The premier episode of Boardwalk Empire was like going into the bathroom, lifting the toilet seat, and beginning to pee after several drinks. But, as the urine commences to flow, and you feel that pleasant rush of endorphins, you start to hear the shallow breath of someone lurking behind the drawn shower curtain next to you. Just as the episode was ending, you begin to see the faint silhouette of this dark passenger who is about to collide with your life.
So, first some background. The first episode of HBO’s triumphant new series details the week just after prohibition was passed. Enoch “Nucky” Thompson, treasurer of Atlantic City, quickly sets in motion wheels and deals with the local and Chicago mafia to make sure his town doesn’t go dry. This kingpin, who practically runs the Atlantic City boardwalk on which he resides, has his finger metaphorically dipped in every business in town. Thus, he is constantly re-elected and uses his in’s with the mayor to elect who he wants to town council. For example, his brother, the sheriff. Enter Margaret Schroeder. She is a thick-accented Irishwoman who comes to Nucky for help. She hopes to gain employment for her husband, but instead receives enough money to last her and her family through winter. After, a deal “goes bad” when a shipment of booze going to Chicago is hijacked by one of Nucky’s own men, Nucky has the blame pinned on Margaret’s abusive husband (who hours earlier killed his unborn child in a drunken rage) who is found in a fishing net the next day. The episode then ends with Nucky visiting the recovering Margaret in the hospital.
What immediately struck me was how cinematic this show was. Cleverly executed by one of my favorite directors, Martin Scorsese, this episode plays out in a complicated and intriguing way. It is staged as elegantly as Scorsese’s The Aviator, but is told in such a mature way that it rivals any pattern of storytelling out there. Scorsese hardly gives anything away until you want it the most. And when you finally get what you want out of the story, it feels so good.
As for the acting, there is not a weak member of the ensemble. Steve Buscemi, who plays Thompson, is the best leader of any ensemble television has seen in years. Schroeder handles her practically silent role elegantly but with a very beautiful hidden judgment behind each line. However, the actor who stands out the most is Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man). He plays Arnold Rothstein, a ruthless swindler from Chicago. He is so immersed in his role especially considering how little screen time he actually has. He truly embodies his role better than any other member of the cast. This is not to disregard the almost as amazing acting job of Michael Shannon, who really gets to shine in the second episode. Shannon works the role of a federal agent who is on to Nucky’s business. He mixes a disgustingly real performance as a pious, unlikeable character with a very subtle dark side that emerges only ever so slightly to the viewers.
The production quality is amazing. $30 million put into the first three episodes alone. What this means is massive cinematography, even greater and wider sweeping sets, and a wardrobe that would make any British period piece shit its corset. They constructed an entire boardwalk for Christ sake.
Now, the second episode is like a mentally handicap holding a Faberge egg after being told there is chocolate inside. It sets the tension even closer to the edge but right as the egg is about to shatter, it once again ends rather abruptly. Pssh, as if they needed a hook to keep us watching. Without Scorsese’s direction, the shots get a bit more clumsy and a little less grand, but they still do the job. The writing suffers not in the least, and it really seemed up to par with the first episode. As for the plot…in the style of the show itself…you’ll just have to wait till next time.
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