Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso is one of my all-time favorite films. It tells the story of a successful Italian movie executive who looks back on his early life growing up in post-World War II Italy. We see him as a mischievous altar boy with a love for movies, and then as a teenager who falls in love with the new girl in town. Guiding him along the way is Alfredo, the grizzled projectionist at the movie theater, who becomes a father figure to him. This is a sentimental movie, but it is not cheesy. There is both love and heartache. A love for movies oozes from every pore of this film. In fact, it may be the best movie ever made about movies. The final sequence is one of the best scenes ever filmed--it brings me to tears every time. Cinema Paradiso is currently rated #73 on the IMDB Top 250. It won the 1990 Academy Award for Best Foreign Film, as well as a slew of other awards. The quality of the Blu-ray transfer is mostly good. Most daytime scenes are richly detailed. There are a couple shots, however, that are very poor in quality. They looked like VHS. Thankfully, they were brief. Nighttime and indoor scenes vary in quality. Some are sharp, while others are grainy (although never to the point of being gritty). The sound varies as well. The dialogue at the beginning of the movie sounds like it was being uttered in a tin can. But this was soon corrected. Thankfully, the moving score by legendary composer Ennio Morricone comes through well. My old DVD version had both subtitles and a dubbed version that was actually pretty good. This Blu-ray edition has only subtitles, however; the dubbed version is missing. Nor does it have any special features other than the original theatrical trailer. Thankfully, this disc did not include the director's cut, which I hate. It adds about 30 minutes of material that wraps up the love interest portion of the film, but there is a reason that it was cut from the US theatrical release. It turns Cinema Paradiso into a different movie, and that is not a good thing. Parental Advisory: This movie is rated PG for a few instances of sexuality, mostly implied. There are a couple of very brief scenes that show upper female nudity (they are clips of old black-and-white movies) and one scene that shows bare buttocks. There is some mild violence. In a couple of scenes, a mother slaps her child repeatedly. There is also a scene where a teacher is punishing a student for poor performance in the classroom. A scene involving a fire might be intense for younger children. I highly recommend Cinema Paradiso. It is one of the best films ever made. It is a "must see." If you are considering an upgrade from DVD, the improved video clarity makes it worth it. But the loss of some of the special features, particular the dubbed version, is a bummer.

This movie is such a treasure and I have owned it over the years in a number of different formats. For those who love sentimentality, you are in for a delight as a successful movie director returns home after many year’s absence. Through interactions with his little, old mother, his fellow citizens of the little town and various sentimental items his mother has kept, he is transported back to his youth. Tornatore has captured a beautiful age where community and family were everything and life was simple but lovely too. He takes us back to a time we all look back on with an attachment and fond memories. Maestro Morricone’s score will capture your heart and have you in tears, especially the tracks the great violinist Stefan Grapelli plays on. Listen to those songs and you will realise you are listening to a maestro. The ending of the theatrical release is a real tear jerker and one of the most beautiful endings in cinematic history. It’s worth watching this movie if just for the ending alone. Cinema Paradiso is a terrific tribute to the movie industry and especially the Italian film industry. It is one of those movies you will watch a few times over the years and enjoy each time as much as the first time. Hopefully, your children and grandchildren will experience it too.

Once in a while, a film comes along and dazzles audiences with its smooth viewability, if that is a word, brilliant acting, and well crafted plotline. In the case of Cinema Paradiso, we see these elements combined with a stunningly soothing musical score, excellent cinematography, and a combination of comedic, romantic, and dramatic moments. This film starts in the present, presenting us with the main character, Toto, as an old man, well into his fifties, returning to his hometown to hear his lifetime friend and mentor Alfredo has died. What follows for the duration of the film allows us to see his childhood, his adolescence, and the way he fights through tumultuous times of love, disaster, and peril. Along the way, we are able to see his constant love for the movies and slowly evolving romance with the beautiful Elena. The romantic moments in this movie are especially touching, as are the scenes in which we see Toto struggle to win Elena's love. What makes this film a truly brilliant one is the way everything wraps itself up in the end. We are able to see the people from his youth aged into the present, and the film ends on a perfect close. There are no loose ends to be tied up, and I admit that I became a little teary eyed throughout the last 20 minutes. The scenes of Alfredo's funeral and the destruction of the Paradiso are very sad, and will make you think of good times long forgotten, save but in your heart. I recommend this movie to anyone. I am a college student, and I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it on an airplane when I was 8...admittedly, I can understand and appreciate it much more with age. It is a perfect date movie, and also makes for a nice way to spend an evening with a friend or even by yourself. Buy it today. I guarantee you'll love the story and music.

I had first seen the movie streaming on Amazon Prime, and it was the theatrical cut of the film. My goodness, is every second of this movie a wonderful sight to behold. The friendship between Alfredo and Toto is one that'll have your heart feeling full, and the interactions between the townsfolk they live around really make you feel like you've been part of their community for years; it all feels so genuine, so lived in. Ennio Morricone's score will stay in your head long after the film is over, particularly the piece that plays during the ending, which is one of the best endings I have ever seen in cinema history. Make sure to have a tissue box because you WILL cry at some point. The Arrow Video restoration is gorgeous and worth every penny. I do recommend the theatrical cut over the director's cut. It's a fantastic film.

Correspond exactement à ma demande

Questo è un film che ho visto per la prima volta piuttosto tardi rispetto alla sua uscita al cinema. Ma l'ho amato sin da subito. Diversi anni fa ho acquistato le due diverse versioni su DVD distribuito Dolmen, quella da due ore (Alfredo e Salvatore in bicicletta) e la director's cut (Salvatore vicino ad un lume). Specialmente quest'ultima ha diversi problemi di qualità d'immagine nelle edizioni italiane. Speravo proprio in una riedizione in alta definizione, cosa che è avvenuta finalmente anche in Italia, ma solo per la versione più famosa, quella rimontata (e accorciata) che ha vinto l'Oscar. Da appassionato non posso accettare una simile situazione, dunque una volta saputo dell'esistenza di questa edizione pubblicata in Inghilterra per il venticinquennale del film, e che su due dischi Blu-Ray include entrambe le versioni, rimasterizzate dopo un attento restauro a 2k, non ho esitato ad acquistarla. Ho subito guardato la versione estesa, la mia preferita, e sono rimasto colpito dalla nitidezza dell'immagine rispetto ai DVD in mio possesso. Certe scene sono afflitte da una spessa grana, per enfatizzare i diversi piani dell'immagine, ma questo non ha rovinato il piacere della visione. Questo fatto della grana è chiarito nelle note di copertina riguardanti il restauro effettuato. Nota di merito il fatto che non vi siano evidenti segni di usura della copia usata per il trasferimento. L'immagine è pressochè sempre pulita, priva di pelucchi, bruciature, segni (tranne ovviamente negli spezzoni dei filmati d'epoca) e qualsiasi altro difetto dovuto all'usura. Una visione piacevolissima. L'audio (solo in italiano) è in due versioni: semplice stereo a 2 canali oppure in 5.1, i sottotitoli (in inglese) possono essere disattivati. Oltre ai due dischi vi è un libretto di 32 pagine, in inglese, con aneddoti, informazioni, posters e foto di scena. Cosa che nelle edizioni Blu-Ray italiane ormai non esiste più, e dove c'è un libretto questo non è altro che pieno zeppo di pubblicità. Se amate questo film, QUESTA è l'edizione che fa per voi.

Seen it before and it is a wonderful movie.

Estaba bien,la imagen aceptable

Wunderbarer Film!