'The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story' Episode 1: "The Man Who Would Be Vogue"
by Conner Tighe
On the new season of American Crime Story, Ryan Murphy takes another stab at an infamous event in America’s history. Gianni Versace’s death shocked the country and produced the largest failed manhunt in American history. Since we are living in a time of constant scandalous revelations, it’s only appropriate that this story be told now as a form of justice for the victims. There are notable cast members in the show including Darren Criss, Penélope Cruz, Ricky Martin and Édgar Ramírez. There was substantial hype for the season and the premiere lived up to it. Let’s take a look at what made last night’s episode so brilliant.
Image from IMDb
The opening scene of the show is a good place to start. We, as the audience, watch Versace go through his morning routine. During this time we also are introduced to Andrew Cunanan. We slowly watch as Cunanan goes crazy and behaves erratically. We don’t understand why he’s acting this way. Versace goes to buy a newspaper and returns to his villa when he hears someone approach him from behind. Andrew cocks his handgun and fires. Versace responds simply with “No.” This is a powerful opening to the show and an instant attention grabber.
The acting is superb in this episode and characters are introduced relatively quickly. Andrew Cunanan is not all he appears to be after we learn he is a sociopath. He tells the story of when he first met Versace and his admiration for his way of life. His fixation on Versace is creepy and he is very clever with his killings. Versace was only the fifth victim of Cunanan’s. Versace’s partner Antonio D’Amico shows extreme sorrow when he learns of his lover’s death. He consults with Gianni’s sister Donatella about the future of Versace’s company.
Image from IMDb
I can see this show turning into a binge marathon as each episode is roughly an hour long. The first episode alone was well-done and the acting was amazing. Each character had their own role to play with very little character overlap. The backstory was important to the plot and easy to interpret and understand. For those who don't know the story behind Versace’s death, this show is a great way to look into the details, specifically the mind of madman Andrew Cunanan. It’s also important to mention that the show provides a face to the name. For those that are familiar with the story already, the show goes beyond just descriptions of the victims.
