Cinema Paradiso

What a lovely movie! It is a love letter to films. I can't believe I had never watched it. Fantastic. The music is marvelous! Wow.

I still remember the first time I saw it and I think it's one of the best films of ever. It has an unique and special feel, it's so so smooth and will melts up your heart. And the soundtrack by Ennio Morricone is just amazing and fits perfect with the film. Will love it.

Saw it for the first time at a special screening as a 30th anniversary event for the film. i really do agree that the adolescent part and adult part isn't as amusing as the child part, but the story is so full of interesting and memorable characters (even the noisy crowd at the paradiso!), and though not amusingly but precisely, captured important moments of one's life (friendship, first love, lost, guilt etc.), Giving us the room for us to reflect ourselves on our own ups and downs in life. With all the flaws in count this film is still way beyond 10/10 for me. What a great movie.

The most beautiful, amazing and sweet movie I've ever seen in my whole life.
Teach us, the value of a real friendship, kindness..and into see joy in the little things.
The movie bring to you a laugh of simple things, that you'll never believe that you were laughing about it.
Totally worth it to watch.

As good as movies get. A film for the ages. "Cinema Paradiso" is a love letter to Cinema. And one of it's greatest.

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso is a film that, at least in the first part, succeeds perfectly in describing the love and passion that an enthusiast has for the seventh art through the eyes of Totò, a child in love with the cinema booth.

Accompanied by a memorable and incredibly beautiful soundtrack by Ennio Morricone (to be expected from an artist like him), the film comes across as perfect in the first part. It loses instead in the second part, when Elena enters the story: I found that they focused too much on the love story and not on what was initially the film, sometimes making it really too dramatic (for example when they meet again in the scene in the car). So if I had to give a grade to both parts, I'd give a solid 10 to the first part and an 8 to the second.

Amazing acting by the entire cast though.

9/10

This film is an absolute dream. I watched the director's cut which I think let's you sit with the characters and the environment longer which I really do love because of how immersive it makes the watching experience. However, it seems like everything i disliked about the movie (that is keeping me from rating it a 10) - the drawn-out romance plot, the excessive cheesiness of the reunion and the Alfredo lie reveal, amongst other things - is not included in the theatre release. Normally, I'd feel frustrated with myself for not reading about which version I should have watched in advance, but considering how much I still loved the director's cut, it simply makes me excited to revisit this film, in its shorter version, some time from now, and most likely find one of those very rare 10/10 movies.

I see ‘Cinema Paradiso’ as a graceful celebration of both cinema and youth, which represents the juxtaposition of life. The film poetically represents the romance, family, and devotion to an art form, not just on the screen but also in the tight-knit relationships of the characters. Accordingly, it’s a love story between not only people but the art. The film covers the two most memorable portions of what you would expect from a charming fairytale: the beginning of the journey and the end. Thus, we follow the journey of young, mischievous Toto, who grows into the accomplished director, Salvatore. Thirty years later, he returns to his hometown of Alfredo, the film projectionist who introduced him to the world of cinema. Young Toto and Alfredo become close friends over their love for film. After Toto’s first heartbreak, Alfredo advised him to leave his hometown and pain behind, believing he was destined for greatness. We don’t know the details of the happenings over the 30 years, but it’s not important to understand every aspect of a person’s life.

Cinema Paradiso has a certain ethereal charm that most films lack. It’s difficult to explain, but it’s bigger than the sum of its parts. I think it’s the fact that it’s all about the story with no special effects or flashy CGI or expensive set designs to distract you. The focus is a natural story presented with simplicity and emotions, which it excels at. The music by the legendary Sergio Leone carries a sentimental sense of nostalgia in each note, creating a timeless atmosphere that makes you feel you are in the 1950s Italy. This film felt personal to me, and after reading the trivia, I found out it truly was. Director and writer Giuseppe Tornatore shot the film in his hometown of Bagheria, Italy, and he drew inspiration from his own childhood experiences.

Would I recommend this? Yes, very much so. I think it’s one of my favorite 75 films of all time and easy to recommend. Although it’s in Italian, the film is much bigger than the language. It’s about the acting, the story, and the ideas it encapsulates. Love also knows no language, and it transcends time itself. After watching it, I learned of an extended director’s cut version of this film, which I will watch one day. I read the studio slashed many original scenes, so if you are watching it for the first time, I would recommend the director’s cut.

Such a beautiful movie about (the love for) movies, friendship, love and life in general. Everything is amazing, but the music stands out for me. If you love movies, you’ll love this. I think this has one of the best endings ever.