Written by C Hues
July 28, 2022
The following contains spoilers for The Sopranos, Season 5, Episode 13. To distinguish between Tony Soprano and his cousin, Tony Soprano is identified in this article as either “Tony”, “Tony Soprano”, or “Tony S”, whereas Tony Blundetto is always identified as “Tony B” or “cousin”.
In The Sopranos, Season 5, Episode 13, “All Due Respect”, the writers and director use historical military and war figures in comparison with Tony Soprano. Tony envisions himself as a military leader and he sees his crew as the troops who take his orders, so he realizes that he must put any feelings that he has for his cousin aside for the sake of appearing powerful for his troops. There are also prevalent themes of death that are associated with the color black, foreshadowing that reveals betrayals in Tony’s crew, and the song “Glad Tidings” by the Ulster Irish singer Van Morrison that signifies Tony’s ambush of his cousin.
Tony is sitting on the couch with Carmela, watching the History Channel on TV in the living room. He is watching a documentary on Erwin Rommel.[1] Rommel was a German military officer who had fought copious battles in World War I and World War II (as a Nazi, committing atrocious acts under Hitler’s command).[2] As Tony’s men start to form serious doubts regarding his leadership, Tony examines the documentary closely. He notices the narrator’s comments about Rommel, “His plans were often startling, instinctive, spontaneous, and not infrequently, obscure. His men idolized him and had boundless faith in him.”[3] Tony sees himself in Rommel and believes that he must act precisely as a military officer who leads his troops by showing them power and strength. Tony sets up a “spontaneous” plan (that was only formed after seeing Paulie’s portrait of Tony as a military General) which ends up “startling” his cousin (Tony B), as he ambushes and murders him when he returns home with a bag of groceries. Rommel was nicknamed the “Desert Fox” for his “speedy surprise attacks”;[4] Tony utilizes a cunning surprise attack against his cousin near the end of the episode as he appears suddenly and blasts him dead with a shotgun. Tony believes that killing his cousin will reestablish the “boundless faith” that his men previously had in him (or at least appeared to have). Alternatively, the Rommel documentary can be seen as an analogy for Vito Spatafore and Paulie Walnuts, both of whom begin to question Tony’s motives behind his back. Vito and Paulie, just like Rommel, had serious concerns about the leadership of his organization and began to doubt the man in charge. Rommel was accused of allegedly plotting against Hitler;[5] Vito suggests to the other members of Tony’s New Jersey crime family that they should “take [Tony] out”[6] if he tries to strike back at Phil (Tony’s enemy from Johnny Sack’s gang) because it will potentially cause a war and casualties that affect Tony’s crew. Paulie, likewise, was secretly speaking to Johnny Sack and betraying Tony by providing him with inflammatory comments that the crew directed toward Sack’s wife.[7] In this episode, Silvio suggests (while refusing to tell specific names) that Paulie has major problems with Tony’s handling of the Tony B situation, which angers Tony.[8]
When Tony visits Paulie later, he sees a portrait of himself and Pie-O-My (Tony’s racehorse who died in a stable fire). However, Tony notices the portrait had been painted over and touched up; Tony now has the appearance of a military general standing next to his beloved horse. Although Tony accuses Paulie of mocking him, the latter explains to Tony that it is a sign of respect and that he sees Tony as a military leader.[9] As my father initially pointed out in a discussion with me regarding this scene, the portrait of Tony and the horse had been retouched to look strikingly like Napoleon.[10] Napoleon was a French military leader who had conquered much of Europe. My father further examined that Tony sees the picture one last time before throwing it in the garbage and he realizes that he must act swiftly and decisively as a military leader would for the sake of his troops. Immediately after this scene, Tony goes to kill his cousin.[11] In Season 2, Episode 9, Dr. Melfi asks Tony if he ever worries about going to hell for the copious crimes that he commits. Tony objects, stating,
“We’re soldiers. Soldiers don’t go to hell. It’s war. Soldiers, they kill other soldiers. We’re in a situation where everybody involved knows the stakes. And if you’re gonna accept those stakes, you gotta do certain things.”[12]
Tony, at least from nearly the beginning, has seen himself as a leader of soldiers, and through the Rommel and Napoleon comparisons, is able to finally convince himself to act as a soldier would—which is to kill. Tony tells the crew and himself that his cousin would have been tortured by Phil and his lackeys, so the immediate killing of Tony B seems like a mercy killing.[13] However, as established by Melfi, Tony’s feelings toward his cousin stem from “guilt and shame”[14] and are not rooted in love. Tony is acting out of the preservation of his own self-image, and he needs to kill Tony B to let the crew know that he is still strong. This self-preservation is seen even earlier as Tony corrects Tony B when the latter insults him in Season 5, Episode 2, and tells him to never make those jokes in front of the crew. Tony must maintain the appearance of the tough, militaristic leader, unless he prefers his men to mutiny.
