Cinema Paradiso - The New Version

Who didn't see this classic foreign film when it was first released and knew they were looking at one of the greatest films ever made! You just need to play two seconds of piano background music to get the picture of the young boy who encapsulated the enthralling story being acted out on the screen and the older man who took the boy under his wing to introduce him to the immortality of film.The blu-ray edition is outstanding and certainly aids in easing you into the lives of the characters and the emotionality that occurs as this story evolves.The director worked miracles with his movie and, in my book, infused a level of emotionality beyond almost any other movie I have ever seen!How could there be a dry eye as the clutter of cuts plays out at the end of the movie.This director knew how to make his movie unforgettable and how to touch the mind and heart of the viewer with the greatest intensity.I have gotten emotional in other movies, but nothing like seeing the priest's cuts at the end of the movie.I cried like a baby and this movie will always be an overpowering emotional experience for me.This is a credit to the director and why he won an Academy Award that year.

If you're a born cynic who connects only with the perfunctory or the present then Cinema Paradiso is probably not for you. Paradiso evokes remembering, childhood and adolescence, that intense sensory experience, fantasy through film, lost love, romantic dreams that don't come true, what could have been and youth gone forever.The Director's cut: The chief protagonist did the boy no favor thwarting his adolescent and youth to brutally cut ties with his family, great love and roots in exchange for fame/fortune transitioning him from his Paradiso fantasies to devising scenarios for movie screens without ever attaining the emotional maturity to come to terms with an inner self not realized and arguably more substantive, real and important.There have been other films dealing with themes nostalgia and paradise lost with much more character gravitas i.e., Wuthering Heights, Citizen Kane ("Rosebud"), La Strata, A Member of the Wedding, Spender in the Gras, Summer of 4 2, The Last Picture Show, etc, but for many none summons viscerally the evocative imagery & emotional free fall of Cinema Paradisio.No small part of the film's success goes to Paradiso's score. Ennio Morriconi is a composer, orchestrator, conductor & trumpeter (Jazz) who has composed over 500 musical scores and 100 classical works. Born in 1928 Morriconi (age 90) is one of the last great melodists of the 20th Century so cherish that that evocative genius because the 21st. Century has none to match his prolific talent. Like Paradiso a time, place and people no more..

This 29 years old classic finally got a good mastering. Arrow Academy remastered the original film to the 2K resolution. The color is vibrant and full of details. In the opening scene, you can see the stitches and the fabrics of the curtain. The shinny cobble stone roads reflect from the light which amplified the town square beautifully.This is an amazing movie and can endure the time. The story is still fresh and touching.This package comes with two discs, one is the theatrical 2 hour version and the director's cut which is almost 3 hours long. The Director's Cut extended the storyline when Toto returns back home to attend Alfredo's funeral. It brings another storyline to the original movie.

Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite Italian films. It's about a man named Salvatore (nicknamed Toto) who falls in love with films as a boy, which continues into adulthood. His mentor Alfredo was a great inspiration to Salvatore, encouraging him to leave their small town and never look back. Salvatore also finds love with the beautiful Elena, which leads to one of the most gorgeous shots of them kissing in the rain.Cinema Paradiso is finally in 4K, and Arrow did a great job with the packaging and film itself. My copy came with a gorgeous slip cover, and there is an interesting essay inside that discusses the film. The picture and audio quality are excellent, and it's a definite upgrade from the older Blu-ray release. I pre-ordered this for $24.99, so this was an excellent price for one of the best and most bittersweet Italian films that I have ever seen.

I saw this movie some years ago and again last month but the regular version. I decided to get the director's cut and the extra 30 min was well worth it. It answered some questions which were left up in the air in the shorter version. I don't know why they cut it but the director's cut DVD is a must. The acting, writing and ensemble were magnificent. It's 2 ½ hours of pure enjoyment. Will probably make it a new tradition a once a year viewing with my friends.

