Boardwalk Empire: Season One

After HBO’s “The Sopranos” series presented Italian mobsters like no other show, New Jersey formed an immediate association with crime, gangsters, and above all, a hub for organized, ethnic crimes. “The Sopranos” ended almost five-years ago, and now there is a new series from HBO, “Boardwalk Empire” set in Atlantic City, New Jersey, dealing with gangsters and corrupt politicians, yet again. After watching the first season of “Boardwalk Empire,” HBO, as always, continues to create some of the best TV shows, and show creators have succeeded in creating a series that is captivating and realistic in its representation of the tumultuous era of the 1920s, set in the midst of Prohibition and in the aftermath of the World War I.

In the first season, the emphasis is on the five main characters: Nucky Thompson (Steve Buscemi), Jimmy (Michael Pitt), Margaret (Kelly Macdonald), Al Capone (Stephen Graham), and Van Alden (Michael Shannon). In the opening episode (“Boardwalk Empire”), directed by Martin Scorsese, the story starts with a group of bootleggers smuggling illegal whiskey from Canada to the U.S. Armed robbers at gunpoint loot their consignment as the group enters the border. In fact, these robbers are Jimmy and Al and this event sets the course of things to follow. Nucky is the corrupt treasurer of Atlantic County, and the most-powerful political figure in Atlantic City. It is revealed that the illegal liquor belonged to a New York kingpin, Rothstein (Michael Stuhlbarg). Because of his partnership with Nucky, Rothstein pressures Nucky to bear the cost of the damages in the robbery. Jimmy later gives Nucky his share of the loot, but Nucky is unhappy about Jimmy’s involvement and he demands more.

Meanwhile, a Federal Prohibition agent, Van Alden is investigating the shootings in the robbery that leads him to Atlantic City. He suspects other people are merely used as cover-ups, and, in fact, the crime is committed on the orders of a powerful politician. Van Alden questions a key witness in the robbery, while Nucky and his men try to silence the witness. On the domestic front, Jimmy is having marital issues with his wife, Angela (Aleska Palladino), failing to hold on to a stable job. Along the way, Nucky, initially, develops a physical relationship with Margaret, who eventually becomes his mistress. Finally, Nucky’s brother, Eli (Shea Whigham) is caught in the crossfire with a rival gang and is lethally shot.

Like other HBO series, the show creators are willing to take risks with the project. First and foremost, “Boardwalk Empire” is a period piece, and the first season, devotes heavily in setting up the key characters and in constructing the cultural and political atmosphere of the 20s and 30s. Often moving at a leisurely pace, the action comes later and in short bursts. We understand the complexities of the characters, which is a result of full characterizations by the writers. The characters are presented in tough situations, involving the family, friends, and of course, the gangsters of Atlantic City. Nucky is the primary protagonist of the show, or rather an antagonist, driving the main plot. He is shown as a firm-headed person, willing to utilize his power to the fullest in any situation. He is manipulative, quick on his feet, and never willing to take a “no” for an answer. Nucky’s awareness in precarious situations and his shrewd mindset helps him a lot in staying ahead in the game. An episode (“Home”) describes a turbulent relationship that existed between Nucky and his father, who was abusive and violent to him. At one point, Nucky refurbishes the house and then later burns down the house, thinking it will eliminate the bad memories associated with his childhood.

On the personal front, Nucky is still grieving the loss of his wife, and in Margaret, he finds a consoling mate. But in Nucky’s world, a woman cannot question a man, even in a disagreement. In this show, women are shown as mainly female bodies willing to impress men who are only driven by the lust. Women are shown as prostitutes, often succumbing to gangster violence; wives are silenced by violent husbands who are often drunk and sleep with other women. But Margaret has a different personality, always putting up a brave front and willing to speak her peace of mind; indeed, she is the go-getter type. Even when she is fearless at times, Margaret operates within the boundaries of her personality, fully aware of her limitations and strengths. This, however, surprises Nucky who always thought Margaret as a passive person, let alone be vocal. Nonetheless, the depiction of women might be problematic at times, but then it is representative of how men viewed women’s place in society in the 1920s.

