Amour Fou (The Sopranos episode)
Encyclopedia
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- For the film, see L'amour fouL'Amour fouL'amour fou is a 1969 movie directed by Jacques Rivette.L'amour fou follows the dissolution of the marriage between Claire, an actress , and Sebastien, her director . It is black and white with two different film gauges employed at different times throughout the film...
.
- For the film, see L'amour fou
"Amour Fou" is the thirty-eighth episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
and was the twelfth of the show's third season. Its teleplay was written by Frank Renzulli
Frank Renzulli
Frank Renzulli is an American film actor, writer and producer.As an Emmy nominated writer and Golden Globe winner, Renzulli has written teleplays for The Sopranos, mainly in the first two seasons, and another Emmy nominated episode in the third season of the highly acclaimed television show...
from a story idea by series creator, David Chase
David Chase
David Chase is an American writer, director, and producer of television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first, Almost Grown,...
. It was directed by Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten
Tim Van Patten is an American television director, actor, screenwriter, and producer. As a director, Van Patten has directed episodes of The Sopranos, The Wire, Deadwood, Boardwalk Empire, Rome, The Pacific, Game of Thrones, Ed, and Sex and the City. Van Patten is perhaps best known for portraying...
and originally aired on Sunday May 13, 2001.
Guest starring roles
- Sharon AngelaSharon AngelaSharon Angela is an American film, television actress, screenwriter and director. Angela is probably most well known for her portrayal of Rosalie Aprile on the HBO series, The Sopranos....
as Rosalie Aprile - Jason CerboneJason CerboneJason Cerbone is an actor from Yonkers, New York.He got his start acting at age 4, appearing on a commercial for Sesame Street. He signed with the Ford Modeling Agency in New York City at age 7. Jason later appeared in Bon Jovi's "Silent Night" music video, as well as the title character in...
as Jackie Aprile, Jr.Jackie Aprile, Jr.Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into... - Louis Crugnali as Carlo Renzi
- Andrew Davoli as Dino Zerilli
- Robert FunaroRobert FunaroRobert Funaro is an American film and television actor. Funaro is best known for the role of Eugene Pontecorvo in the Emmy Award-winning television series The Sopranos...
as Eugene Pontecorvo - Dan GrimaldiDan GrimaldiDaniel "Dan" Grimaldi is an American actor who is known for his roles as twins Philly and Patsy Parisi on the HBO TV series, The Sopranos.-Career:...
as Patsy Parisi - Toni KalemToni KalemToni Kalem is an American actress, screenwriter and director. Kalem is best known for her portrayal of Angie Bonpensiero on the HBO series, The Sopranos....
as Angie Bonpensiero - Richard Maldone as Ally Boy Barese
- Annabella SciorraAnnabella SciorraAnnabella Sciorra is an American film, television, and stage actress. Sciorra received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead for the 1989 film True Love, and came to widespread attention in her co-lead role in Spike Lee's 1991 film Jungle Fever...
as Gloria Trillo - Nick TarabayNick TarabayNick E. Tarabay is an American actor of Lebanese descent.- Early life :Tarabay was born in Tripoli, Lebanon to a large family. His mother and father still reside in Lebanon as does his younger brother and a large extended family of cousins, uncles and aunts. He moved to New York after high school...
as Matush Gia - Maureen Van ZandtMaureen Van ZandtMaureen Van Zandt is an Italian-American television actress best known for her small role Gabriella Dante, a close friend to Carmela Soprano on the HBO series, The Sopranos....
as Gabriella Dante - Isaach De BankoléIsaach De BankoléIsaach or Isaac de Bankolé is an Ivorian actor.-Work:He has appeared in over 30 films, including Jim Jarmusch's Night on Earth, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, and Coffee and Cigarettes...
as Father Obosi
Episode recap
Carmela SopranoCarmela Soprano
Carmela Soprano née DeAngelis, played by Edie Falco, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the wife of Mafia boss Tony Soprano and the program's most prominent female character.-Character biography:...
meets Meadow
Meadow Soprano
Meadow Mariangela Soprano , played by Jamie-Lynn Sigler, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos.-Character:Meadow is the first-born child of Tony and Carmela Soprano...
in an art museum when Carmela begins spotting blood. She asks her for a tampon
Tampon
A tampon is a mass of cotton or rayon or a mixture of the two inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb bodilyfluid. The most common type in daily use is designed to be inserted into the vagina during menstruation to absorb the flow of menstrual fluid...
