The Many Saints of Newark and Many Reasons to Like It
Let's not overlook the emergence of the character, Harold – a role that's been unjustly underrated. His rise to power, the calculated moves that propelled his crew to the top. I think he might have been my favorite character in the movie.
Maybe the movie's focus on him ruffled a few feathers, a whisper of low-key racism, but the narrative mosaic is richer for it.
But, even though most people thought it disappointing, I personally really enjoyed it. I've realized that nothing can truly replicate what the Sopranos did, nor do I desire a mere replication. So, I didn’t watch with the baggage of overhyped expectations.
[SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT]
@jaylealtbyk The Many Saints of Newark and the Many Reasons to Like It #TheManySaintsofNewark #thesopranos #JonBernthal #RayLiotta #LiviaSoprano #ChristopherMoltisanti #HaroldMcBrayer #UncleJunior #DavidChase #CapCut ♬ original sound - MrKnowItAll
Amidst the considerable hype and anticipation from fans of The Sopranos before it came out, I think that many people, both superfans of Sopranos and the general audience, were disappointed by the Many Saints of Newark.
The movie didn't do very well and didn't become very popular or critically acclaimed.
But, even though most people thought it disappointing, I personally really enjoyed it. I've realized that nothing can truly replicate what the Sopranos did, nor do I desire a mere replication. So, I didn’t watch with the baggage of overhyped expectations.
Instead, I hoped for Many Saints to build upon the foundation of the masterpiece television series that it’s a prequel to.
It tinkered with time and narration, dancing between life before and after.
The show had an interest in the afterlife as well ie. Pauly’s ghosts.
“Some babies, when they come into the world, know all kinds of things, from the other side.”
While some viewers found this particular line from the movie a bit too direct and even cringy, I have to be honest, I did not mind it at all. I found it unforgettable.
I saw Christopher as a representation and reminder of what Tony becomes—an evil man. This is shown right at the beginning of the movie to set up the narrative we'll be following: how did Tony turn evil?
It provides a clear reason to center the movie around Dickie while also going into Tony Soprano's origin story in an engaging way - because essentially, Dickie not showing up to Holsten’s is the final straw that robs Tony of his purity in life.
It also gives a reason to include Christopher heavily as the narrator. That is, other than him being one of the greatest characters of all time.
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Tony loses Dickie at a crucial time in his life. He also suffers a father who is pretty much absent all the time, and a misguided mother.
His closest thing to a role model, Dickie, is ignorant, yet, street-smart.
And it’s the ultimate simplicity to turn into a criminal. It’s seems to be very primal. Dickie’s advice, “Look, you take the speakers, right? At the same time, you say to yourself, ‘This is the last time I'm ever gonna steal something.’”
It’s fitting that the turning point for Tony, when Dickie does not show up, takes place at Holsten’s. It’s similar to the final episode of the show where Tony loses his life (this is my interpretation).
In essence, he has two deaths that take place at Holsten’s - the death of his innocence and his true death.
I also thought it was very cool in the intro hearing narration of other people's lives as we pass their gravestones in the cemetery before arriving at Christopher’s grave. Knowing what we know about Christopher, it was an awesome way to start the movie with a hilarious line in the middle of the cemetery, “I told them when I got here ‘Okay, I explored the criminal lifestyle.’ But I was an altar boy for Christ’s sake. Moltisanti is a religious name and I’m still fucked. I met death on Route 23, not too far from here. But that was much later.”
“I told them when I got here ‘Okay, I explored the criminal lifestyle.’ But I was an altar boy for Christ’s sake. Moltisanti is a religious name and I’m still fucked. I met death on Route 23, not too far from here. But that was much later.”
Of course you're in hell, Christopher, you’ve murdered many people.
It’s both hilarious and haunting. What a dope way to start the movie, blasting us with iconic Soprano signatures: dark humor, supernatural touches, and next-level comedy.
The movie weaves an intricate pattern that illuminates the cyclical and generational nature of this malevolent legacy, or perhaps more aptly, the legacy of ignorance that flows through the veins of their lineage.
The film orchestrates a symphony of interwoven influences, inviting contemplation on the intricate interplay between past and present, the reverberations of malevolence cascading across generations, and the silent bequest of ignorance that binds them together.
Jon Bernthal's portrayal of Tony's father was broilingly subtle. Many characters in this tale are streetwise yet remarkably obtuse. Maybe that was part of the point.
And then there's Dickie’s father – a canvas painted with even darker, more sinister shades. Ray Liotta's performance? Pure magnificence.
Those dreamlike elements, such as the scene in the jailhouse, left me wondering if they were reality, or just part of Dickie’s conscious grappling with itself. A mental defense mechanism to help deal with the reality of having a monster for a father, and having murdered said monster.
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Liotta's mastery shines as he embodies two distinct versions, one subtle and the other piercingly vulgar. An acting feat that will forever be etched as one of his signature roles, at least to me. And to think, David Chase collaborating with one of the legends from the mob-actor pantheon – seamless pairing.
Livia's character had some standout moments. She was much different from the show. Very much a woman of the times, but she was much softer than in the show. This moment in her life you could see the tender way she felt towards Tony, those teary-eyed moments.
I felt it heartbreaking to see how moved she was when the counselor relayed to her that Tony really cherished a moment with Livia from his childhood. It’s crushing because we know their relationship crumbles, but there was never any cherished childhood moments presented on the show between the two. The purity of a child and his mother was there and Livia is brought to tears just thinking about it.
Unexpected yet not overly sentimental. It's the kind of depth that sneaks up on you. Livia, a victim of her times, a byproduct of the era's misguided views on medication – much like the show's treatment of therapy.
As for Janice and Barbara’s minimal presence or voice in the film, well, it does stir some mixed emotions within me. Given the historical backdrop of a misogynistic society, it's a narrative choice that, while not ideal, can be rationalized to some extent.
I would have enjoyed more character building with these two characters, but ultimately the movie is not really centered around them. Also, my other justification, is that in the 1960s setting of the movie, which was characterized by a male-dominated and misogynistic society, children, especially young girls, were likely expected to be reserved. So, in that way it’s plausible it’s accurate, but I would have enjoyed a scene of them in their element. Something that contributes to the plot, but show’s Janice and Barbara in situations outside of the societal gates.
So, it’s a lot of mental exercise to get around that in my personal opinion, but I manage to do so nevertheless.
This mirrors the portrayal of racial challenges in that era. The film and the director's works consistently dissect misogyny and racism.
Still, the men writers of the golden age of television could definitely have benefited from more female writers in the room and even to this day we need more female lead writers.
Let's not overlook the emergence of the character, Harold – a role that's been unjustly underrated. His rise to power, the calculated moves that propelled his crew to the top. I think he might have been my favorite character in the movie. I love that the black community is heavily focused on and their crew is badass. Chase shows how although the Italian mafia touted their strength and dominance but in this film, we see that the black mafia was holding a lot of their weight.
Without Harold and their crew running the numbers, there would be a significant drop in profit for Johnny Soprano and the DiMeo crime family, as Junior Soprano points out.
Harold’s transformation into a formidable boss packs a punch. Maybe the movie's focus on him ruffled a few feathers, a whisper of low-key racism, but the narrative mosaic is richer for it.
Overall, I rate this film 9.2/10.
Please enjoy one of my favorite scenes from the movie:
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