters, I mean, capisce?
The lather, perhaps?
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