Years later he sadly returns home to attend Alfredo’s funeral. He leaves his small town and prospers achieving success in the film industry, but never recovers from losing Elena. Alfredo counsels Salvatore to seek his fortunes in Rome, as he will never realize his dreams in Giancaldo. She loves him, but her father will not allow her to marry down, moving his family out of town to ensure this. Tragedy strikes one night when the Cinema Paradiso catches fire and burns down, with Salvatore saving Alfredo’s life, but not before he is badly burned and blinded.Īfter the Cinema Paradiso is rebuilt, Salvatore, now in high school runs the projector and falls in love with Elena a beautiful girl from a wealthy family.
Cinema paradiso movie#
So great is his love of movies that he buys a movie camera and begins making his own home movies. Over time Salvatore masters the projector and often runs it himself. It comes to pass that he worms his way into the heart of projectionist Alfredo, who befriends him and takes him on as his apprentice. Salvatore Di Vita, aka Toto, is a precocious kid who falls in love with movies shown at his town’s theater, Cinema Paradiso. A fine cast was assembled, which included Philippe Noiret as Alfredo, Salvatore Cascio as Salvatore Di Vita (child), Marco Leonardo as Salvatore Di Vita (adolescent), Jacques Perrin as Salvatore Di Vita (adult), Agnese Nano as Elena Mendola (young), Leopoldo Trieste as Father Adelfio, Antonella Attili as Maria (young), Pupella Maggio as Maria (adult) and Isa Danieli as Ana. Drawing from his own life experiences, he crafted a screenplay, which secured the financial backing of the French production company Les Films Ariane. This film abounds with nostalgia as Tornatore explores his movie going memories and how they affected his life. With the advent of television and the VCR, many believed that the days of the town cinema were numbered. As a young small town Sicilian boy, director Giuseppe Tornatore fell in love with the cinema where he would spend hours every day insatiably viewing films. So, rest in peace Maestro Morricone, and grazie. The score is theatrical and poignant, oozing romance and nostalgia, without overwhelming the stunning visuals and beautiful story. With “Cinema Paradiso,” director Giuseppe Tornatore wanted to immortalize ‘movie magic,’ and remind audiences of what a rich experience going to the theater can be: you will laugh, cry, get angry. If this all sounds a bit corny and cliché, that’s probably because it is. Marked by effusive wind and string instruments that highlight the melodic motifs, the “Cinema Paradiso” score alone is enough to make me weep. Other titles such as “Childhood and Manhood” and “Love Theme” mark Toto’s journey through adolescence as he falls in love for the first time and is faced with the world outside of the cinema. The main theme, “Cinema Paradiso” is beautifully bittersweet, and immediately evokes a feeling of longing for the past.
Cinema paradiso how to#
The act of moviegoing, sharing a moment with friends and family, escaping life for an hour or two, are all themes embedded into the film.īut how to capture this feeling? A spectacular score, courtesy of Ennio Morricone, and at times, his son Andrea Morricone. Many of the films screened at the ‘Cinema Paradiso’ are from Golden Age Hollywood, such as “La Terra Trema,” “ Stagecoach ,” and “Shepherd of the Hills.” Not only is there a deep appreciation for these films themselves, but also for the cinematic experience. Alfredo becomes like a father figure to the young Toto, teaching him everything he knows about cinema. As a boy, he would sneak off to the village theater against his mother’s wishes, always pestering the old projectionist, Alfredo, with whom he forms an intimate bond. The film follows a man as he recalls his childhood and how he fell in love with the movies. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than in “Cinema Paradiso,” where the nostalgia is so powerful it feels like a punch in the gut (in a good way). His scores were romantic above all else – sometimes tender and passionate, other times adventurous and exciting – but always dreamy, always whimsical. This was the essence of Ennio Morricone’s music. We escape to the movies and find solace in the love stories and sweeping cinematography and scores with the power to transport you. Now I don’t speak for everyone, but for the most part, we are nostalgic, emotional, sentimental, and melodramatic. I should preface this discussion with the fact that we movie people are hopeless romantics, and if you haven’t seen “Cinema Paradiso,” or you’ve seen it but didn’t like it, this blog probably isn’t for you. In honor of the late great composer Ennio Morricone, who died Monday at age 91, today’s blog is about the magic of “Cinema Paradiso,” and how Morricone’s music contributed to that magic.
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