Believe It Or Not

Gary Lucas — Sun, 14 Apr 2024 18:28:52 +0000

Believe It Or Not Gary Lucas April 14, 2024 - 14:28

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RE-MAKE / RE-MODEL: Ripley--well, uh, um, you're, gee, Steven Zaillian's noir-ish 8-part black and white TV adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley novel was pretty much tolerable in certain aspects (cinematography mainly), but honestly, imho, not a patch dramatically overall on either previous big-screen versions Plein Soleil (1960, d. Rene Clement) and/or the eponymous 1999 version directed by Anthony Minghella. "Somnolent" was the word used by the NY Times reviewer in describing this chilly, muted exercise in existential monochrome stretched over eight chapters, which succeeded in bleeding all the color and jeu d'esprit out of the original book and the two cinematic versions—the word "lugubrious" also comes to mind also and would not be far afield in describe the cumulative effect of the series also. It's like being bludgeoned in slow motion by a hammer made of soggy marshmallows.

Both the original music and the selected needle drops on the soundtrack were effective in parts, especially the recurring usage of songs by legendary Italian jazz vocalist Mina Mazzini (in fact, the cover of one of Mina's 50 albums was used as a period prop and flashed onscreen a few times)—but Episode 7 ended inexplicably with Tom Ripley's triumphant entrance into the Venetian Lagoon accompanied by THIS iconic piece of music by Shostakovich, inextricably bound up with the credits fore and aft of Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut:

So why use it again? I mean, what was the logic in that?? What were Zaillian and his music tipsters thinking by recycling it—what memory, if any, were they trying to jog here? All it triggered in me was astonishment and a feeling of disgust at the chutzpah of re-contextualizing this beautiful composition (already attached to an iconic film) to no discernible end. As this Johnny One-Note of a series—as bloated throughout all eight episodes as the water-logged corpse of Dickie Greenleaf—bore about as much relation to Eyes Wide Shut (or any other Kubrick film) as the Man in the Moon.

(There were also some musical bits on the soundtrack played on celeste towards the end of the series designed—I guess—as a kind of throwback/homage to the creepy celeste-driven music that accompanied Matt Damon's predations in the 1999 film. It was designed, no doubt, to make one think back on the—unfortunately—superior cinematic version in the process of trying to bolster the cred of this mini-series. "Hey folks, recall this music from the Matt Damon version?" When in doubt, recycle!).

Wouldn't you know that the Minghella version was being programmed on another streaming cable channel almost immediately after Caroline Sinclair and I finished watching this series on Netflix? The contrast between the two radically different takes on basically the same story was breathtaking.

The Italian landscape is the real star of both versions.

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Death Is Not The End

Dusty Wright — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 16:25:58 +0000

Death Is Not The End Dusty Wright June 11, 2007 - 12:25

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"It was the only way he could have ended it. Possibly the best example of pop culture since The White Album by the Beatles."

So claimed our literary editor Ken Krimstein. And yes, the blogs are buzzing today, most folks proclaiming how "awful" the final episode of this much beloved HBO series was for them personally.

Yes, the juxtaposition of the abrupt black screen as the final image of the series ending finale of The Sopranos, like Richard Hamilton's cover for the Beatles' White Album, forces users to conjure their own impressions of what is and what may never be. (We were all waiting anxiousily for a genius ending a la Mr. Alan Ball's award-winning Six Feet Under series finale, right? I know I was.)

But you know what? I agree with Ken. It was brilliant. Remember that The White Album was clever in its attempt to comment on the bombastic psychedelic rock and roll album sleeves that had dominated the rack space up to that point. And Mr. Chase has never played by anyoneâ€™s rules of engagement for his critically acclaimed and much beloved gangster series. But by forcing us to use our own imagination, -- imagine that -- folks are left very unsettled. The series had no real narrative closure for most people looking to be spoon-fed a pat ending. Moreover, there is already speculation that his open ending could pave the way for a big screen movie. (Remember The X Files, anyone?) Besides, there hasn't been this much gangster talk since Mario Puzo's The Godfather hit the bookshelves and then the silver screen courtesy of Francis Ford Coppola's award-winning screen adaptations so many years ago.

Can you imagine a Sopranos theatrical release directed by Martin Scorsese? I wonder if he and Chase could creatively collaborate. Plus Chase shot three alternate endings for his "Made in America" finale. Do you think that'll help sell a few DVDs? But getting back to the Sopranos' finale...

The beauty of this show has always been the thread of dead ends or dangling plot twists that Mr. Chase and his writers worked into each episode. Each episode kept you guessing as to what may or may not happen to each gang or family member and thus kept you longing for another fix, even when it was mediocre. It was the ultimate soap opera, albeit a New Jersey Mob-fueled version.

I suspect most folks would never have dreamed that Tony would have ended the life of his prodigy Christopher this season. Or that Tony's therapist would end her relationship with her most fascinating yet twisted client.

AJ's plan to enter the service to become a helicopter pilot? Yeah, like Meadow might one day defend her father against racketeering charges that probably would happen? Remember that gun the Feds found?

And Paulie Walnuts confession to Tony about his Virgin Mary vision, along with the gang's adopted cat's fixed gaze on Christopher's portrait at the Bada Bing, was brilliant. Paulie's old-school folk phobias are as old world as the mob's unflinching guidelines to an eye-for-an-eye rubout policy.

And the final tension-building scene with the potentially menacing characters hovering around Tony, Carmela, and A.J. in the New Jersey diner as Journey's song "Don't Stop Believin'" played in the background. Some blogs suggesting that Tony did get whacked. Remember what his brother-in-law Bobby said during the first episode this season?

"You never hear it coming."

And just as we see Meadow enter the diner, from Tony's POV... the music and scene ends abruptly as we witness a brutal jump cut to an ominous, deadly silent black screen that seems to hang there for an eternity -- ten seconds. Roll final credits.

Yes, as confounding as the ending -- Episode 86 -- may have been for so many fans, it also served as a reminder that it's only entertainment. And real life marches on, as boring as it may be for many of us now that the saga of The Sopranos has finally ended... or has it?