Whenever people talk about the greatest series of all time, “The Sopranos” is one of the top spots. It ran from 1999 to 2007 mafia epic and not only won numerous TV awards, but also revolutionized the way stories were told on television. The focus was on 40-year-old Tony Soprano from New Jersey, who is in the midst of a mid-life crisis but also has to master his job as the area’s leading mafia boss.
14 years after the final episode, the long-awaited “Sopranos” comeback came in 2021, although this time not in series format. The film “The Many Saints of Newark” was released and was not a sequel to the series story, but was set in the 1960s and told about young Tony Soprano and how he became one of the most powerful gangsters on the east coast. The film is currently in the program Amazon Prime Video been recorded. But anyone who thinks that since this is a prehistory, one can watch “The Many Saints of Newark” without much knowledge of “Sopranos” is wrong and quite powerful.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Editing: TVSPIELFILM.de
Like father, like son: Michael Gandolfini (l.) plays the young version of Tony Soprano in “The Many Saints of Newark”, the role of his father James Gandolfini (r.) from “The Sopranos”.
If you ask, “Can you read ‘The Many Saints of Newark?’ watch without knowing ‘The Sopranos’?”, the answer is surely “yes”. But if you do it and plan to watch the series afterwards, you should refrain from this plan. The film opens with what is probably the biggest spoiler from all six “Sopranos” seasons. So at this point a warning again: If you don’t want to know any spoilers for “The Sopranos”, you should stop reading hereand just remember: It is highly recommended to watch “The Sopranos” first and then “The Many Saints of Newark”.
Right at the beginning of the film, “The Many Saints of Newark” spoils the biggest shock moment of all “Sopranos” seasons: the death of Christopher Moltisanti, who is Tony Soprano’s protégé in the series before Tony kills him in a particularly violent scene in the murdered with his own hands last season. This event is the decisive factor for the story of the film, because in this the main character is not Tony Soprano, but Richard Moltisanti – Christopher’s biological father.
Richard Moltisanti was heard a lot in “The Sopranos”. He was a mentor for Tony, a kind of substitute father – and that’s why Tony was later also for his son’s husband. So The Many Saints of Newark explores that relationship, and while that can be exciting for new viewers, it’s only emotionally engaging once you’ve got all the knowledge you’ve gained from the show. Especially since Tony Soprano already meets characters in many small scenes, including supporting characters, who will later play a major role in the series plotsuch as his future wife Carmela, his henchman Paulie and his consigliere Silvio.
“The Many Saints of Newark” is a film for fans, who doesn’t care if newcomers can understand why certain characters get so much space in the plot. And how much this film is intended for the fans shows above all a cast – that of Tony Soprano himself. “Sopranos” leading actor James Gandolfini died in June 2013 of a heart attack. For his young counterpart in the film, none other than his own son was cast, Michael Gandolfini. The film could not be a greater declaration of love for the legacy of this fantastic series.
“The Many Saints of Newark” thus follows the supreme ethos of the Sopranos mafia: No matter what you do, make sure it stays in the family.
“The Many Saints of Newark” is available to Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
