Cinema Paradiso

[Annie Hall]

My favorite foreign film I have seen and one of my favorite films overall, I'd love to hear some conversation generated about this flick. Does, as it would seem, EVERYONE love it? Are there those out there that actually find great flaw in it?

Which is better, the theatrical version or the directors cut? Do we really WANT to know what really happened?

[jlovborg]

I am one of the few who disliked it. I generally dislike nostalgic, overly sentimental films like this. Another very similar movie is Stand By Me, which I also hated. For more honest and realistic coming-of-age films I recommend The 400 Blows, My Life as a Dog, and The Reflecting Skin.

Giuseppe Tornatore is nevertheless a very good director. I recommend watching his A Pure Formality. I also liked Malena.

[Tuukka]

Originally posted by jlovborg
I am one of the few who disliked it. I generally dislike nostalgic, overly sentimental films like this. Another very similar movie is Stand By Me, which I also hated. For more honest and realistic coming-of-age films I recommend The 400 Blows, My Life as a Dog, and The Reflecting Skin.

Giuseppe Tornatore is nevertheless a very good director. I recommend watching his A Pure Formality. I also liked Malena.

Althought I love Reflecting Skin (9/10), I wouldn't really call it a realistic film... There is some bizarre stuff going on in there.

[Golden Ghost]

I thought it was impossible to not like this film. The best coming-of-age film I've seen, full of nostalgia, and is up for grabs as one of the best foreign films too. It's slowly creeping up to my favourites.

I advise everyone who hasn't seen this yet NOT to watch the Director's Cut. Watch the theatrical version first, then maybe the DC if necessary.

[Annie Hall]

Originally posted by Golden Ghost
I advise everyone who hasn't seen this yet NOT to watch the Director's Cut. Watch the theatrical version first, then maybe the DC if necessary.

I accidentally watched the Director's Cut before seeing the theaterical version. After realizing this, I flipped over the DVD and watched the end of the theaterical version to see how they compare. I think that the theaterical version left more whimsy and magic with the viewer than the DC, which was almost too somber and realistic to work.

[jlovborg]

Originally posted by Tuukka
Althought I love Reflecting Skin (9/10), I wouldn't really call it a realistic film... There is some bizarre stuff going on in there.

Yes, it's not that realistic on the surface level, but emotionally I think it's very honest and true, depicting the horror that only a child can feel. This is something that is missing from nostalgic films like Cinema Paradiso.

I'm pretty interested in seeing the director's cut of Paradiso.

[Reigh Kaufman]

The directors cut is an absolute must own! It comes in a beautiful box with the script and stills from the movie. And the movie, ah, man, the movie is the very definition of why people like us come to a place like Jo's. It's about that kind of passion.

One day in the future a government will pass mandatory viewing of this move to dam the rising tide of uber-fucking-aloofness in the youth of today. No Battle Royale style shenanigans, just a compulsory showing and everyone is happy. I'm starting the politiking...........................now.

[flowrchild]

I very much enjoyed this movie. Gave me all kinds of warm fuzzy feelings. It's the type of film that is near impossible not to fall in love with. One of the most uplifting endings, ever.

Number #2 on my list of feel-good films, right after the lovely Almost Famous.

[Paterfamilias]

Just watched this amazing film. I watched the directors cut first, not realizing the other version was on the disc.

Simply put, I loved it. I would think any film fanatic like the schmoes here would like this movie. The love for film shared by the two leads is conveyed wonderfully.

This movie gripped me early and did not let go. I gladly surrendered my emotions to this masterpiece because there were powerful moments but it never got cheesy or overstated.

As for the director's vs. original cut. Maybe it's because I saw it first, but I think the directors cut is better.

*******SPOILERS************


Being confronted with how different his life would have been if Toto would have gotten the message or seen the note was so gut wrenching to me. It makes you realize how much of a part his friend played in his success as a film maker. If he would have received the massage, he may never have pursued filmmaking, his true passion. Yet, it is sad because his other passion, the love for the girl, was never able to be satisfied.

End Spoilers***********

Side note, ya know the story about the prince waiting for the girl for 100 days and leaving on the 99th day. My take on that is that he left because at some point he realized, "what kind of twisted bitch would make me wait out here in the crappy weather for 100 days? That is not the kind of woman I want to spend the rest of my life with" So he waits 99 days to show the kind of man he is, to show her what she is missing, then he splits. Classic.

[JCPhoenix]

I've just rented this film after reading this thread earlier and hearing all the good reviews :)

i'm gonna watch it in a bit and come back and give my feedback....

[scottish-movie-freak]

I'm sure my parents have Cinema Paradiso on video, I really should check it out one of these days.

Can I ask, is it schmaltzy? :confused:

[JCPhoenix]

Originally posted by scottish-movie-freak
I'm sure my parents have Cinema Paradiso on video, I really should check it out one of these days.

