Why Martin Scorsese Refused to Watch The Sopranos (& Quit After 1 Episode)

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The HBO series revolutionized television drama with its compelling themes, well-developed characters, and ongoing narratives. Martin Scorsese achieved a similar transformation in the gangster film genre, using the same strengths. Despite their different subjects, both share a remarkable level of artistic quality and impact.

When the 82-year-old director passes away, he’ll be remembered with a bronze statue in Hollywood, and many actors whose careers he helped build will grieve his loss. However, when Martin Scorsese thinks about David Chase and his show, The Sopranos, he becomes visibly angry. This frustration stems from something that happened six years ago, and even now, his reasoning behind it remains unclear.

The Sopranos Was Violent, But Not In That Positive GoodFellas Kind of Way

In 2019, the celebrated director discussed his new gangster film, The Irishman, in an interview with . The conversation covered his decision to cast longtime collaborators, his extensive work in the gangster genre and beyond, how he approaches adapting stories to the screen, juggling multiple Oscar-nominated projects, and even his thoughts on The Sopranos.

Scorsese was asked how the violence in his newest film compares to that in classics like GoodFellas and The Sopranos. The interviewer pointed out that the violence isn’t presented for entertainment in his latest work. Instead, the film emphasizes the heavy consequences and moral weight of each act of violence as it happens.

It’s clear that all three projects feature very different kinds of criminals – ones who are crude, extremely violent, and break the law. The fact that the gangsters in The Irishman had ties to the Teamsters president doesn’t change how awful they were. Despite this, Scorsese made a surprisingly confusing comment.

Yes, that’s precisely what I was trying to express, but I couldn’t quite put it into words. Living that kind of life comes at a cost – everyone involved suffers. It’s definitely not a glamorous existence. While there’s a certain dark humor present, this story takes a different approach altogether.

He admitted he’d only watched one episode of The Sopranos, explaining that he couldn’t relate to the lifestyle portrayed. He found it hard to understand the characters’ world – the large houses in New Jersey, the casual use of profanity even around family – because it was so different from his own upbringing.

During an interview, Scorsese seemed to criticize The Sopranos, and it wasn’t clear if he was aware that his film Casino featured similarly harsh language and violent arguments. The movie shows Sam “Ace” Rothstein (Robert De Niro) and his wife, Ginger McKenna (Sharon Stone), engaging in heated, explicit conflicts, often within earshot of their young daughter, Amy (Erika von Tagen), in their lavish home – a home built on casino money and illegal activities.

Gangster Movies and TV Series: Can’t They All Just Get Along?

Martin Scorsese was discussing The Sopranos, but let’s focus on a different question: what separates a great movie from a great TV show? The setting can vary – it might be 1863 New York City (Gangs of New York), East Los Angeles in 1972 (Blood In Blood Out), 1950s Staten Island (The Godfather), or the 1980s during the rise of crack cocaine (New Jack City).

These stories all feature a powerful and ruthless leader who exploits their community for personal gain, often using any methods they can. You’ll find excessive violence, lots of money, strong language, and extravagant displays of wealth – things we’ve seen countless times before. In fact, it’s remarkably similar to many of Scorsese’s gangster films. Aside from the specific title, there isn’t much to distinguish it.

Being the best at something doesn’t mean others can’t achieve similar results. It’s not true that only one person can excel in a particular field – just because Arnold Schwarzenegger made action movies doesn’t mean no one else could, and the same goes for Stephen King and horror, or Henry Cavill and Superman. These kinds of claims aren’t solid; any perceived ‘rules’ are based on personal opinion, not fact. They all have weaknesses and aren’t completely sound.

Imagine asking a leading expert in a certain field about another influential creator with a similar impact. If that conversation sparked a huge debate within pop culture, and people are still discussing it years later, that’s a pretty remarkable event. And honestly, even stranger things are possible.

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Scorsese vs. Sopranos: Unpacking the Gangster Genre Clash
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2026-04-21 23:39