Re: SOPRANOS Season 6: New this week.. Episode 9: "The Ride"
Tell me if I'm dead wrong. I thought the killing scene with Silvio was an homage to Goodfellas. The actor who plays Phil in Sopranos was whacked in Goodfellas in a similar fashion while, "just bustin your balls." In GF, Pesci hits him in the head with a pistol, breaking the pistol and spewing bullets all over the floor. Last night, Silvio hit him with a dust buster, spewing dust all over the floor! They wrap both bodies in a table cloth. Both scenes were 2 on 1 and incredibily violent. The perps in both scenes quickly lock the door after the killing, realizing they have just killed a made guy without a sit down. And, both victims are stabbed repeatedly with a butcher knife. In fact, I think the scene last night is almost a cut for cut copy of the GF scene. And, there currently are 4 GF actors appearing in Sopranos.Incidentally, I thought that Johnny's wedding scene a few weeks back was an intentional contrast to the Godfather wedding scene. The "No request can be denied on your daughter's weddding day." But, whereas in the GF, the FBI are locked out of the compound and have to take down license plates of the attendees, in Sopranos, they are in the church searching guests, making them take off their shoes. And Johnny, instead of being the omnipotent Godfather, is escorted out in shackles with tears.
I think both scenes are meant to show the bleak reality of today's Mafia, compared with the romanticized version and glory days of the mob past. Times have changed, which has been a persistent theme this season. I too haven't been a big fan of this season, but if I'm right on these two allusions to the greatest mob movies of all time, I can't help but respect David Chase's artistic vision.
Big contrast
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