Many Saints of Newark, The: Director Alan Taylor’s Challenges

Director Alan Taylor, ‘Many Saints of Newark’ on Tackling Newark Riots and Race

The ‘Sopranos’ prequel director, executive producer Marcus Viscidi talk about portraying the 1967 riots as the film’s backdrop and the unexpected timeliness of a story more than a decade in the making.

 

When The Many Saints of Newark began shooting in 2019, the national conversation around Black racial justice looked and sounded different, to say the least.

But then the coronavirus pandemic hit, and as it shut down the world, the murder of George Floyd and other Black Americans by police forced the country out of its homes. Issues around systemic racism became the heartbeat of entire neighborhoods, cities and institutions for months.

The Sopranos prequel, a decade and a half in the making and set to the backdrop of the 1967 Newark Riots, and so the material had an unexpected weight and some unavoidable parallels.

For Alan Taylor, the film’s director, telling the story of the Newark Riots was a chance to recreate a moment of significant history, and one few know about.

 

The Sopranos

But he was also really daunted by it, a feeling that likely grew during the “strange” experience of having started a film in one year and by the time filming ended, delivering it in “a very different world with a very different consciousness,” he said at the opening night of the Tribeca Fall Preview screening.

That cultural shift due to the 2020 protests impacted some of what audiences will see, and some things that were reshot.

Corey Stoll, who plays Junior Soprano, said: “They went back and did some reshoots and there was real re-examination in  light of last summer. And that was a really good thing to do because we can’t understand what’s happening now without looking at our history.”

Those changes, says executive producer Marcus Viscidi were about authenticity and sensitivity. “When we looked at the movie again after the riots, we tried to look at and go, ‘OK, are we commercializing, in any way, or taking advantage of something that people went through that affected their lives significantly in the ’60s,” he said ahead of the New York City screening. “We really tried to make sure that we felt that the scenes we shot, and the moments we shot, were truthful. We wanted to make sure that we never took it out of context or out of the reality of what people were actually experiencing.”

“To try and get it right was hugely important and so I just did a ton of research,” Taylor said about his work. “Almost every image you see was grounded in visuals we found from the time so that we didn’t sort of go off and do make-believe.”

There is a moment in the film where a young Black kid is shot during the riots, which the team “lifted from a story of a boy who wound up on the cover of Life magazine.” While 26 others died in Newark during what became known as “the long host summer of 1967,” that boy, Joe Bass Jr., lived after being hit by bullet from a police officer.

One of the moments drawn for real-life, it helps underscore the approach taken by the director and team, including long-time collaborator and Sopranos creator David Chase. They also brought in consultants, including a Black Panther imprisoned for 13 years. “We showed the film to him and he said we got it right,” the director said.

Lazy loaded image
Alan Taylor at the premiere of ‘The Many Saints of Newark’ at Beacon Theatre. TAYLOR HILL / FILMMAGIC

The film was dedicated to bringing authenticity to their recreation of those four fiery days after the brutal police beating of Black Newark resident and taxi driver John William Smith. “We had people coming out of their homes from the neighborhood, older people who remember from their childhood. Some of them had tears in their eyes saying it was exactly as they remembered it. So that was also a kind of confirmation for us.”

But the movie delivers its own kind of Sopranos brutality. Taylor said that setting the riots as the backdrop was about more than just delivering on the violence the HBO series was known for. While Viscidi said the riots don’t really inform Tony’s development (much of that credit goes to his uncle Dickie Soprano’s journey), it plays monumental role in the arc of Leslie Odom Jr.’s Harold McBrayer.

“It’s not just to show the violence. It’s also thematically part of our movie because there’s one character Harold, played by Leslie Odom Jr, who participates in this and is radicalized by this,” Taylor explained. “It changes the way he thinks of himself, and it’s because of those events that he gets empowered in himself to turn against the mob and to wise up.”

The backdrop also plays role in one of the movie’s central relationships. “The riots were a critical moment for the race relations between Italians and Blacks living in Newark,” Viscidi said. “I think it is clear that David wanted to set that up as a pivotal moment in the relationships between the two cultures at that time in 1967, and it reflects in the story with Harod McBrayer and Dickie Soprano] who grew up as high school friends and now they’re on opposing sides. And to me, those opposing sides — the riots — are part of that work and propels the story.”

