What an EXPERIENCE it has been! This one is a must-see rather must-have in your movie library. Read on to find more details, but First some trivia.
It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1990. The movie first released in 1989(length 155 minutes) and bombed on box-office. Then it released internationally(123 minutes) and became instant classic both commercially and critically. But best version is the one released in 2002 as Nuovo Cinema Paradiso - Director’s cut(length: 173 minutes). According to many this movie revived then struggling Italian film industry.
*PLOT:
*Toto(Salvator la vita) is living in a small village of Italy. He had lost his father in second WorldWar, n hence is having tough childhood. However he befriends a local movie projectionist(and the only) Alfredo, and convince him to teach movie projection.
Then, there is a priest-cum-editor who watches every movie before public-viewing and chopps off any kissing scene.
Unfortunately Alfredo looses his vision during movie-projection and Toto has to take over his job. Alfredo always accompanies him, teaches him lessons of movie-projection and of course much more important thing called LIFE.
Young Toto fell in love with beautiful Elena. But their romance comes to sudden death due to constant opposition from her father and then their relocation. Toto joins army and later shifts to Rome. Later he becomes a very successful(!?) movie director. One day he gets a call from his mother informing about Alfredo’s death .
Cons: N.A.
*Pros:
*Everything about this movie is beautifull. This movie is a tribute to Italian Cinema. It has clippings from many Italian movies nicely woven in the main story. It shows the different phases of cinemas over the course of time.
Best part about this movie is its sensibility. This movie cleverly shows many shades of human nature. It shows platonic love between Alena and Salvatore(watch the last 30 minutes)which looks very realistic. It shows platonic love of a mother for her children(watch the scene between old Toto and his mother). It shows platonic love of Alfredo for Toto(Rest of the movie). Actually I am not capable of writing down my feelings, better you watch it and feel it yourself.
Performance from everyone is too good. I don’t want to write any names(because I don’t remember them) but special mention has to go to Child Toto, Alfredo(character played by a single actor), old maria la vita. Direction, Editing and Screenplay; everything is just perfect. Special mention to Background score.
*Best Scenes:
*-Chemistry between Alfredo and child Toto.
-Chemistry between Alfredo and young Toto.
-Chemistry between Old Toto and his mother.
-Scene in the car featuring old Toto and Alena.
and ofcourse, final scene: Alfredo left a film for Toto before formar’s death, made up of all chopped off scenes. While watching those kisses on screen, you will smile with moisty eyes.
*Quotes:
*Alfredo: I don’t want to hear you talk anymore, I want to hear people talk about you.
Alfredo: Now that I’m blind, I see better.
Alfredo: Living here day by day, you think it’s the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years. When you come back, everything’s changed. The thread’s broken. What you came to find isn’t there. What was yours is gone. You have to go away for a long time. many years. before you can come back and find your people. The land where you were born. But now, no. It’s not possible. Right now you’re blinder than I am.
Salvatore: Who said that? Gary Cooper? James Stewart? Henry Fonda? Eh?
Alfredo: No, Toto. Nobody said it. This time it’s all me. Life isn’t like in the movies. Life. is much harder.
My Suggetion:Do yourself a favour, watch this one now. After watching it, you may feel that I have not done full justice to this movie.
God bless all,
nayan