A film about the bitter sweet memories and recollections of growing up just after WWII ended in a small Sicilian village by a successful Italian movie director in his middle age. This film has a lot of heart! I have had the DVD release, and now the newly released Blu-ray, and I have to say the Blu-ray release is the best version of the film to date. The Blu-Ray restoration is both beautiful and crystal clear. Do yourself a favor and skip the theatrical release and just watch the much better directors cut version of the film. BTW this directors cut is not a film for children however, as it contains a variety of adult topics and language. The soundtrack is in Italian with English sub-titles but don't let that put you off of this wonderful foreign film as the Italian dialog enhances the film experience in this case. One of the best foreign films ever made! Highly recommended!

When I heard that the score to this film had been the one Ennio Morricone had been proudest of it seemed like a good opportunity to buy this set. I had seen the theatrical release a long time ago and was keen to see the director's cut and how the extra 50 minutes changed the film. ( I was in the mood for some good world cinema. )Whilst still being visually stunning and life affirming the longer version definitely seemed to have more contrasts than I remember. There were many more ribald, absurd and amusing moments than in the original and more dark moments too, which went a long way toward removing the cloying sentimentality from the shorter film. The music is perfectly integrated - apparently the film was made to the score rather than in the usual way - and is Morricone at his most lyrical and conventional.This was a great buy. It was marvellous to see the directors original intentions and hear Morricone's full score. Recommended.

This is a very nice film about a young boy who had a passion for watching films. He develops a very moving relationship with the projectionist of s village cinema, who becomes his mentor and treats him like a father. It is also interesting to witness the censorship applied by the local catholic priest to any scenes showing mildly erotic kisses between some young men and women.There are two versions of the film in this package. I have only watched the standard version so far, but it was intriguing enough to make me plan to watch the extended ‘director’s’ cut version which has a far better image quality and is also 50 minutes longer!

Voglio qui dichiarare che questo Film DEVE essere visto nella sua Completezza. Questa è la terza volta che lo rivedo. La prima (anni fa) per fortuna era la edizione completa. La seconda restai inorridito e disgustato dalla idiozia legata al taglio non so se legato ai tempi televisivi o che di cosa altro sia. La terza, questa, ho cercato APPOSITAMENTE quella COMPLETA perché è l'unica ad offrire un senso completo a tutta la vicenda e corona una bella storia. Piaciuta anche alla moglie che dichiara uno dei più bei film mai visti e so il perché. Quindi: aborrite la versione NON integrale.

`Cinema Paradiso', this new 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray release from Arrow Films arrived just before Christmas and what a wonderful Christmas present from the wife that didn't quite make it to the tree! Though the other reviews are useful they are misleading and do not apply to this vastly superior product.Most of you will be familiar with the storyline of this highly acclaimed Italian film. It comes in a two-disc version `The Directors Cut' 170 mins rated Cert 15 on one disc and a 124-minute theatrical cut rated PG version which has the sexual content, removed from the story on the other disc. Also on the Theatrical disc is an excellent selection of extras. Many may find The Directors Cut a bit over long and some of the sexual content, perhaps rather unnecessary to what is a very moving romantic love story set around a cinema in Sicily, in the period just after the war. This release was delayed presumably to allow for a theatrical showing at a few selected Cinemas. The previous UK Blu-ray release of the theatrical cut was only marginally better than the DVD, and I kept my DVD of The Directors Cut pending this release; incidentally I sold it on Amazon the day I listed. The original negatives have had a 2K scan and though the new version is not perfect, there is still a small amount of damage and some of the dark scenes have noticeable grain, but it really looks gorgeous projected on my 8ft screen and a very noticeable improvement on the previous releases. Also the musical score adds to the romance and nostalgia for an age gone forever. Having been to Sicily on holiday this year it was lovely to see the beautiful scenery and the soak up the vista of the typical Sicilian atmospheric villages. This is really an excellent two-disc package that comes with a thirty two-page booklet, which has high repeatability. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves this film and to those few who have never seen it!

A charming and totally engaging film largely told in flashback through the eyes of a little boy and then him when a youth, who experiences the delights of early cinema in a small town. The little boy is just wonderful and his relationship with the much older projectionist, Alfredo, is just lovely. I defy anybody to not like this film and its very satisfying story. Also a superb music accompaniment.