Cinema Paradiso won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1989. This Italian film was first released as a 123 minute film with an extended Director’s Cut that runs nearly three hours. The version I screened was the Director’s Cut. The Director’s Cut allows the central character to tie up loose ends when he returns to his hometown for the funeral of a friend. After reading the elements that were added to the Director’s Cut, I believe the shorter version probably exceeds the extended version. The added elements raised needless questions and dragged at times.
When Salvatore Di Vita (Jacques Perrin) receives a telephone call advising him of the death of his childhood mentor, Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), his memory takes him on a journey to his younger years. The majority of the film is a flashback on two periods of Salvatore’s life. Salvatore initially recalls life as a ten-year-old (Salvatore Cascio), when he first developed his love for film. The young Salvatore has a propensity for finding trouble and is often smacked down by his mother Maria (Antonella Attili). The youngster’s fascination with film leads him to develop a tenuous relationship with the projectionist, Alfredo. It is the relationship that will shape his life.
When we next meet Salvatore (Marco Leonardi), he is a teenager. He has extended his love of film from his work as a projectionist to recording his own 8mm short films. Salvatore learns a great deal about life from his mentor Alfredo (whose life he saved from a fire several years earlier). Alfredo acts as a compass for Salvatore, having taken on the role of father figure. (The extended cut hints that maybe there was more to this role than meets the eye). It is during this stage of life that Salvatore meets his one true love, Elena (Agnese Nano). Elena’s parents do not approve of the relationship and forbid the two to spend time together. A miscommunication, facilitated by Alfredo, becomes the fate that keeps the star-crossed lovers apart. It seems that neither one has ever found a similar love.
As Salvatore returns to his hometown for Alfredo’s funeral, he sees the world through new eyes. He recognizes many of the faces from his childhood and learns new details about his own past. But it is the gift of small treasures that Alfredo has left behind that gives Salvatore the opportunity to finally find his own peace. In the extended version, that peace has a melancholy twist that has additional implications.
Cinema Paradiso contains all of the important elements needed in a good drama. The characters are well-developed, complex and enjoyable. The humor covers a wide swath from slapstick film-based comedy to situational humor (picture the elderly Alfredo trying to get a fourth-grader to help him cheat on a test). The humor was well balanced with dramatic moments that endear the audience to an intriguing cast of characters. Salvatore enjoys two great loves, his love of cinema balanced with his love of Elena. Those competing elements provide the foundation for the dramatic elements which are manipulated by Salvatore’s closest friend, Alfredo. It is a competition for his heart that leaves him torn. The rich dialogue and interesting visual commentary on the people Salvatore remembers add depth to the film.
Cinema Paradiso contained great writing, but the acting brought the characters to life. I thoroughly enjoyed the cast, especially the young Salvatore, Salvatore Cascio. The impish youngster brought incredible charm and credibility to his role. The sometimes tender, often volatile interactions between Cascio and Noiret had a familial flavor that set the tone for the entire story line. That foundation allowed the surrounding actors to flourish. The only character I did not care for was Perrin as the elder Salvatore. He seemed too tall to me. The visual references made the rest of his performance difficult for me to embrace. However, the majority of the film involved the younger Salvatores. Aside from that one hitch, the casting was exceptional.
For 1988, the special effects in Cinema Paradiso were fairly decent. Alfredo has burns on his face that were a bit distracting at times, but the rest of the illusion was carefully crafted. The film covers several decades, requiring several sets of costumes and background details. Director Giuseppe Tornatore (who also wrote the script) and Cinematographer Blasco Giurato did an exceptional job of recreating the different eras, providing the film with great period flavors. There was also an innocent quality captured in the film that harkens back to that golden era of cinema. The attention to detail was sometimes over-stated to infuse the flavor fully into the film, which I enjoyed.
Cinema Paradiso (the Director’s Cut) was a bit lengthy and went into areas that were probably better left unexplored. The film contained all the best elements of cinema anchored by a solid set of unique and interesting characters. The casting was exceptional with the exception of my distraction by Perrin’s build. The relationships were carefully developed and the foundation for the plot laid out with clock-like precision. In spite of the nearly three hour run-time, I found that I thoroughly enjoyed the story. The original version might even be better. This version rates out at 8/10.