As for young Tony, his story is driven by something different. a highly anticipated on-screen appearance portrayed in his teens by the late Sopranos‘ star James Gandolfini’s son, Michael.

While fans might expect an origins story about the gangster who changed TV forever, Taylor said “he’s not the main character and this is not really an origin story as such.”  Young Tony is “the heart of the movie” and one set of eyes through which audiences will see the background conflicts of the riots and foreground conflicts of the Soprano family and business.

“There are a lot of scenes, like the funeral and we’re watching Dickie explode, and it’s absolutely grounded in Tony’s point of view. We sort of see it from that little kid’s point of view, looking to the grown-up bodies at what’s going on,” Taylor said. “I think it was important to feel him powerfully in the movie even though structurally it’s Dickie’s story. I just kept thinking that Tony is the heart of the movie and Michael became the heart of the movie when we were making it.”

For young Tony, those eyes are influenced by family patriarch whose cultural and familial obligations are underpinned by lessons and mindsets around sexism, racism and masculinity. Dickie’s is “an image of perfection and control,” says Alessandro Nivola, of a man who “inside is slowly unraveling emotionally.”

“This was the height of the Italian patriarchal family. I play somebody who really was expected to have a wife and a mistress, to have women cook for him, to have his own freedom and autonomy,” Nivola said. “But women in his life are not afforded the same kind of luxury. It’s not even questioned. It’s just part of a natural order of things at that time in this particular culture.”

“We’d like to think that we’ve moved on from there but in the same way that the racial discrimination that’s depicted in the film exists, it looks almost identical to the stuff we’re still seeing and saw last year,” he added.

Lazy loaded image
Michael Galdolfini, Alessandro Nivola and William Ludwig at the ‘The Many Saints Of Newark’ Tribeca Fall Preview at Beacon Theatre. ARTURO HOLMES / WIREIMAGE

Despite the riots informing the film’s Black lead and his former friend, the issue of racism has shaped  others of the film’s characters. Jon Bernthal, who plays Tony’s father, Johnny Soprano, says it’s an issue his character represents, helping illustrate the story of our country, the people who occupy it and the continuous flow of gains and losses around progress.

“These characters — especially the one that I play — are enormously upset with change. And he’s enormously trying to control both the family that he chose and the family that he’s born into. He wants to keep control over it so tightly. He hates change. Hates the way the country’s going, and he is so afraid of it,” Bernthal said. “I feel there’s so many people in this country that feel right now. It’s like, my god, man, you gotta let that shit go. But it’s also important to portray those kinds of characters and try to understand that this is something we’ve been dealing with.”

“I think that it was very smart, that David Chase set this story smack in the middle of that environment and that struggle,” he continued.

Actress Leslie Margherita, who plays Iris Balducci, said that being in a story that’s portraying the big social issues of the ’60s as they’re happening around you in real life can be difficult.

“You watch this film and literally it’s happening now. It’s so timeless,” she said. “To be in that world and recognize what’s happening in our world now, it’s still really really difficult as an actor, as you’re having to play the truth of what life in the ’60s was and realizing that it’s crazier that things haven’t changed enough.”

As for how well The Many Saints of Newark ultimately delivers on the truth of its moment in time, Taylor says: “I was nervous about whether or not it was going to make the transition. I think we did a good enough job and it made the transition, but we’re gonna find out by the audiences reaction.

