THE MANY SAINTS OF NEWARK

US, 2021, 120 minutes, Colour.

Alessandro Nivola, Leslie Odom Jr, Vera Farmiga, Jon Bernthall, Corey Stoll, Ray Liotta, Michaela De Rossi, Michael Gandolfini, Billy Magnusson, John Magaro, Michael Imperioli, Talia Balsam, Ed Marinaro.

Directed by Alan Taylor.

Here is a review without the benefit of the reviewer having seen The Sopranos. It is a look at this prequel on its own merits without the possibilities of making connections. And, in times to come, this is how the film will be seen, in its own right, perhaps encouraging audiences to venture into the television series.

The film was written and produced by the creator of The Sopranos, David Chase. An initial guarantee of authenticity. Promotion of the film has highlighted the fact that Michael Gandolfini plays the young Anthony, who will grow into the main protagonist of The Sopranos, Tony Soprano, played by his father, James Gandolfini. Very interesting casting, the audience looking at the young man, possibly trying to see the grown man in him (although, his facial expressions and look are more reminiscent of John Cusack).

So, a prequel in Newark, New Jersey. This is the context for young Anthony growing up, the family and connections, the Mafia background. The principal focus here is on a Mafia boss (with a profitable numbers set-up but very local rather than national), Dick Moltisanti (which translates from the pious Italian as Many Saints), a central character role for Alessandro Nivola who normally does not get such strong principal parts. He has a charming look, even a charming manner, moments of sympathy for many of his associates, and encouraging of the young Anthony. But, as we know from many Mafia films, especially thinking back to the early years of Michael Corleone, Dick can have vicious and violent moments that shock us.

And it is 1967. And there is a reference to the summer of love. Not so much of that in Newark. But the times were-changing, the old Corleone a Mafia style, even the Vito Genovese style was passing. The old rackets were still there, but drugs were coming in, there was a certain petty limitedness in these Mafia families and their activities.

And, the race issues. There had been violent riots in Watts, Los Angeles the year before. Now they are in Newark, some of the African-Americans working as collectors, even hitmen, for the Mafia, but wanting to set themselves up, rivals to the Mafia, prepared to risk violent confrontations. (And, the screenplay highlights the automatic racism and bigotry of the Mafia Italian background, presumptions of supremacy, towards the black population.)

As with many Mafia stories, there are lots of sequences of family, parties (with the parish priest there), a number of funerals, stories of Confirmation ceremonies, the men and their playing cards, the stories of migrant women coming to the US, their hopes, breaking from the restrictive rules of women in Italy, parish school problems…

So, there is quite a lot going on in this film, creating, as has been said, the family context, the social context from which Tony soprano will emerge (and a continued voice-over of someone who explains that he has been killed by Tony Soprano).

Quite a strong cast as well, Leslie Odom Jr representing the emerging African Americans, Vera fun eager as Tony Sopranos neurotic mother, John Byrne file as his father, Corey Stoll as his uncle. Ray Liotta, 30 years after Goodfellas, plays Dick’s father, a brutal man, but has a second role as Dick’s uncle, serving a life sentence in prison, seen only sitting on the visiting room, but presenting a more objective, even more moral perspective on Mafia life.

And, a sinister ending, assassination, audience assumptions as to who ordered it, but the realities…

1. The title? The family, Moltisanti? The focus on Richard Moltisanti, Dick?
2. The title, the focus on Newark, the Mafia in Newark, their operations, the numbers, extortion, furniture deals…? Big in New Jersey, small in the US?
3. The Newark locations, homes, celebrations, business offices, church, schools, funerals? The Jersey coast and the beaches? The streets of the city? The black neighbourhoods, the transitions in the Italian neighbourhoods?
4. The musical score, echoes of Italy? Songs of the period, 1967, the 1970s?
5. The introduction to the family, the gathering, the conversations, the Catholic background, the priest and the discussions, the father, local patriarch, big fish, small pond? Domination, angers, beating the boat, his wife, second marriage, hopes? His eventual anger, attacking his wife, pushing her down the stairs? His relationship with his son, as successor? Dick and his anger, killing his father, transferring the body, setting the diner alight, the claim that the father was putting up the shutters because of the riot? Burning the body?
6. Dick, his age, marriage, wife unable to bear children, his role as the boss, charm, the attraction to his father’s wife, at work, the numbers, the range of henchmen, their meetings, playing cards, using black extortionists and hitmen? His patronage of Anthony, his hopes to him, surrogate son? His visits to his uncle, bringing him the Miles Davis records, discussions with him, his uncle admitting his guilt, serving his sentence, as a kind of moral sounding board for Dick? His shrewd understanding of the death of his brother?
7. 1967, the traditions of the mafia in the US, from the Corleone the days, to mob leaders like Vito Genovese the, the transitions of the 60s and 70s, taking on drug dealing? The Summer of Love, yet the summer of riots and burnings? As seen in Newark?
8. Harry, his work for Dick, hitman, yet his ambitions, to be independent, his friends, contacts, moving to Independence, setting up his own system, and the conflict with the traditional Italians? And the symbol of the bigotry of the Italians, racist superiority, the doctor moving in on the street and the Soprano reaction?
9. The voice-over, the opening cemetery sequence and those who were killed, the young man explaining that he was to be killed by Tony Soprano? The introduction of Anthony, his emotional mother and her reactions, his father as a boss, going to prison? Dick and his patronage? Anthony, intelligent, shrewd, his friends, deals, at school, expelled because of the numbers? His parents and his response to them? His response to Dick? Ambitions, the discussion with the school principal? Gift from Dick, the speakers? Dependence on Dick, Dick and his seeming neglect, Anthony spying on him, knocking on the door, anger at Dick?
10. The father, deals, with the crowd, the henchmen, jail, getting out, a different world, clashes with his wife? Racism?
11. Junior Soprano, his look, glasses, bald, academic, at the meetings, his advice? The various interventions? His slipping, hurting his back? Resentments? People laughing at him? The irony of his ordering the hit on Dick?
12. Dick, the romance, Giuseppina, brought to America, trying to learn English, her husband’s offhand reactions, her attraction to Dick, the issue of the beauty salon, independence, his helping her, the setup? The dramatic sequences, at the sea? Pregnant? Her relationship with the black hitman? Her telling Dick, his anger, the angry impulse and his drowning her?
13. The years passing, times changing, the rivalries between Italians and Blacks, riots, violence, shootouts?
14. This film as a prequel to the television series, the early life of Tony Soprano, and the film giving a context for his growing up, the influence of his family, violence and crime, his subsequent career?