As well as the many references to The Godfather in the dialogue The Sopranos featured many scenes that visually referenced or subverted scenes from the classic mob movie. As a series about a mob boss who wants to stop his children following in his footsteps, The Sopranos is clearly influenced by Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel. The characters in The Sopranos they are regularly referenced in the film, mainly through Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) loyal lieutenant Silvio Dante (Steven Van Zandt), who regularly entertains his fellow mobsters with his Al Pacino impressions.
Hilariously, Silvio appeared to Tony inside The Sopranos “Funhouse” dream sequence wearing Pacino’s brick-red cardigan from The Godfather Part III. Sil warned Tony that “Our real enemy has yet to be revealed“, paraphrasing Michael Corleone’s claim that “Our true enemy has not yet shown his faceHowever, this is not the only visual reference The Godfather trilogy in The Sopranosso here’s every scene that visually references the hugely influential film.
8th Tony is shot while buying orange juice
The Sopranos Season 1 culminates in a devastating betrayal when Tony’s mother Livia Soprano (Nancy Marchand) and his uncle Junior (Dominic Chianese) plot to murder him. Junior worries that Tony seeking treatment is a liability to the family, while Livia is furious that her son put her in assisted living. As Tony stops to buy orange juice and a newspaper, two low-level criminals hired by Junior try to kill Tony and make it look like a carjacking. Tony survives the hit and doesn’t hit Uncle Junior, but weakens his position by hitting one of his closest advisors.
It’s a clear homage to the scene The Godfather where Don Corleone is shot while buying oranges. Both Tony and Corleone see the gunman approaching them and both try to get to safety, losing their oranges in the process. A bullet shatters Tony’s juice bottle, while Don Corleone’s paper bag tears and scatters the oranges on the street. Tony, however, gives up much more of the fight, disarming one of the gunmen while driving his car after they accidentally kill their partner. Glad to have survived the hit, Tony plows his vehicle into a row of parked cars. It’s a moment that reminds viewers of the cultural metrics David Chase’s show is influenced by, while reminding them of the importance of oranges in The Godfather.
7 The Funeral Home
When Sonny Corleone (James Caan) was shot to death by Barzini assassins The GodfatherDon Corleone was horrified at how “was slaughteredHe told the funeral director to use all his strength and skill to restore Sonny’s body before the open casket funeral. The Sopranos Season 3 includes a comedic twist on this scene when Tony and his sisters prepare for their mother Livia’s funeral. The complex relationship between Tony and his mother is key to understanding his character and his godfather the reference is perfectly executed to reveal the vast difference between the Corleone and Soprano families.
After the sudden death of Tony Soprano’s mother in Season 3, Tony and his sisters were informed by the funeral director at Cozzarelli’s Funeral Home that they would “I use all my strength, all my abilities“in a clear lift from The Godfather. Jokingly, Tony responded to this heartfelt promise by telling him not to “go crazyIt turns the scene brilliantly The Godfather showing Tony’s ambivalence towards his mother, who could care less about how she appears during the funeral. There is also an unspoken acknowledgment that Tony recognizes this godfather mentions and realizes how exaggerated the comparison is with Sonny, who was brutally shot to death, and Tony’s mother, dead of old age.
6 The Moe Greene Special
The murder of Brendan Filone (Anthony DeSando) has two godfather bibliographical references. Visually, the shot of Brendan’s dead body in the bathroom is a reference to the murder of Frank Pentangeli (Michael V. Gazzo) in The Godfather Part II. Brendan’s manner of death and how it is reported by Sal “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore) is another reference to the first godfather film. Brendan gets shot through the eyes”Styled by Moe Greene”, referring to the scene towards its end The Godfather when casino owner and mob enforcer Moe Greene (Alex Rocco) is shot in the eye while receiving a massage.
5 All night
At its peak The Godfather Part IIIthe Corleone family gathers to see Anthony Corleone (Franc D’Ambrosio) play the title role in Pietro Mascagani’s one-act opera Cavalleria rusticana. Michael is visibly moved by his son’s performance, but Anthony’s career-high is juxtaposed with several deaths that have culminated in poor judgment. godfather 3. The Sopranos referred to in this scene in Season 1, Episode 3, “Denial, Anger, Acceptance”, when Tony and Carmela Soprano (Edie Falco) attend a play at their daughter’s school. As Tony is visibly moved by Meadow (Jamie Lynn Sigler) singing traditional Christmas carols “All Through The Night,” the show juxtaposes the murder of Brendan Filone and the mock execution of Christopher Moltisanti (Michael Imperioli).
4 Abandoned houses
both godfather 3 but The Sopranos Season 5 opens with an autumn view of their protagonists’ seemingly abandoned homes. Michael Corleone’s Lake Tahoe compound was abandoned at some point in between The Godfather 2 but 3, and it’s likely due to Michael’s guilt over ordering the death of his brother Fredo (John Casale). Opening the delayed soprano Season 5’s similar footage of Tony’s abandoned mansion foreshadows the difficult choice Tony will have to make at the end.
While the poor condition of Tony’s beloved pool suggests its absence after his breakup with Carmela at the end of season 4, the resemblance to godfather 3Its openness becomes clearer in hindsight. After introducing Tony Blundetto (Steve Buscemi) as Tony’s cousin, who went to jail for him when they were younger, The Sopranos makes a similar bet with Michael and Fredo. Until the end of it The Sopranos Season 5 Tony realizes he must make the difficult decision to kill his beloved cousin through two more godfather bibliographical references.
3 The gun on the toilet seat
The Season 5 episode “The Test Dream” has two clear visual references The Godfather. The first of these refers to the iconic diner scene where Michael Corleone, seeking revenge for the hit on his father, unsheaths a pistol from behind a toilet tank before shooting McCluskey (Sterling Hayden) and Solozzo (Al Lieteri). It’s a tense scene because the longer the scene goes on, the more it feels like the gun might not even be there.
This tension is what the scene in “The Test Dream” cleverly plays on as Tony enters a restaurant bathroom, also looking for a gun. Once inside, Tony checks behind the toilet cistern and is horrified to discover that there is no gun attached to his backside. Michael Corleone’s worst nightmare then morphs into Tony’s own worst nightmare as he hears gunshots erupt in the street outside the restaurant, leading to both a terrifying revelation and another reference to The Godfather.
2 The Hit On Phil Leotardo
Still in the dream, Tony Blundetto fires several bullets into a car containing Phil Leotardo (Good friends actor Frank Vincent). This confirms to Tony that the situation between the Leotardos and his cousin is a ticking time bomb. The fictional shot of Phil in his car is familiar from many gangster films, but director Allen Coulter frames Phil’s corpse in a clear reference back to The Godfather. Lying on his back in the street in his gray tracksuit, covered in blood and bullet holes, Phil is Sonny’s mirror image in The Godfather. Ambushed by the Berzini killers at the tollbooth, Sonny is shot to death in his car. Emerging from the wreckage, he collapses on his back, his gray suit covered in blood and bullet holes.
1 Tony Soprano and the Guilt of Michael Corleone
At the end of it godfather 2after ordering the death of his brother Fredo, The Godfather‘small Michael Corleone reflects on the happiest times with his brother. He recalls how Fredo was the only member of the Corleone family who supported him joining the army. The Sopranos Season 5 ends in a similar fashion, with Tony Soprano reflecting on happier times with his cousin Tony B after having to kill him. Both Michael and Tony feel guilty about their actions and recognize the impact their lifestyles are having on their relationships. It is this deep human connection between Corleone and the Soprano that this highlights The Sopranos but The Godfather they are much more than hollow and exploitative gangster stories.
