Seven Souls

William S. Burroughs' gravelly voice overlays the opening sequence of the final Sopranos season (which thankfully is not really supposed to end until after its 2007 reprise). Gore Vidal is quoted ("No good deed goes unpunished"), and Debbie Harry and Blondie suggest poor Gene's moment of realization via their song "Dreaming." The poor guy just wants to move to Florida with his wife and kids, but alas -- this is a business. Meticulous details like these provide beautiful flourishes to the fundamentals of excellent writing, directing, acting and everything else that makes this series so exciting and interesting. On the first viewing, there's the shock of the new to deal with; but on the second, it's pure pleasure.

The Burroughs piece comes from The Western Lands (1987), or more specifically, from a Material album blending their music with Burroughs' spoken word in Seven Souls (1989); there's a remixed version, too -- Road to the Western Lands. The opening catch-up montage is constructed to fit perfectly with Burroughs' incantations. Here's the full text:

The ancient Egyptians postulated seven souls. Top soul, and the first to leave at the moment of death, is Ren, the Secret Name. This corresponds to my Director. He directs the film of your life from conception to death. The Secret Name is the title of your film. When you die, that's where Ren came in.

Second soul, and second one off the sinking ship, is Sekem: Energy, Power, Light. The Director gives the orders, Sekem presses the right buttons.

Number three is Khu, the Guardian Angel. He, she, or it is third man out, depicted as flying away across a full moon, a bird with luminous wings and head of light. Sort of thing you might see on a screen in an Indian restaurant in Panama. The Khu is responsible for the subject and can be injured in his defense -- but not permanently, since the first three souls are eternal. They go back to Heaven for another vessel.
The four remaining souls must take their chances with the subject in the Land of the Dead.

Number four is Ba, the heart, often treacherous. This is a hawk's body with your face on it, shrunk down to the size of a fist. Many a hero has been brought down, like Samson, by a perfidious Ba.

Number five is Ka, the Double, most closely associated with the subject. The Ka, which usually reaches adolescence at the time of bodily death, is the only reliable guide through the Land of the Dead to the western lands.

Number six is Khaibit, the Shadow, Memory, your whole past conditioning from this and other lives.

Number seven is Sekhu, the Remains.

Another nice touch: Uncle Junior, mad as a hatter, watching Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory (1957 -- same year as On the Road) as Dax, the Kirk Douglas character, is being berated for having too much of a heart for his own good: just as Tony, arriving at Junior's house, puts too much stock in placing family loyalty above self-preservation -- especially in the case of his perfidious uncle. (Some nice blood imagery, too). But who can blame them? No good deed goes unpunished.

I need to absorb more of Big Love before writing about it -- but it was a catchy opener, certainly.

Tony Soprano: "If you want to get something done, you got to do it yourself. . . . ." He's got that right! Although sometimes, it's better to delegate to someone reliable like Silvio. And, just like Tony, don't we all know it.

Ciao for now!