First 10 Minutes - The Sopranos
The Sopranos - Pilot
Written By David Chase
Directed By David Chase
Download PDF script of the first 10 pages.
Buy the first season here.
The First 10 Minutes
Breakdown
In the first ten minutes of the Sopranos, we meet our main character, get an insight into his home life and his work life while being presented not just with a dilemma to explored in the episode but also a nod towards the some of the themes the show is going to explore.
Characters
Tony Soprano: By the very nature of his introduction there is little doubt that this is a series about Tony Soprano. For example, as he sits in the waiting room we see his perspective as he examines the statue. He is called in by Dr. Melfi and he then recounts the events that led up to his black out. The scenes in the psychiatrist office show a man insecure, looking for help, but not confident that he is in the right place to solve the problems that trouble him. At home we are presented with a different man, by the way his kids treat him he is portrayed as just another dorky dad rather than mafia boss. There is a nod towards the Italian family values (big family party for his son and the act his son is named AJ, Anthony Jr.. At work we see a man who doesn't take any shit and is not above dealing out the violence to those who owe him money. The characterisation here is brilliant as we see a man adjust his temperament and behavior depending on the situation.
Dr. Melfi: Although she will come to have a much larger part in the episode and series, in the first ten minutes the Dr. Melfi character takes a step back to let Tony speak. We see very little of her thoughts towards the man sat opposite her although her stopping his story when she thinks he is going tell her about a crime gives us some indication she know who he is and the fact she laughs as he weaves his away around the story of violence suggests that she is not scared of this man and actually that she is interested in his life beyond that of just a patent.
Carmela: In the brief snap shot of home life we see Carmela getting the kids ready for school, doting over the birthday boy and threatening the teenager over school grades and curfews apart from the wealth of the surroundings there is little to distinguish her from any other mother. The only nod that something is different is a comment to her husband when he says he won't be late from work. "I wasn't talking about work." Whatever you decide that comment refers you know it is not good. It could mean "don't hang out with your friends", but I suspect it means it refers to one of Tony's affairs.
Meadow: Again we are presented with a normal teenager, worried about her weight, fighting with her brother and embarrassed by her parents. There is little hint of her close relationship to her father, but we get that in a later episode College.
AJ: Anthony Jr. again is shown as the typical kid, over weight, mollycoddled by is mother.
Christopher: Unlike the rest of the family we only see Christopher through the eyes of Tony. As a result his purpose in this scene is to demonstrate another side of Tony's character. Whatever frustration Tony has he feels he can vent on his nephew. Unlike his children who are born into his life Christopher is someone he has taken under his wing, he has given him an opportunity and when he fails to live up Tony's expectations he can only express he feelings in anger.
Theme
There is a line near the start of the episode. "It's good to be in something from the ground floor. I came too late for that. I know. But lately I'm getting the feeling that I came in at the end. The best is over." This is pretty much the crux of series, that even though Tony has everything he could want in life, good income, nice house, family he still lacks a sense of achievement and fulfillment in his life. Dr Melfi confirms this analysis. "Many Americans I think feel that way." and Tony responds "I think about my father. He never reached the heights like me. But in a lot of ways he had it better. He had his people. They had their standards, they had pride. Today, what do we got?"
Questions
After 10 minutes we are presented with a series a questions we want to know the answer to.
- What caused Tony to faint
- What will happen at AJ’s birthday party
- Will the man get the money
- Will Meadow stick to her curfew and go to Aspen
- Will we find out more about Tony and Carmela’s relationship
- Can Dr Melfi continue to treat a man who clearly commits crimes.
- Is Tony’s foreboding about work and life justified
Verdict
This is a bit of a no brainer. The Sopranos was a huge hit for a very good reason. This writing is about as tight as anything you will read. There is not a wasted line in these first ten minutes. David Chase has done excellent job of taking the audience into a world we are not familiar with (the mafia), while making it immediately familiar and accessible. Partly this comes from the relationship with is family, the other part from the frustrations he faces with his work life. For the most part Tony deals with the same problems the rest of us deal with, although his methods for dealing with such issues are heightened, freeing him up to go about things in a way we wish we could.
Not really explored in the opening 10 minutes but the tag line for the series sheds more light on the themes of the show. "Meet Tony Soprano. If one family doesn't kill him.... the other family will." At the heart of the show David Chase has created a family man just trying to make his way in life. The fact that he is a mob boss is almost inconsequential.
Go Deeper
The Sopranos Season I, the first and probably best. Out of all the series this is the most self contained, from the the humble beginnings in a psychiatrists office to the gripping finale. This series changed the face of television drama with intelligent plot lines, great dialogue and memorable characters. The re-release contains audio commentary on the pilot, interviews with David Chase and documentaries.
If you are looking for the full experience then look no further than The Complete Sopranos Saga from season 1 to 6.2 (the final season was split into 2 halves). Each season contains special features including featurettes, interviews and commentaries by the cast and crew.
Reading scripts can really help with your writing, the first 10 minutes presented in this article were mixed between the final shooting script and the transcript (used for subtitles), but in the Sopranos Script Book you can enjoy scripts from the first 3 seasons. These include the Pilot, College and The Legend of Tennessee Moltisanti from season 1, The Happy Wanderer from season 2 and Knight in White Satin Armour and Proshai, Livshka from season 3. These are all stand out episodes that are well deserving of study.
Finally for the fans of the show there is the brilliant Sopranos Book. Relive the saga with the ultimate companion to the show, covering all six seasons. It explores the storylines and characters, with a comprehensive guide to all the episodes, profiles and analyses of all the central characters and many never-before-seen photographs. It also goes behind the scenes, featuring interviews with the creator of the show, David Chase, and cast members.
As HBO's biggest hit to date, the show has a special place in their hearts and space on their website that include interviews, behind scenes featurettes and episode guide.