This brings me to my two favorite characters, Jimmy and his friend, Richard Harrow (Jack Huston). Jimmy has an unstable personality on the domestic front, but on the professional front, he carriers a firm appearance that projects self-assurance. If need be, he can be a physically violent, tough-talking gangster not willing to back down. But like other characters in the show, Jimmy is also battling his daemons, as a result of his past assignment in World War I. The War has changed him, and occasionally at home, he seems disengaged in family matters. He disappears without a trace, leaving Angela alone to take care of their son. His comradery with Al and Richard showcases the best side of his temperament; mutual admiration oozes and he feels comfortable and settled with his gangster friends. Being a war veteran, Jimmy connects more with Richard. Richard was a sniper with the Army, after an operation disfigures his right side of the face. As a person, he is congenial and soft-spoken. However, when it comes to aiming, Richard never misses his target. He executes an operation with deadly precision, showing qualities of a good marksman. Surely, by the time we get a full rundown on the characters, we realize that they are still dealing with the past, and that the past has left an unspeakable impact on their personalities.

The show’s structure conforms to a movie’s structure, wherein we are presented three acts, each act enhancing the story and its characters. In the first few episodes, we are introduced to a key character and his life. The supporting players get reasonable screen time, too. There are several story arcs, but the most pertinent story segments, intertwines all the characters together. It’s easy for a show to go off track with a structure that can feel disjointed, but “Boardwalk Empire” is a tightly focused series that is helped with a detailed narrative and a set of fully settled characters. Historically, the show is authentic. The characters map to real-life figures, and even though their stories are fictional, the show describes the true nature of the Prohibition era and people in the 20s very well.

Video:

“Boardwalk Empire” is presented in 1080p, encoded using an AVC codec, in an aspect ratio of 1:78.1. The detail leaps out in almost all the scenes, bringing out minute period details. The palette is modified when compared to modern shows, to reflect period detail; grays and blacks are dominant with solid blacks. Colors are vivid, too. The close-ups reveal superb details; fabric texture of suits is clearly visible and faces look sharp. There are many dark scenes in the show, and the contrast never exhibits wide variations. There is occasional softness in some scenes but that is deliberate; however, sharpness is never an issue, as it stays consistently stable. The flesh tones are warm and realistic and never appear overly processed.

Audio:

HBO has presented an immersive 5.1 DTS-HD Master track for this release. The show’s sound design is diverse. There are a lot of quiet moments interspersed with action sequences, following with loud moments capturing the hustle-and-bustle on Boardwalk. The show is mostly a dialogue-driven affair, and the dialogue remains clean and crisp. In the action segments, the loud engine noises trigger the LFE and rear channels. The track also captures the noises coming from the busy streets of Atlantic City. The gunshots are punchy, and the bullets sound realistic, too.

Extras:

First, each episode is provided with an enhanced Picture-in-Picture experience that has interviews, commentaries, historical background on Prohibition and gangsters of Atlantic City. In addition to this, there are a total of six audio commentaries in the episodes: “Boardwalk Empire,” “Anastasia,” “Family Limitation,” “Hold Me in Paradise,” “Paris Green,” and “Return to Normalcy.” We also get a character dossier on each episode that gives a rundown on each character in an episode.

Next, “Atlantic City: The Original Sin City” is an interesting documentary that provides historical background on Prohibition, gangsters, politicians, class structure of Atlantic City in the 1920s and 1930s. Up next, “Speakeasy Tour” is a segment that talks about the Prohibition era in New York and Chicago, and people involved running the illicit alcohol market.

Following this, “Making of Boardwalk Empire” shows interviews with the cast and filmmakers, as discuss the script and characters of this period piece. “Creating the Boardwalk” is a short segment on how the 20s was created for this show.

Parting Thoughts:

“Boardwalk Empire” is a fabulous show that is powered by a marvelous lead performance from Steve Buscemi and the supporting cast as well. Featuring rich and unforgettable characters, the show is historically accurate, which is further benefited by filmmakers’ ability in developing the era of the 1920s. The first season takes a while to get going, as the screenplay focuses on developing the key characters for the second season. In spite of its slow pace in the middle, “Boardwalk Empire” is hugely entertaining and immensely rewarding in the end. With the success of “Boardwalk Empire,” “Treme,” and “Game of Thrones,” HBO remains the leading source of top home TV series, and it’s hard to see any TV channel emulating HBO’s success. This Blu-ray scores high in all departments.

Final Ratings:
Video = 9/10
Audio = 9/10
Extras = 8/10
Show Rating = 8/10