and excuses herself to go to the Ladies' Room, then returns to find Meadow looking at paintings. Carmela is brought to tears when she sees Jusepe de Ribera's The Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Later, while watching a commercial on television, Carmela begins to sob but quickly regains her composure when she realizes it is only a commercial for Pedigree
Pedigree Petfoods
Pedigree Petfoods is a subsidiary of the american group Mars, Incorporated specializing in pet food, with factories in Great Britain at Melton Mowbray, Peterborough and Birstall, Leeds; and offices at Waltham-on-the-Wolds.-Manchester:...
dog food. She later takes confession
Confession
This article is for the religious practice of confessing one's sins.Confession is the acknowledgment of sin or wrongs...
with a priest who is pursuing a doctorate degree in psychology. Carmela tells the priest that she is worried that she has ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian cancer is a cancerous growth arising from the ovary. Symptoms are frequently very subtle early on and may include: bloating, pelvic pain, difficulty eating and frequent urination, and are easily confused with other illnesses....
and of her encounter with Dr. Krakower. The priest asks Carmela if she loves Tony
Tony Soprano
Anthony John "Tony" Soprano, Sr. is an Italian-American fictional character and the protagonist on the HBO television drama series The Sopranos, on which he is portrayed by James Gandolfini. The character was conceived by The Sopranos creator and show runner David Chase, who was also largely...
, to which she replies, "I do". He then advises her not to leave him but to help him grow, to be more loving to him, and to "live on the good and forgo the bad". Over lunch with the other mob wives, Carmela tells them she has a clean bill of health and that she was worried she was pregnant, but it turned out to be a thyroid
Thyroid
The thyroid gland or simply, the thyroid , in vertebrate anatomy, is one of the largest endocrine glands. The thyroid gland is found in the neck, below the thyroid cartilage...
problem. Rosalie Aprile tells them that they should all admire Hillary Clinton, not for her personality but for the way she handled herself when Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
admitted his affair, which included her ultimately "setting up her own thing". Carmela believes that this is true and that "she should be a role model to all of us".
Tony continues to see Gloria Trillo, even as her erratic behavior continues. She apologizes to him in the parking lot of Jennifer Melfi
Jennifer Melfi
Jennifer Melfi, M.D., is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the psychiatrist of Mafia boss Tony Soprano. She is portrayed by Lorraine Bracco.-Character description:...
's office, but Tony reminds her that if she were a guy "I wouldn't have to tell you where you would be right now." Gloria apologizes and wants the relationship to work but Tony needs time to think. When he tells this to Dr. Melfi, she once again tells him that Gloria is a lot like his mother, Livia
Livia Soprano
Livia Soprano , played by Nancy Marchand, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. She is the mother of Tony Soprano. A young Livia, played by Laila Robins and later by Laurie J. Williams is sometimes seen in flashbacks...
, while Tony is unwilling to commit on the issue. Melfi then tells Tony that Gloria did love him. Tony decides to give the relationship another chance but when Gloria blows up at Tony when her tires get slashed, and he finds out that she drove Carmela home from Globe Motors after Carmela dropped off her Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
station wagon
Station wagon
A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...
for service (and later called Carmela), he calls the relationship off permanently. During a heated argument with Gloria, he slaps her and she mockingly says, "Poor you", and that she should "...sit back like a mute". These are phrases that Livia had said to Tony more than once, and he suddenly realizes that she is exactly like his mother ("I've known you my whole fucking life"). Gloria also derides Carmela as a "goombah
Goombah
coommah may refer to* Pronunciation of "compare" in the Neapolitan language or dialect. In the feminine form it becomes "goomah", a mistress or lover...
housewife" who puts up with anything in exchange for a big "gaudy" ring. When he goes for the door, Gloria threatens to tell Carmela and Meadow about the affair if he leaves. Enraged, he attacks her, upending her dining room table and throwing her across the room. The fight continues and he begins to choke her. She begs him to kill her but he leaves instead.
Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Jackie Aprile, Jr.