Tony’s real name, Anthony, is indicative of how he views himself, as a militaristic figure. The name Anthony is largely known for being attributed to Mark Antony, or Marcus Antonius (as he was originally called). He was a Roman General who ruled the Roman Empire together with Augustus, until his eventual death that was followed by his lover, Cleopatra.[15] When Tony is at dinner, having a meeting with his mafia Family, Ray Curto, a capo in his crew, is seen at the opposite end of the table from Tony. As Tony sits at the head, Ray sits in the chair in the back. Their antithetical positions reveal the adverse nature of their relationship: Ray is secretly an enemy to Tony and feeds the FBI information about his crew.[16] Unbeknownst to the Soprano crew, Ray has been an informant for a long time and is trying to dismantle the crew from the inside.
Throughout virtually every scene in the episode, Tony is wearing black.[17] Black is the color most associated with death in Western culture and especially American culture. It is frequently worn at funerals. Tony’s incessant wearing of black clothing foreshadows his eventual murder of Tony B. When Tony finally kills Tony B, he shoots him in the head. Typically, most would use the shotgun for a body shot and kill their target with that method. However, Tony shooting his cousin in the head is purposeful and ties back to previous revelations about Tony B’s intelligence. Tony B was tested to have a genius level IQ when he was younger.[18] He demonstrates a few times throughout the show that he is a rather intelligent person that is tragically lacking in common sense. Tony S shooting Tony B in the head is done to signify that for all of Tony B’s intelligence, his mind was also his downfall (as he made dumb decision after dumb decision, particularly murdering Phil Leotardo’s brother, Billy).[19] After Tony B’s death, when Tony meets with John, there are significant amounts of snow around them. The snow is also symbolic of death, and signals Johnny Sack’s demise in the following season.[20]
Lastly, Northern Irish singer Van Morrison’s song, “Glad Tidings”,[21] foreshadows Tony B’s demise. The song is first heard on the radio when Christopher complains to Silvio that Tony S is not doing enough to protect him.[22] It appears again right as Tony B returns to his hideout house and is killed by Tony Soprano. The lyrics, “And they’ll lay you down low in the easy / And the lips that you kiss will say Christmas”[23] can be seen as a metaphor for death, as Tony B is literally laid down low after Tony S kills him. The line about “Christmas” is appropriate, as the snow that falls after Tony B is shot symbolizes his death.[24] Right before Tony kills his cousin, the line “Hope that you will come in right on time”[25] appears. Tony does appear “right on time” to kill Tony B and to avoid an outright war between the New York and New Jersey mafia. Lastly, the lyrics “That surprise”[26] appear at least thrice in the song. Tony Soprano does “surprise” Tony B (and perhaps even himself and the viewer that he would kill his own family).
In “All Due Respect”, Tony reasserts his authority and realizes that he must kill his cousin so that he can continue to lead his crew as a General would lead his troops. He sees a television program of Rommel and a portrait that reflects Napoleon, and he fashions himself after these militaristic leaders to make difficult but decisive decisions. Tony constantly wears black throughout the episode to signal Tony B’s death. The snowfall also harkens to Tony B’s demise, and Van Morrison’s song “Glad Tidings” also foreshadows Tony B’s death.
[1] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[2] “Erwin Rommel.” History.com. Editors. Jan 7, 2022. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/erwin-rommel
[3] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[4] “Erwin Rommel.” History.com. Editors. Jan 7, 2022. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/erwin-rommel
[5] Ibid.
[6] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[7] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Seasons 4, 5, & 6. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[8] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[9] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[10] “Napoleon.” History.com. Editors. Nov 9, 2009. Updated Sep 27, 2019. https://www.history.com/topics/france/napoleon
[11] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[12] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Writer: Michael Imperioli. Director: Henry J. Bronchtein. Season 2, Episode 9. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[13] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[14] Ibid.
[15] “Anthony”. www.behindthename.com. Accessed July 28, 2022.
[16] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Seasons 5-6. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[17] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[18] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Writer: Terrence Winter & David Chase. Director: Tim Van Patten. Season 5, Episode 1. Writer: Matthew Weiner. Director: Alan Taylor. Season 5, Episode 2. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[19] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[20] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 6A, 6B. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[21] “Glad Tidings”. Written and Performed by George Ivan Morrison (Van Morrison). Warner Chappell Music, Inc. LyricFind.com
[22] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[23] “Glad Tidings”. Written and Performed by George Ivan Morrison (Van Morrison). Warner Chappell Music, Inc. LyricFind.com
[24] The Sopranos. TV Network: HBO. Genre: Crime. Creator, Executive producer: David Chase. Season 5, Episode 13. Writer: David Chase & Robin Green & Mitchell Burgess. Director: John Patterson. https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/the_sopranos
[25] “Glad Tidings”. Written and Performed by George Ivan Morrison (Van Morrison). Warner Chappell Music, Inc. LyricFind.com
[26] Ibid.