Miyerkules, Enero 29, 2014
Movie Review for Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
| Directed by | Giuseppe Tornatore |
|---|---|
| Produced by |
|
| Written by | Giuseppe Tornatore |
| Starring | |
| Music by | |
| Cinematography | Blasco Giurato |
| Editing by | Mario Morra |
| Studio | Les Films Ariane |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films (US) Umbrella Entertainment |
Intoroduction:
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, the first film to be reviewed this year 2014 is a foreign film that is not foreign at all to all movie lovers. I decided to make a review of this film in honor of a great friend of mine who introduced me in 2006 this deeply moving, drama-comedy Italian film. He is a freelance director and filmmaker who, as he said, was helped by this movie in finding his passion in life, and loving it. To you my friend, a million thanks and I hope my review of this film gives justice to one of the greatest films of all times!
Synopsis:
Notified by his aging mother on
the death of an old friend, Salvatore (commonly known then as Toto) returned
home after thirty years of being away from the place where memories of pain,
laughter, and love have been left behind in order to pursue his passion for
film-making. The movie then brings us back to his childhood and youth and his
friendship with an old man Alfredo who worked as a projectionist in the only
theater in the village, the Cinema Paradiso.
Toto’s interest in movies becomes the bond that ties him to Alfredo,
making the latter a father figure that Toto longs to have since his father left
them to join the army in the WWII.
Reluctant to go back to his past, Toto, now
a renowned filmmaker, has to confront his fears and pick up the pieces of his
life that he thought he already had forgotten, especially Elena, the woman who
captured his heart and had since then became the object of his love and
affection. Toto’s recollection of the past reinforces not only his passion for
movies and the sacrifices he had to do to make his dream a reality. It also
shows him that in life, one cannot have everything and one must keep on living
at present, alongside with the shadows of the past. This was the wisdom shared
to him by his mother. The film ends with Salvatore viewing the gift that
Alfredo left for him, a moving scene that will surely leave the audience with
tears and nostalgic feeling.
My
Review:
Enigmatic! Nostalgic! Poetic!
Endearing! Spellbinding!
This 1988 multi-awarded Italian film,
including Best Foreign Language Film in Golden Globe Awards and Academy Awards
in 1989 and in BAFTA Awards in 1991, is a movie about movies and passion for
movies. It is surely in the list of the greatest films ever made. It has all
the elements of a quality film: good directing, superb acting, great
cinematography, very fine editing, soulful music, and simple yet engaging plot.
Based on the life and times of Guiseppe Tornatore, the screenwriter and
director, the movie comes out as one that eventually transcends time, history,
and culture for it speaks for everyone in any given time, culture, and history
about finding your passion in life and loving it. In the words of Alfredo to
Toto: “Whatever you end up doing, love it.”
This, I believe lies at the heart of this film.
Cinema
Paradiso shows the development in cinema, not only in terms of the
materials and equipments used in film–making, but also how people matured in
the way they viewed the themes of the films. It successfully combined the drama
and the comedy in life as experienced by Toto in his quest to find that which
he is good at. From the boy’s naughtiness to his serious pursuit for the love
of his life, from being heart-broken to finding joy in his passion, one can personally
relate to the movie.
There are details in the movie
that for me have been masterfully and meticulously done by the director and the
editor. One of them is the sound of the bell and the wind chime, and how the
editor brilliantly used it as something of a transition in bringing us back to
Toto’s childhood memories. It happened when he was on bed, right after he was
told that his mother called to inform him that a certain person died. With the
shadow of the wind chime on the face of Salvatore, and with its relaxing sound,
we are transported into his past as an altar boy assigned to ring the bell during
the consecration. Brilliant association and transition!
I certainly do not know the
Italian actors. But even that did not deter me from admiring the quality of
their acting. Believability of the characters they played radiates in their
faces, even with the supporting casts. Philippe Noiret’s character as Alfredo
exudes an aura of professionalism and confidence, and is able to show us his fatherly
figure and not only as a friend to Toto. He is a brilliant actor who
successfully serves as a hinge to this movie from the beginning to the end.