Giacomo Michael Aprile, Jr. , played by Jason Cerbone, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. In the episode "...To Save Us All From Satan's Power", Cerbone's younger brother Matt played a younger Jackie Jr. in a flashback sequence.-Plot details:Jackie Aprile, Jr. was born into...
and his friend Dino Zerilli want to get ahead in life and become more than mere associates. After hearing Ralph Cifaretto's story of how Tony and Jackie Aprile, Sr. got on the fast track to getting made after robbing "Feech" La Manna's Saturday night card game, the two plan to do the same during Eugene Pontecorvo's game, asking Carlo Renzi to join them, because he has a shotgun. Arriving at the spot, Jackie hesitates and tries to back out, even though he was the one who initiated the idea. But Dino convinces him to go through with it "before the crank wears off." The three don ski masks and enter the Aprile crew hangout where the poker game is taking place, but are alarmed when the players include some familiar faces: Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher Moltisanti
Christopher "Chris" Moltisanti, played by Michael Imperioli, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was Tony Soprano's protégé and a Capo in the Soprano crime family.-Biography:...
, Furio Giunta
Furio Giunta
Furio Giunta, played by Federico Castelluccio, is a fictional character on the HBO TV series The Sopranos. He was an Italian mobster working for Tony Soprano.-Biography:...
, and Ally Boy Barese. Carlo and Dino demand that the players give them their money and to be quiet while Jackie stays silent for fear his voice will be recognized. The dealer, "Sunshine", keeps heckling the would-be robbers and is shot and killed by a panicking Jackie. As the mobsters draw guns, a firefight breaks out: Furio is shot in the thigh by Jackie, and Christopher shoots Carlo in the forehead. Matush, who is Jackie's getaway driver, abandons the robbers as soon as he hears the gunshots, and when Jackie and Dino flee into the street, Jackie resorts to carjacking
Carjacking
Carjacking is a form of hijacking, where the crime is of stealing a motor vehicle and so also armed assault when the vehicle is occupied. Historically, such as in the rash of semi-trailer truck hijackings during the 1960s, the general term hijacking was used for that type of vehicle abduction,...
a passing vehicle, deserting Dino, who is caught and executed by Ally Boy and Christopher. Furio is rushed to the office of Dr. Fried, a urologist. In the waiting room, Christopher warns Tony that he knows Jackie Jr. was the escaped robber and that he has to be killed. However, Tony seems troubled, due to his long history with Jackie Jr.'s father.
At the pork store the following morning, Ralphie meets Tony to discuss the fate of Jackie, Jr. Ralphie wants to give him a "pass" because of Ralph's relationship with Jackie's mother, Rosalie, but because of what happened with Furio and Sunshine he cannot easily let it go. Tony tells Ralphie that since Pontecorvo is a member of Ralphie's crew, and it was his game, it is his decision, but to make sure that it is the right one, and that he will understand if Ralphie gives Jackie a pass. However, Tony hints to Ralphie that if he does give Jackie a pass, he may lose the respect of the other captains and Tony himself, but advises him not to be concerned about what they think. This affords Tony a clear conscience in the matter. Ralphie later tells Rosalie that Jackie probably went to Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and that he has a substance abuse problem, which deeply upsets her.
Patsy Parisi is then shown taking a test drive
Test drive
A test drive is the driving of an automobile to assess its drivability, or roadworthiness, and general operating state. A person who tests vehicles for a living, either for an automobile company or a motorsports team, is called a test driver....
with Gloria in a Mercedes-Benz. He pulls over in an isolated area and threatens her with a gun, telling her in not so many words, to stay away from Tony or they would be "scraping [her] nipples off these fine, leather seats". He then gets into his Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
, which was already parked at the scene, leaving her stunned and crying in the test car. Patsy is later shown having a mundane conversation on his cell phone about groceries, and driving off uneventfully in his car.
Deceased
- "Sunshine": a card dealer for the mob who was shot during the poker robbery.
- Carlo Renzi: shot by Christopher in the face during the poker robbery.
- Dino Zerilli: shot in the head outside of the Aprile hangout by Christopher and Ally Boy Barese.
Title reference
- The translation from FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
is "crazy love", a term Dr. Melfi uses to describe the conflicted relationship between Tony and Gloria. Tony later mispronounces it "Our mofoMotherfuckerMotherfucker is a vulgarism which, in its most literal sense, refers to one who participates in sexual intercourse with a mother, either someone else's mother, or his own.- Variants :...
". - Title of an autobiographical, surrealist book by André BretonAndré BretonAndré Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism"....
(1937), which in English is titled Mad Love. - Title of a filmL'Amour fouL'amour fou is a 1969 movie directed by Jacques Rivette.L'amour fou follows the dissolution of the marriage between Claire, an actress , and Sebastien, her director . It is black and white with two different film gauges employed at different times throughout the film...
by Jacques RivetteJacques RivetteJacques Rivette is a French film director. His most well known films include Celine and Julie Go Boating, La Belle Noiseuse and the cult film Out 1....
