Re: Analysis: "It's All There": How David Chase killed Tony Soprano

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Thanks Fly! That means a lot to me coming from you. I probably will edit my expose at least a couple more times, add some bells and whistles, make it an easier read. I just had to hurry up and get my thoughts down as quickly as they were happening before they were lost. Theres a certain space immediately after finishing the entire series that so many things seem so clear in retrospect. Sort of like life. I appreciate that this site still live, and I noticed people in the lobbies reading stuff. I still come here, because it feels like there is still more to explore and discuss. Your writings have been incredible and inspiring. You deserve credit Fly for helping me watch TV and films in a whole new way. Im so glad I found this place and so glad you've kept it going. TO me this place remains an authority on the subject. Salut!
You know, Vito called me “skip” the other day. Slip of the tongue, no doubt. But I noticed he didn’t correct himself.

Re: Analysis: "It's All There": How David Chase killed Tony Soprano

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David Chase gives more insight into the shooting of the last episode, including his intent.

http://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Artic ... ranos.aspx

He says more or less that he intended to build suspense - and it's obvious that he was successful at that. The moment was fraught with potential of danger. But maybe he built that suspense too strong and it defeated his purpose.

He says that he intended to leave what happened ambiguous and that the final segment of black was not intended as a shot at all. He says that he didn't see that reaction coming as it did, being taken as death. He used the anthem-like music, intending to leave the viewer continuing to believe - apparently that anything can happen, and one should never give up. The reformability of humans, and all that. But in this he seems to have failed. He built the suspense so powerfully that, taken together with human nature which demands a conclusion, he inadvertently led people to believe that they saw Tony's death. All of that could be true, and that it was the simple artistic failure that he's admitted for a long time.

I don't know one way or the other whether I believe him. Whether he's just being coy to avoid breaking his promise to Journey that their song would not accompany Tony's death. But it doesn't matter. We have to judge the final episode by what it depicts, and that seems to me to be a surreal vision of an idealized and redeemed Soprano family together in harmony at the end, not omitting a metaphorical communion, in an idealized and surreal vision of a restuarant, with a rock music song stirring us on to never lose faith, but with danger yet lurking at every turn.

That's how I saw it when I was last posting here about two years ago, and these latest comments tend to reinforce me in those beliefs.

Re: Analysis: "It's All There": How David Chase killed Tony Soprano

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He says that he did not achieve the effect he wanted - to leave people thinking that everyone is redeemable - that we should trust and believe in the potential for change.

It's hard to find many who were affected in this direction by a viewing of the final episode.

What he achieved was a debate about whether Tony was assasinated or not, with the large majority holding that he was.

He aimed for the spiritual but hit the audience right in the guts.

He's called that a failure several times. Who am I to disagree?

Re: Analysis: "It's All There": How David Chase killed Tony Soprano

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He says that he did not achieve the effect he wanted - to leave people thinking that everyone is redeemable - that we should trust and believe in the potential for change.

It's hard to find many who were affected in this direction by a viewing of the final episode.

What he achieved was a debate about whether Tony was assasinated or not, with the large majority holding that he was.

He aimed for the spiritual but hit the audience right in the guts.

He's called that a failure several times. Who am I to disagree?

Re: Analysis: "It's All There": How David Chase killed Tony Soprano

406
Sorry xxlaw, i was not aware, had not seen Chase's comment about wanting to show that "everyone was redeemable". Except for the fact that Tony could possibly have made decisions differently and chosen a path toward redemption, and that he had occasionally and often shown redeemable aspects in his complex personality, Chase did then miss the mark of the finale and final scene was supposed to convey that. I agree with you, I don't see where anyone would, could or should have gotten that perspective from the material and method.

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