xosotin chelseathông tin chuyển nhượngcâu lạc bộ bóng đá arsenalbóng đá atalantabundesligacầu thủ haalandUEFAevertonxosokeonhacaiketquabongdalichthidau7m.newskqbdtysokeobongdabongdalufutebol ao vivofutemaxmulticanaisonbetbsport.fitonbet88.oooi9bet.bizhi88.ooookvip.atf8bet.atfb88.cashvn88.cashshbet.atbóng đá world cupbóng đá inter milantin juventusbenzemala ligaclb leicester cityMUman citymessi lionelsalahnapolineymarpsgronaldoserie atottenhamvalenciaAS ROMALeverkusenac milanmbappenapolinewcastleaston villaliverpoolfa cupreal madridpremier leagueAjaxbao bong da247EPLbarcelonabournemouthaff cupasean footballbên lề sân cỏbáo bóng đá mớibóng đá cúp thế giớitin bóng đá ViệtUEFAbáo bóng đá việt namHuyền thoại bóng đágiải ngoại hạng anhSeagametap chi bong da the gioitin bong da lutrận đấu hôm nayviệt nam bóng đátin nong bong daBóng đá nữthể thao 7m24h bóng đábóng đá hôm naythe thao ngoai hang anhtin nhanh bóng đáphòng thay đồ bóng đábóng đá phủikèo nhà cái onbetbóng đá lu 2thông tin phòng thay đồthe thao vuaapp đánh lô đềdudoanxosoxổ số giải đặc biệthôm nay xổ sốkèo đẹp hôm nayketquaxosokq xskqxsmnsoi cầu ba miềnsoi cau thong kesxkt hôm naythế giới xổ sốxổ số 24hxo.soxoso3mienxo so ba mienxoso dac bietxosodientoanxổ số dự đoánvé số chiều xổxoso ket quaxosokienthietxoso kq hôm nayxoso ktxổ số megaxổ số mới nhất hôm nayxoso truc tiepxoso ViệtSX3MIENxs dự đoánxs mien bac hom nayxs miên namxsmientrungxsmn thu 7con số may mắn hôm nayKQXS 3 miền Bắc Trung Nam Nhanhdự đoán xổ số 3 miềndò vé sốdu doan xo so hom nayket qua xo xoket qua xo so.vntrúng thưởng xo sokq xoso trực tiếpket qua xskqxs 247số miền nams0x0 mienbacxosobamien hôm naysố đẹp hôm naysố đẹp trực tuyếnnuôi số đẹpxo so hom quaxoso ketquaxstruc tiep hom nayxổ số kiến thiết trực tiếpxổ số kq hôm nayso xo kq trực tuyenkết quả xổ số miền bắc trực tiếpxo so miền namxổ số miền nam trực tiếptrực tiếp xổ số hôm nayket wa xsKQ XOSOxoso onlinexo so truc tiep hom nayxsttso mien bac trong ngàyKQXS3Msố so mien bacdu doan xo so onlinedu doan cau loxổ số kenokqxs vnKQXOSOKQXS hôm naytrực tiếp kết quả xổ số ba miềncap lo dep nhat hom naysoi cầu chuẩn hôm nayso ket qua xo soXem kết quả xổ số nhanh nhấtSX3MIENXSMB chủ nhậtKQXSMNkết quả mở giải trực tuyếnGiờ vàng chốt số OnlineĐánh Đề Con Gìdò số miền namdò vé số hôm nayso mo so debach thủ lô đẹp nhất hôm naycầu đề hôm naykết quả xổ số kiến thiết toàn quốccau dep 88xsmb rong bach kimket qua xs 2023dự đoán xổ số hàng ngàyBạch thủ đề miền BắcSoi Cầu MB thần tàisoi cau vip 247soi cầu tốtsoi cầu miễn phísoi cau mb vipxsmb hom nayxs vietlottxsmn hôm naycầu lô đẹpthống kê lô kép xổ số miền Bắcquay thử xsmnxổ số thần tàiQuay thử XSMTxổ số chiều nayxo so mien nam hom nayweb đánh lô đề trực tuyến uy tínKQXS hôm nayxsmb ngày hôm nayXSMT chủ nhậtxổ số Power 6/55KQXS A trúng roycao thủ chốt sốbảng xổ số đặc biệtsoi cầu 247 vipsoi cầu wap 666Soi cầu miễn phí 888 VIPSoi Cau Chuan MBđộc thủ desố miền bắcthần tài cho sốKết quả xổ số thần tàiXem