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Cinema Paradiso
Cinema Paradiso was originally released in 1990 and captured the hearts and critical acclaim of many, even winning the Oscar for Best Foreign Film. It was re-released again, this time with both the version viewed in theaters and its original extended version, which adds nearly an hour of footage and gives so much more to the story.
If you’re thinking that foreign films are not your taste, this one will definitely surprise you. A beautifully rendered tale, set in a small town in Sicily; the entire movie is in Italian but available with English subtitles. The stunning performance and universal emotion come through the screen, and even if you don’t speak a word of Italian, you’ll find yourself lost in the story and barely glancing at the subtitles within the first minutes of the production.
More than a love story, the epic tale follows the life of a famous filmmaker, opening in a scene where he learns his beloved mentor has died. This brings Salvatore, our Toto, back to the town he was raised and brings him face to face with his childhood, first love, and the Cinema Paradiso, the sacred place which gave him his start and first love of movies. Toto is a boy of meager means being raised by his mother alone, his father has been missing since he was small and is presumed dead. The boy is a trouble maker, constantly sneaking into the local movie theater to the ire of Alfredo, the projectionist.
Alfredo befriends the boy, unable to keep him away from the theater, over time he allows the boy to sit in the booth with him to watch the movies and learn about running the projector. This begins a lifelong love and respect between Alfredo and Toto, who the older man believes to be too talented and special for this little town. When a fire breaks out in the theater, and Alfredo is trapped in the booth, it is small Toto who runs in, risking his life, and pulls the man from the building. Alfredo is blinded for the rest of his life, but is spared and their eternal friendship is sealed. The older man often sits in the booth with young Toto, who is now the projectionist besides going to school full time. Toto becomes the older man’s eyes, explaining to him what is on the screen as he explains the colors and sensations of life to the man who can’t see them.
Of course there is a woman, Elena. Salvatore sees her first at school, and falls instantly in love. He follows her and courts her for months, professing his love and waiting for her to love him in return. Finally, just as Toto is dejected and starts to give up, Elena comes to him and the two are instantly inseparable. The chemistry between these two actors is palpable and makes you, the viewer, root for their unending love.
Through a series of misunderstandings, the two are separated. Salvatore finds himself in the army, unable to contact or find Elena. When his time is up and he is able to go home, Elena’s family has moved away, and he cannot find her. His beloved Alfredo insists that the boy move away, to mainland Italy where he can make a successful life and forget the heartaches of the past.
Thirty years later, Salvatore is a successful filmmaker and has never returned to his home before his arrival for Alfredo’s funeral. Thirty years have gone by, and he’s never gotten over his Elena.
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