Fans of the long-running and massively successful underworld crime drama The Sopranos will be excited to hear that HBO is producing a movie prequel The Many Saints of Newark.
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The film, set in the midst of the 1967 Newark riots, places Christopher Moltisanti’s father, Dickie, at the centre of the mafia drama.
Interest in the production has also been piqued by the revelation that James Gandolfini’s real life son Michael will play the young Tony Soprano.
The news sent me back for a rewatch of the original series and what is clear is that the writers, actors and producers of the upcoming film will have to bring their A-game to the screen if it is not to pale by comparison with the ground-breaking series.
The Sopranos is an extraordinary drama that defies being dated even though the original was first aired in the last century. It remains as relevant and incisive as it did when it burst onto the scene and launched Gandolfini to superstardom.
The opening scenes, which see New Jersey goodfella Tony Soprano undergoing an existential crisis and seeking help from a psychologist sets up the dynamic that is played out over six series.
Soprano is confronting the fact that times are changing, the FBI are circling, his children are growing up and becoming aware that their father is an underworld boss and the tight knit loyalty of the mobsters is breaking apart as the law closes in.
While there is a constant undercurrent of violence, the deft touches of the writers and directors imbue the characters with sympathy and great humour.
Consequently we find ourselves in the sometimes uncomfortable situation of being on the side of the racketeers, murderers and extortionists as they try to hold their evil empire together.
Gandolfini’s Soprano is the key to this, alternating brilliantly between the lovable rogue, who has fallen for his psychologist, and the downright demonic mafia captain.
The humour is built around the fact that even the “made men” of the mafia have to deal with manipulative mothers, wives who seek a respectability to go with their wealth, and rebellious children who belong to a modern world.
If some of the current wave of drama series is leaving you a bit cold, do yourself a favour and catch television drama at its best.
A small point of interest for music fans. The character Silvio is played by Bruce Springsteen's long -time guitarist Steven Van Zant who will be touring Australia later this year with his band The Disciples of Soul.
