Much like "Game of Thrones" is currently pushing what television programming can deliver, "The Sopranos" was that pushing force previously. What made it stick was its characters, and each was drawn out well and characterized deeply. The supporting cast was excellent, but the true force that made the show stand-out was James Gandolfini as lead character Tony Soprano. This deeply layered individual was TV's first true anti-hero; a man who leads an evil life and does terrible things, but we can't help root for him. Without Gandolfini's brilliant performance, characters like Walter White of Breaking Bad, and Donald Draper of Mad Men would not have come about. Both are brilliant in their own rights, but they owe it all to James. He was a cross between Tony Montana, Cody Jarrett, Vito Corleone, Tony Comante, Tommy de Vito, and Bill the Butcher; all famous gangster characters.
Gandolfini has many smaller roles in a variety of films, not all of which I have seen; but in the ones I have, he was always a stand-out. His first true role was the vicious hit man Virgil in the late tony Scott's best film, "True Romance". Anybody who has seen it has one stand-out moment forever stuck in their minds, and it's the incredibly bombastic, bloody, painfully violent, and nasty fight scene between Gandolfini and Patricia Arquette. James conveys a fearsome gangster, and it truly seems helpless for our heroine. He is terrifying with his slimy smile and psychotic look in his eyes. It takes lighting him on fire, stabbing him multiple times, then a few shotgun blasts to the chest to finally kill this beast. In "Get Shorty", James plays Bear, the mob bosses right hand man. This one is far less scary, but delivers a huge laugh as we watch John Travolta pick him up and fling him down the stairs. His huge beard and ponytail give him a hippie-like looks, but what makes this memorable is his love for his daughter, giving this man a spark of good and kindness.
In 'Killing Them Softly", James' character of Mickey is a haunting portrayal of a broken man. An alcoholic who has nothing, Mickey sits in a room all day drinking and sleeping with hookers. He is world-weary, and sick of living. He has no desire to fulfill the hit he promised Jackie, and is truly a drink away from suicide. Its such a radical departure as James usually plays a man who we can care about, but Mickey is a black hole of despair. I am of the belief that he should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance, as it captures the state of the mafia today, as being broken, beaten, and sick. James' final performance I have seen was in the recent Best-Picture deserving masterpiece "Zero Dark Thirty. James has hardly any screen time, but his role is one of the most significant. He plays the military "brass" who gives the go-ahead for the fateful mission on Bin Laden's compound. Many actors have portrayed characters making history changing decisions, and many with greater consequences, but none that felt so exasperating. Beaten down at every turn, Maya needs this man to allow the mission, and we can see it in James' eyes as he ponders his response. We know what he is going to say, but nevertheless it makes us hold our breaths as his eyes look about the maps and diagrams with so much depth and knowledge.
James Gandolfini was hardly past 50 when he died. It was too soon for an actor who had so many potential performances waiting to be discovered. The passion he brought to every role, no matter how big or small, is a rare thing in Hollywood nowadays. He never took the easy route of phoning it in, but rather made each and every character shine and truly standout. James Gandolfini will go down in history as the man who played Tony Soprano though. An icon of the modern gangster, Tony Soprano will be analyzed and discussed for many years to come. Rest in Peace James, and I pray that you found the Lord before you passed. You shall be sorely missed by many, and especially by this young fan.