Can I ask, is it schmaltzy? :confused:

Yes, you could say that. It has a lot of parts where the score rises into this huge majestic sweep and quite a bit of "schmaltz". At the same time though, I found it surprisingly funny too.

What really pissed me off though was that I got it as advd rental from Rogers Video and there were NUMEROUS things wrong with this.

1. It was a Pan&Scan copy of it- but Rogers Video had blocked off the part on the back of the case that said its Aspect Ratio, so I had no idea that it was Pan&Scan. Besides, I'm totally surprised that it was a Pan&Scan copy - the two dvd versions I had heard of were both in the original aspect ratio (1.85:1), and anyway, I've seldom found Pan&Scan versions of foreign films on dvd, so I was extremely surprised. But the main thing is that I think that it's a Canadian version of the disc, and for once, the CDN one differs. In any case, it got me more than pissed off since this film seems like one that was amazing in widescreen (when the title Cinema Paradiso gets cut off and looks like Cinema aradis you know there's a problem).

2. It was in Italian 2.0 Mono...horrible sound quality, very shrill and sharp...the score didn't coem through that well.

and 3. the dvd copy they got was scratched and several times during the movie, the image started to break up. Really pissed me off. not just that, but the image quality itself wasn't very good too. just above vhs quality. horrible dvd



BUT, from what I saw, I still loved the film. Hell, even my dad sat down and watched it (and liked it) and he usually only likes big action movies (and very rarely foreign films).

The little kid was so cute and funny! I loved that part when they were in the exams lol...and the ending is so poignant and it's hard to explain - the mood was happy but still a bit bittersweet. That end touch was brilliant though.

And from what I could hear, I loved the score (though I like the later film Malena's score slightly more)

The storyline was good, and the continuity was good (catching each of the unique characters later on as they grew up was fun :p)

Loved it! 9/10.
(I want to find teh director's cut dvd and watch the theatrical version and director's cut on that since that would be in the original aspect ratio and 5.1 surround...I'll probably end up buying this)

[Lynn Minmei]

I give it a 9 or a 10 out of 10. Grrrrreat film, and if you're not moved to tears at the end, you're a nazi.

[Danny L]

Cried like a baby in the ending. But the theatrical release is far better than the director's cut edition meesathinks. Brilliant movie.

[Cronos]

ive always been kinda unsure whether i like this film or not, it has a good story and good acting but theres always been something about it that i dont like, ill have to give it another chance but i dont know whether id like it or not

[helloman03]

This is one of my favorite movies. Can anyone recommend to me other great movies with similar emotions (and intensity). I would very much appreciate this.

[Grim H.]

I just watched it the other night. I enjoyed it, but to me the ending kinda tapered off...overall, 8/10

[Alej The Mute]

I've only seen the Director's Cut ... I read about the differences between the two versions, I just could not imagine liking it as much without the extra hour or so. I cried for the last 20 minutes straight, it was so amazingly powerful!

[TheSpleen]

I also loved this movie - everything about it. The story, the acting, the pacing, and especially the Morricone score.

[akansha_k]

i think Cinema Paradiso is a na excellent movie

i just love the way the movie has been made

the friendship between the boy and the old man who is the film magazine attacher is purley beautiful...

i think it was a real touching film

[desmoface]

I never gave foreign films the time of day, that was till I watched this movie..This is my fav movie of all time...I tried to get my wife to watch it, but she wasn't having any of it.

I now go out of my way to watch foreign films whenever I can catch them on tv..I'm serching for one now, but I'm not having any luck finding it here in the states Bombon: El Perro (http://www.timeout.com/film/82554.html)

My search for this movie has brought me here.

Steve

[Le_Big_Mac]

I'm usually not one for sentimental, straightly feel-good films but I loved Cinema Paradiso. It's one of my favorite foreign films. It's just very well-crafted and Ennio Morricone's wonderful and moving score shines and puts the icing on the cake. All the characters are relatable and honestly lovable.

The movie has a few flaws, rest assure, but overall, it's quite a masterpiece. Along side The Godfather, Goodfellas, and spaghetti, it's one of the many things we owe to the Italians. :D

[desmoface]

YES!! They also brought us Ducati and Ferrari.

Steve

Originally posted by Le_Big_Mac
Along side The Godfather, Goodfellas, and spaghetti, it's one of the many things we owe to the Italians. :D

[CarlosBS]

Originally posted by Annie Hall
My favorite foreign film I have seen and one of my favorite films overall, I'd love to hear some conversation generated about this flick. Does, as it would seem, EVERYONE love it? Are there those out there that actually find great flaw in it?

Which is better, the theatrical version or the directors cut? Do we really WANT to know what really happened?

One of my favourite movies, another one from Giuseppe Tornatore I could reccomend is The Legend of 1900 with Tim Roth.