“Without the continued support of good, decent women like you… Men like me would be nowhere.” A perhaps unintentionally veiled insult delivered by Atlantic City’s treasurer, Enoch Thompson, speaks monumental truths about the main character’s agenda and racketeer status. Steve Buscemi plays “Nucky” Thompson – a slick mob boss and corrupt politician who seeks to capitalize on the forthcoming prohibition era, the dawn of which he spends discussing plans to rake in mass amounts of “clams” with his equally opportunistic cohorts. Writer Terence Winter tends to favor these tableside discussions, and this particular scene sets the foundation for the remainder of the series. Representatives from each of society’s focal pillars – the mayor, city counsel members, police, etc. – all partake in formulating a grand scheme that’ll make them richer than they can imagine through alcohol bootlegging. Per the usual routine, HBO knocks the pilot episode of its latest crime drama clear out of the park.
Boardwalk Empire emboldens the entirety of the 1920s makeup. Socially-acceptable spousal abuse, youthful World War I veterans, blatant corruption in all facets of government, and of course, a widespread panic about the evils of liquor. All of these aspects are accurately recreated and do well in giving viewers a feel for the roaring early century America. Sets, costumes, verbiage, and music are so specifically tailored to the 20s lifestyle that casual viewers may have trouble deducing whether this is a TV series or a major motion picture. It certainly helps that Martin Scorsese was deeply involved in the show’s production from early on, in addition to creating a blueprint for future directors to mimic. Whether or not they’ll perform to his standards remains to be seen.
Great writing complements fantastic direction, and to top off a beyond solid pilot episode, the show has just the right amount of violence and gore, skirting the line between necessary and gratuitous. All courtesy of Boardwalk Empire’s diamond-in-the-rough studded cast. As an example, Nucky’s right hand man Jimmy (Michael Pitt) seems to be channeling Leonardo DiCaprio circa The Departed/Inception, sporting a similar hair style, often squinty “are you serious?” eyes, cigarette smoking tricks, unabashed contempt for everyone but his mentor, and easily triggered temper. Jimmy is the antithesis to Nucky, who would prefer to follow the Mr. Pink methodology of remaining professional. This is in stark contrast to Jimmy’s idea of getting things done, which is as much derived from his naivety as it is his eagerness to prove his worth. Those traits lead him to put himself and Nucky in a dangerous position toward the episodes end, up until which point watching how their relationship unfolds is a continuously shocking and rewarding experience.
Nothing feels out of place or forced in Boardwalk Empire; the smooth flow of dialogue exchanges intricately mixed with plot-forwarding scenes perfectly complements the tinge of comedy housed within the series’ depth. And make no mistake, this is a multi-layered show. While the first and foremost object of focus will undoubtedly entail the development of Nucky’s and Jimmy’s partnership, outside players looking to gain that extra edge hold the potential to undermine everything Nucky has thrown together. As of the debut episode, Jimmy already encounters federal agents who’re hip to Nucky’s deviant practices. Apart from this obvious threat, a wealth of his business associates are either dangerously interested solely in making money or have somewhat foggy intentions. These relationships are sure to keep Nucky on his toes, who deals with his fair share of cleaning up thanks to both Jimmy and a domestically abusive husband.
When all was said and done, I found myself heartily anticipating Boardwalk Empire’s next episode. The quality and realism imbued in the series is at least par for the course from HBO. Tack on the appearances of 1920s-unique content and figures such as silent films and Al Capone, respectively, and the show has an excellent platform upon which to ensure its success. Boardwalk Empire bleeds Atlantic City gold, and the decision to have Steve Buscemi at the acting helm will only serve the show orders of magnitude better than it would with any other lead. He’s as smooth as he can be abrasive, as humorous as he can be deadly serious, and all-around the ideal player for such a demanding role. I’m positive I’ll be enjoying next week’s episode as much as I did Al Capone’s jeers of “Hit ‘em! Fuckin’ hit ‘em!” during the surprise midget boxing match. Cheers to what will surely be a phenomenal new way to spend Sunday evenings this side of AMC’s Mad Men.
