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MovieMail's Review
Essential, award-winning prohibition-set HBO drama. Godfathered by Martin Scorsese (who also directed the lavish first episode), it's further proof of the vitality of US TV says James Oliver.
Created by Terence Winter (one-time writer and Executive Producer of The Sopranos), godfathered by Martin Scorsese and boasting one of the best ensemble casts in many a year, expectations were understandably high when Boardwalk Empire made its debut last year. Happily, this HBO series quickly made good on its promise and, as this box-set containing the complete first series shows, established itself as one of the better television series of recent times.
It is set at the dawn of America's disastrous experiment with prohibition, as an unholy nexus of politicians and criminals seek to benefit from the new opportunities offered by the ban on booze. The main character is Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson (Steve Buscemi), the heroically corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City, who regulates the new liquor trade in his 'hood.
However, the tightly controlled world of this 'emperor' is falling apart: his protégé Jimmy (Pitt) has fallen in with an ambitious young thug called Al Capone, who doesn't care who he hurts on the way up. The forces of law and order are determined to stop both the flow of alcohol and the bosses that control the trade. And, if all that were not enough, Nucky's head has been turned by a pretty Irish widow, Margaret Schroeder (Macdonald). But will she reciprocate his feelings?
Since this is an HBO show, no expense has been spared to recreate the New Jersey of the Jazz Age; Boardwalk Empire has production values that would make most feature films jealous, let alone TV shows. There are huge sets, such as the full-size replica of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and the beautifully tailored costumes will impress even the least clothes-conscious of viewers.
As enticing as this is, though, it is only decoration. The real attraction of Boardwalk Empire is its vividly drawn characters. As the series progresses and we get to know them and their world, we discover hidden depths to these people. Nucky struggles with loss and regret, desperate for the normality that he believes Margaret Schroeder offers.
This is engrossing, compelling drama, offering yet more proof of the vitality of US TV right now.
All 12 episodes from the first season of the HBO period drama Boardwalk Empire, set during the 1920s Prohibition era. Atlantic County Treasurer Enoch 'Nucky' Thompson (Steve Buscemi) sets up a bootlegging business, hoping to get rich. As he progresses in his venture he crosses paths with politicians and mobsters alike but his lavish lifestyle soon leads the federal government to grow suspicious of his activities. Among the show's executive producers are its creator, 'The Sopranos' writer Terence Winter, and Martin Scorsese, who also directed the pilot.