(1969).
Production
- The working title for this episode was "Stepping Up".
- On the commentary on the season three DVD, David ChaseDavid ChaseDavid Chase is an American writer, director, and producer of television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first, Almost Grown,...
affirms that this episode features "the biggest gunfight we ever shot." - The tiny shell casings which can be seen striking the pavement after Chris executes Dino outside the card game were added into the scene in post-production using CGIComputer-generated imageryComputer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
.
Goofs
- When Patsy Parisi is in the car with Gloria, the car is first a Mercedes-Benz E-ClassMercedes-Benz E-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. The E initially stood for Einspritzmotor, ; a new feature in volume production vehicles at the time that the E-Class first appeared, with the E as a suffix to the...
and then when the angle changes, it's a Mercedes-Benz S-ClassMercedes-Benz S-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The classification was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s...
.
Connections to other media
- Jackie and Dino are seen watching the infamous "leg cross" scene from the film Basic InstinctBasic InstinctBasic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
on television. - During a violent argument, Gloria Trillo grabs a corkscrewCorkscrewA corkscrew is a kitchen tool for drawing stopping corks from wine bottles. Generally, a corkscrew consists of a pointed metallic helix attached to a handle. The user grips the handle and screws the metal point into the cork, until the helix is firmly embedded, then a vertical pull on the...
to use as a weapon in self-defense against Tony, reminiscent of a scene between James GandolfiniJames GandolfiniJames J. Gandolfini, Jr. is an Italian American actor. He is best known for his role as Tony Soprano in the HBO TV series The Sopranos, about a troubled crime boss struggling to balance his family life and career in the Mafia...
and Patricia ArquettePatricia ArquettePatricia T. Arquette is an American actress and director. She played the lead character in the supernatural drama series Medium for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series....
in True RomanceTrue RomanceTrue Romance is a 1993 American romance crime film written by Quentin Tarantino and directed by Tony Scott. The film stars Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette with an ensemble cast consisting of Christopher Walken, Dennis Hopper, Gary Oldman, Chris Penn, Tom Sizemore, Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin...
, wherein his character is stabbed in the foot with a corkscrew.
Music
- This episode opens with the same music that closes the previous episode, "Pine BarrensPine Barrens (The Sopranos episode)"Pine Barrens" is the thirty-seventh episode of the HBO original series The Sopranos and the eleventh of the show's third season. Its teleplay was written by Terence Winter from a story idea by Winter and Tim Van Patten...
" – the ariaAriaAn aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
"Sposa son disprezzataSposa son disprezzataSposa son disprezzata is an Italian aria written by Geminiano Giacomelli. It is used in Vivaldi's pasticcio, Bajazet....
" from the opera BajazetBajazet (opera)Bajazet is an Italian opera composed by Antonio Vivaldi in 1735. Its libretto was written by Agostino Piovene. It was premiered in Verona, during the Carnival season of that year. This opera is presented in 3 acts, with a three-movement sinfonia as an introduction...
by Antonio VivaldiAntonio VivaldiAntonio Lucio Vivaldi , nicknamed because of his red hair, was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist, born in Venice. Vivaldi is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, and his influence during his lifetime was widespread over Europe...
, sung by Cecilia BartoliCecilia BartoliCecilia Bartoli is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best-known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and classical music...
. - The BanglesThe BanglesThe Bangles are an American all-female band that originated in the early 1980s, scoring several hit singles during the decade.-Formation and early years :...
' song, "Walk Like an EgyptianWalk Like an Egyptian"Walk Like an Egyptian" is a number-one hit from the album Different Light by The Bangles in 1986.-Origin:Liam Sternberg wrote the song after seeing people on a ferry walking awkwardly to keep their balance, which reminded him of figures in Ancient Egyptian reliefs. The opening lyrics state, "All...
", is playing in the Ooh-Fa Pizzeria, a regular hangout of Chris, when he sits down with Jackie and Dino. - The music played when Ralphie returns to Rosalie is Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
's cover of Dean MartinDean MartinDean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
's song, "Ritorna-Me". - While Tony Soprano is with Gloria, she turns on the song "Affection" by Little Steven and the Lost BoysSteven Van ZandtSteven Van Zandt is an Italian-American musician, songwriter, arranger, record producer, actor, and radio disc jockey, who frequently goes by the stage names Little Steven or Miami Steve...
. The same song is played over the end credits. Lead singer Steve Van Zandt plays Silvio Dante on the show. The song's inclusion may also be a reference to the episode title.