trực tiếp xổ sốXIN SỐ THẦN TÀI THỔ ĐỊACầu lô số đẹplô đẹp vip 24hsoi cầu miễn phí 888xổ số kiến thiết chiều nayXSMN thứ 7 hàng tuầnKết quả Xổ số Hồ Chí Minhnhà cái xổ số Việt NamXổ Số Đại PhátXổ số mới nhất Hôm Nayso xo mb hom nayxxmb88quay thu mbXo so Minh ChinhXS Minh Ngọc trực tiếp hôm nayXSMN 88XSTDxs than taixổ số UY TIN NHẤTxs vietlott 88SOI CẦU SIÊU CHUẨNSoiCauVietlô đẹp hôm nay vipket qua so xo hom naykqxsmb 30 ngàydự đoán xổ số 3 miềnSoi cầu 3 càng chuẩn xácbạch thủ lônuoi lo chuanbắt lô chuẩn theo ngàykq xo-solô 3 càngnuôi lô đề siêu vipcầu Lô Xiên XSMBđề về bao nhiêuSoi cầu x3xổ số kiến thiết ngày hôm nayquay thử xsmttruc tiep kết quả sxmntrực tiếp miền bắckết quả xổ số chấm vnbảng xs đặc biệt năm 2023soi cau xsmbxổ số hà nội hôm naysxmtxsmt hôm nayxs truc tiep mbketqua xo so onlinekqxs onlinexo số hôm nayXS3MTin xs hôm nayxsmn thu2XSMN hom nayxổ số miền bắc trực tiếp hôm naySO XOxsmbsxmn hôm nay188betlink188 xo sosoi cầu vip 88lô tô việtsoi lô việtXS247xs ba miềnchốt lô đẹp nhất hôm naychốt số xsmbCHƠI LÔ TÔsoi cau mn hom naychốt lô chuẩndu doan sxmtdự đoán xổ số onlinerồng bạch kim chốt 3 càng miễn phí hôm naythống kê lô gan miền bắcdàn đề lôCầu Kèo Đặc Biệtchốt cầu may mắnkết quả xổ số miền bắc hômSoi cầu vàng 777thẻ bài onlinedu doan mn 888soi cầu miền nam vipsoi cầu mt vipdàn de hôm nay7 cao thủ chốt sốsoi cau mien phi 7777 cao thủ chốt số nức tiếng3 càng miền bắcrồng bạch kim 777dàn de bất bạion newsddxsmn188betw88w88789bettf88sin88suvipsunwintf88five8812betsv88vn88Top 10 nhà cái uy tínsky88iwinlucky88nhacaisin88oxbetm88vn88w88789betiwinf8betrio66rio66lucky88oxbetvn88188bet789betMay-88five88one88sin88bk88xbetoxbetMU88188BETSV88RIO66ONBET88188betM88M88SV88Jun-68Jun-88one88iwinv9betw388OXBETw388w388onbetonbetonbetonbet88onbet88onbet88onbet88onbetonbetonbetonbetqh88mu88Nhà cái uy tínpog79vp777vp777vipbetvipbetuk88uk88typhu88typhu88tk88tk88sm66sm66me88me888live8live8livesm66me88win798livesm66me88win79pog79pog79vp777vp777uk88uk88tk88tk88luck8luck8kingbet86kingbet86k188k188hr99hr99123b8xbetvnvipbetsv66zbettaisunwin-vntyphu88vn138vwinvwinvi68ee881xbetrio66zbetvn138i9betvipfi88clubcf68onbet88ee88typhu88onbetonbetkhuyenmai12bet-moblie12betmoblietaimienphi247vi68clupcf68clupvipbeti9betqh88onb123onbefsoi cầunổ hũbắn cáđá gàđá gàgame bàicasinosoi cầuxóc đĩagame bàigiải mã giấc mơbầu cuaslot gamecasinonổ hủdàn đềBắn cácasinodàn đềnổ hũtài xỉuslot gamecasinobắn cáđá gàgame bàithể thaogame bàisoi cầukqsssoi cầucờ tướngbắn cágame bàixóc đĩa开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育亚新体育亚新体育亚新体育爱游戏爱游戏爱游戏华体会华体会华体会IM体育IM体育沙巴体育沙巴体育PM体育PM体育AG尊龙AG尊龙AG尊龙AG百家乐AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人<AG真人<皇冠体育皇冠体育PG电子PG电子万博体育万博体育KOK体育KOK体育欧宝体育江南体育江南体育江南体育半岛体育半岛体育半岛体育凯发娱乐凯发娱乐杏彩体育杏彩体育杏彩体育FB体育PM真人PM真人<米乐娱乐米乐娱乐天博体育天博体育开元棋牌开元棋牌j9九游会j9九游会开云体育AG百家乐AG百家乐AG真人AG真人爱游戏华体会华体会im体育kok体育开云体育开云体育开云体育乐鱼体育乐鱼体育欧宝体育ob体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育亚博体育开云体育开云体育棋牌棋牌沙巴体育买球平台新葡京娱乐开云体育mu88qh88