What is about gangsters and the mafia that draws us in?
From the time I stayed home sick when I was a kid and read my father's dog-eared copy of The Godfather, I was intrigued by the mafia. Only the ones portrayed in stories though. The real life guys, I want nothing to do with, and I don't want to glamorize them.
Perhaps it has to do with the incredible contrast in behaviors. These guys live by a strict moral code, but also clearly play by their own rules. They are incredibly loyal to each other - until they aren't. And when that happens, someone dies. And we learned with shows such as The Sopranos, that morally corrupt characters like head-of-the-family Tony, are guys that have families, and hearts, and their own deep rooted issues too. Kind of like us. In some ways, while we have nothing in common with them, we can still relate to them on some level.
Of course some of the best mob movies and tv shows of the past fifty years (The Godfather, Goodfellas, Casino, Sopranos, etc.) come with exceptional writing, directors, and actors. I mean really, Brando, DeNiro, and Pacino all in the same movie? It's bound to be fantastic. But the dynamics of family, betrayal, power and crime? That's hard not to draw you in. Throw a little sex, drugs and a good soundtrack in there, and you've got one hell of a movie. Or tv show.
I think The Sopranos was one of the best shows on television, ever. If Seinfeld was the show about nothing, The Sopranos might have been the show about everything. It covered literally every topic during its run on HBO. No topic ever seemed taboo, which is what made it so incredibly intriguing.
And to have its lead character, a man who was so clearly in charge and respected in one scene - be so riddled with depression and panic attacks in another - made him human. And relatable. Watching him interact with his therapist every week as the consigliere who strips him of his bulls*it and ultimately becomes the one woman who he truly respects is fascinating. And such exceptional acting by the two of them.
I miss this show and its made up mobsters, and will stop and find myself stopping to watch it when I am flipping channels. It's the depth to the characters along with their quirks that make them truly watchable. Partner that observing people living out the American dream by their very twisted definitions, and you've got some very clever, very dark and very great entertainment.
Fuggedaboudit…
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