Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988) is an Italian film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. It was internationally released as Cinema Paradiso in France, Spain, the UK and the US.
It was originally released in Italy at 155 minutes but poor box office performance in its native country led to it being shortened to 123 minutes for international release. It was an instant success. This international version won the Special Jury Prize at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival and the 1989 Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. In 2002, the director's cut 173-minute version was released (known in the U.S. as Cinema Paradiso: The New Version).
It stars Jacques Perrin, Philippe Noiret, Leopoldo Trieste, Marco Leonardi, Agnese Nano and Salvatore Cascio. It was produced by Franco Cristaldi and Giovanna Romagnoli, and the music was by Ennio Morricone along with his son Andrea Morricone.
Told in flashback, it tells the story of the return to his native Sicilian village of a successful film director Salvatore for the funeral of his old friend Alfredo, who was the projectionist at the local "Cinema Paradiso". Ultimately, Alfredo serves as a wise father figure to his young friend who only wishes the best to see him succeed, even if it means breaking his heart in the process.
The film intertwines sentimentality with comedy, and nostalgia with pragmaticism. It explores issues of youth, coming of age, and reflections (in adulthood) about the past. The imagery in each scene can be said to reflect Salvatore's idealised memories about his childhood. Cinema Paradiso is also a celebration of films; as a projectionist, young Salvatore (a.k.a Totò) develops the passion for films that shape his life path in adulthood.
Plot
Famous film director Salvatore Di Vita (played by real-life film producer Jacques Perrin) returns home late one evening, where his girlfriend sleepily tells him that his mother called to tell him that Alfredo has died. It is made clear that Salvatore tends to shy away from committed relationships and that he has not been back to his home village in many years. As she asks him who Alfredo is, Salvatore flashes back to his childhood.
The bulk of the film takes place in this flashback, which takes place shortly after World War II. We meet Salvatore. the mischievous, highly intelligent son of a war widow. Six-year-old Salvatore discovers his love for films early and spends every free moment at the local moviehouse--Cinema Paradiso, where he develops a friendship with the grandfatherly projectionist, Alfredo, who takes a shine to the young boy and often lets him watch movies in the projection booth. The montage ends as the moviehouse catches fire--film reels in those days were highly flammable. Salvatore saves Alfredo's life, but the old man loses his sight as a result.
The scene abruptly jumps forward a decade or so. Salvatore, now in high school, has taken over Alfredo's duties at the rebuilt moviehouse, though he continues to befriend the old man and look to him for advice--advice that Alfredo often dispenses by quoting classic films. Concurrently, we see that Salvatore has started experimenting with moviemaking with a home movie camera, and we witness as Salvatore meets the new girl, Elena, daughter of a wealthy banker. We watch Salvatore woo--and win--Elena's heart, only to lose her due to her father's disapproval. As Elena and her family move away, Salvatore leaves town to serve his compulsory military service. His attempts to write her and keep in touch are rebuffed; she never writes back. Upon his return from the military, Alfredo urges Salvatore to move away permanently, counseling him that the town is too small to enable Salvatore to ever find his dreams. Moreover, the old man tells him that once he leaves, he must pursue his destiny wholeheartedly and never look back--never returning to visit, and never contacting him again.
Back in the present, we understand that Salvatore has obeyed Alfredo but is now returning home for the first time since he left to attend the funeral. Though his hometown has changed greatly, he now understands why Alfredo thought it was so important that he leave. Alfredo's widow tells him that the old man followed Salvatore's successes with pride and has left him something--an unlabeled reel of film.
Salvatore returns to Rome. At this point in the 123-minute release, he watches Alfredo's reel and discovers that it is a montage of movie kisses--footage from the old moviehouse that Salvatore and Alfredo had cut from movies way back in the day on orders of the local priest, who considered such scenes indecent. Salvatore is clearly moved by the gift's meaning--one last gift and one last kiss from his father figure.
In the 154-minute version of the film, Salvatore returns to Rome and happens upon a young girl who looks so similar to the teenaged Elena that she can only be a relative. Following the teen, Salvatore is reunited with his longlost love--the girl's mother. He strives to rekindle their romance, and while she clearly wishes it were possible, she finally rejects his entreaties, choosing to leave their romance in the past. We also learn from Elena that the reason they lost touch was because Alfredo asked her to cut ties with him, fearing that Salvatore's romantic fulfillment would only distract him from his destiny and ambitions, limiting what he might achieve in life. Alfredo convinces her that if she loves Salvatore, she must leave him for his own good.
The original cut then ends with Salvatore viewing the film reel that Alfredo left for him, tears in his eyes. The mood is far more bittersweet, as Salvatore sees Alfredo as both the source of great love in his life--and great pain.
Reception
Cinema Paradiso was a critical and box-office success and is regarded by many as a classic. It is particularly renowned for the famous 'kissing scenes' montage near the end of the film. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1990. The film is often credited for reviving Italy's film industry which later produced Mediterraneo and Life is Beautiful.
Cast
External links
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