Another notable performance is by
Jacques Perrin as the adult Salvatore. His facial expressions and his body
language persuasively reflect the emotions he wishes to convey. You don’t need
more words to connect with him. Compelling acting from both of them.
The cinematography is laudable.
Even at the beginning of the movie, with the sea breeze, the sea and the sound
of a nostalgic music as background, it already captures my attention. The
poverty in the village as seen in the ruins and life of the people who try to
survive the devastations in the post- WWII era as depicted in this film is
eerily felt and seen. Quite an achievement!
The other plus to this great film
is the musical scoring by Ennio Morricone. Ennio has heart and ears for the
sensitive and emotion-laden scenes in movies that become even more alive
through his music. The music of Ennio is soulful, enchanting, evocative, and
has a great feel for the scenes. It comes at the right time and with right
intensity. I fell in love with the soundtrack of this movie that I am even
learning to sing its love theme “Se”
by Josh Groban. The difficulty is to pronounce the lyrics in Italian!
Some
Nuggets of Wisdom
Like other non-English films I
saw, I just hope that the subtitles are correct translations of the original
language. So, with openness to corrections, I am writing here some
unforgettable lines that make this movie even more unforgettable for me for
teaching me some nuggets of wisdom. Here they are:
“We each have a star to follow.”
“Life isn’t like in the movies. Life is much harder.”
“Don’t give in to nostalgia.”
“Whatever you end up doing, love it!”
The following, for me, contains a
lot for musing about past and how do we embrace it in its entirety in order for
us to move on and continue doing what we are passionate about with joy and
gratitude, and not be chained by its pains and regrets. This is the
conversation that ensues between Salvatore and his mother after the funeral,
which may have been translated with grammatical errors, but they are
worth-reflecting anyway:
His mother asked him, “What are you thinking, Toto?”
After a moment of silence, Salvatore
replies:
“Just that I’ve always been afraid to come back. And now, after all
these years I thought I was stronger, that I’d forgotten a lot of things. But
in fact, I find I’m right back where I was, as if I’d never been away. Yet,
when I look around, I don’t recognize anyone.”
His mother wittingly replied:
“But you live (in) there. Here, there are only ghosts. Let go, Toto.”
A
Personal Note
I happened to see this film
through a good friend who told me later how this movie helped him find his own passion
in life. And rightly so, because he dedicates his life now into film- making
and directing. Little did I know that this movie is also a catalyst to remind
me why I fall in love with movies in the first place. I saw myself in Toto’s
craziness for movies when I was young (and until now!). At the age of eleven, I
began to watch movies alone, even walking to school just to save my tricycle
fare for movies! People moving and talking on the big screen fascinated me.
They made me laugh, cry, cheer, and angry. I even found some of the scenes
similar to my experiences before. Like for instance, how the reels of films are
transferred from one theater to another through a bicycle. Very much like in
the late ‘70’s and early ‘80’s in my hometown. Watching a movie over and over
again until you memorized the lines of some scenes as one person did in this
movie is quite amusing. Also, people shouting inside the theater and asking for
refund of their tickets because the movie starts in the middle, the first half
being used still in the other town’s theater. I really felt nostalgic watching
this movie, but for good reasons!
Movies for me are not just for
entertainment. As I grew up, I began to realize that they even made me aware of
the reality happening in the society and in the world. Very much like how Cinema Paradiso became a vehicle for
entertainment and information through films to the people in a village who was
still recovering from the ravages of wars. It has become a place where people
could congregate and be entertained after a hard day’s work. It has also become
a venue where relationships developed.
Actually, I had been searching a
copy of this film since I saw it. Fortunately, I found one albeit not the
director’s cut version which may give us more details particularly on what happened
to Elena. Still, it feels great to have my own copy of a film that every movie
lover should have.
I am personally indebted to my
director-friend for introducing me to this film. Thanks for allowing me to see
and believe in my passion for movies through this film. You are a great person,
and my best wishes for you in finding your passion in life in filmmaking. You,
indeed, ended up doing it and loving it. Kudos!
I highly recommend this movie to
every movie lover in the world, regardless of culture and age, and to those who
found their passion in life, doing it, and loving it, and especially to those
who are still searching for it. This movie is truly made for you!
My rating for this movie: 4 ½
stars!
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