Cinema Paradiso (1988)
8.4 /10
4615 Reviews
Rate This Movie:
A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theater and formed a deep friendship with the theater's projectionist.
Videos & Photos
cast
... Alfredo
... Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (adult)
... Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (teen)
... Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (child)
... Elena Mendola (teen) / Elena's daughter (in Director's cut)
User reviews
Nice comedy-drama about the youth at the small town of an Italian kid.
Director:
Release Date:
1988-11-17
Run Time:
124 min
MMPA Rating:
PG
Reviews of
Cinema Paradiso
Nice comedy-drama about the youth at the small town of an Italian kid.
**Soulful**
Why did it had to end... The movie was like a breath of fresh air.Every thing about it was so refreshing and soulful that you can never get bored of it.It's one of those movies that you can watch again and again and again...The music, the story, the acting, the direction, the editing, all of it makes this an absolutely beautiful gem of a movie. One of the best movies that i ever saw and will ever see not because it was any different from other movies or better written, directed or acted, but because it's MAGIC, it stays with you.The soul of the movie stays with you beyond the credits.It stays with you forever. I just can't stop smiling remembering the scenes, the smiles on the characters faces, the music... Everybody who wants to FEEL happiness must watch this movie.In one word it's just SOULFUL !!
When you think about cinematography, nowadays you usually think about digital cinematography. But during the early '50s, '60s, and onward, there was a use of this thing called film. Film was what they used in cameras before cameras actually saved them into memory slots digitally. Projectionists actually had to crank the film projectors early on, before the automatic film projectors started coming in, otherwise the film would catch on fire. This movie is about friendship between a projectionist in a film watcher/altar boy, and the film watcher/altar boy was young, maybe 4th grade age. This movie is great! I haven't seen foreign films, in fact, this is the first foreign film I've ever seen. But I'm glad this is the first one to be a foreign film that is a first for me. Want to know why? Because this movie is phenomenal! The little soundtrack that there is has been greatly by whoever composed it. Jacquees Perrin is a good adult version of Toto. The only bad thing I have to say about this is the lack of character development in terms of Elena's character development. I mean, she is a love interest for until Salvatore gets back to the town after his stint in the military, and then she is never heard from again. This movie is a classic, and it is also the definition of a classic. Anyone who watches movies, or plans to see a movie should watch this movie. This is a must see film for any era, and any generation of film viewers.
**Magnificent.**
I saw this movie for the first time a good few years ago, but I only decided to talk about it now, after seeing it again. For me, it is one of the best Italian films ever made. It's like a modern fairy tale, showing us the fascinating side of cinema and reminding us why we love it. Of course, everything passes, and cinema has gone through many phases, it has undergone metamorphoses, and the end of the great classic movie theaters was one of them. And now? The pandemic has shown us that cinema can learn to survive without its theaters. And if we consider the manufacture of televisions and sound systems increasingly “cinematic” and economically viable? Will the living room one day be our own private movie theater, with all the comfort and quality of the big screen?
The future is anyone's guess, and it's as wonderful as it is frightening, but let's put these digressions aside. Anyone who likes cinema should see this film. It has a good dose of nostalgia, it can move the audience (it moves me) and makes us think about life. It's a little difficult to explain, I think it's one of those films that manages to touch something personal in whoever sees it, and that's not easy to translate onto paper because no two lives are alike. It is also worth going to see the various films that appear on the screens of Paradise, and which are very fair tributes to several well-known films.
The cast has very strong names. It is one of the best films of Phillippe Noiret's career, which offers us such a good job that he could well have been nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor that year. Young Salvatore Cascio also does an excellent job and is believable in his role. Enzo Cannavale and Marco Leonardi also do an excellent job. Tornatore's steering is virtually flawless.
Technically, the film is equally remarkable: in addition to accurately recreating the times in which everything takes place, it perfectly shows the technical evolution of cinema, and the way in which the place itself – Giancaldo – changes over time. The choice of filming locations was careful, all the work with props, costumes and sets was meticulous, and the cinematography is very beautiful. The edition does not deserve any repairs, especially if we are talking about the extended version of the film. Ennio Morricone, with his work in this film, gives us one of the best soundtracks of his career, every melody is worth listening to.
Cast & Crew of
Cinema Paradiso
Cast
... Alfredo
... Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (adult)
... Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (teen)
... Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (child)
... Elena Mendola (teen) / Elena's daughter (in Director's cut)
... Maria Di Vita (young)
... Maria Di Vita (aged)
... Spaccafico
... Anna
... Ignazio, usher
... Father Adelfio
... Fabbro, blacksmith
... Village idiot
... Lia
... Peppino's Father
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
... Projectionist (uncredited)
Crew
... Director
... Producer
... Screenplay
... Director of Photography
... Editor
... Producer
... Original Music Composer
... Sound Mixer
... Writer
... Special Effects Coordinator
... Additional Soundtrack
... Production Design
... Makeup Artist
... Assistant Editor
... Assistant Director
... Special Effects
... Animation
... Assistant Costume Designer
... Hairstylist
... Stunts
... Camera Operator
... Supervising Sound Editor
... Sound Effects Editor
... Costume Design
... Musician
... Story
Videos & Photos of
Cinema Paradiso
Videos (2)
Photos 30
Similar Movies To
Cinema Paradiso
New Waterford Girl (1999)
6.9/10
A gifted teenager, dreaming of life beyond her small town, becomes inspired when a 15-year-old girl from New York moves in next door.
Release: 1999-09-12
North Pole (2021)
5/10
Margo wants to lose her virginity in order to finally be just like everybody else.
Release: 2021-07-16
The Damned Don't Cry (2023)
5.9/10
Fatima-Zahra and her teenage son Selim move from place to place, forever trying to outrun the latest scandal she’s caught up in. When Selim discovers the truth about their past, Fatima-Zahra vows to make a fresh start. In Tangier, new opportunities promise the legitimacy they each crave but not without pushing the volatile mother-son relationship to the breaking point.
Release: 2023-07-07
Hands of a Mother (2016)
6.9/10
A family reunion aboard a ship becomes a turning point in the life of 39-year-old engineer Markus. When his son Adam (4) gets a little cut after going to the bathroom with his grandmother Renate, Markus recalls for the first time what his mother did to him when he was a little boy. Markus and his wife Monika find themselves confronted with an ugly truth of the kind you wouldn’t think a mother capable of.
Release: 2016-06-25
Chance Meeting (2013)
0/10
Short romance about a man and woman who bump into each other outside the BFI
Release: 2013-10-08
My Idol (2024)
7/10
After his father's funeral, Lee Woo Sang learns his track team has disbanded. When he returns to being an ordinary student, everything urges him to face reality with worried glances. As Woo Sang runs with unsteady breaths, he hears Sung Jae Min's footsteps approaching behind him, offering comfort to his idol.
Release: 2024-11-08
Mackan (1977)
6/10
Mackan's real name is Margaret. She is 14 and move a lot because her father is employed at the Railroad Company. In a small town she meets Kenneth.He is 18 and the coolest guy in town. Their relationship is a major triumph for Mackan.
Release: 1977-12-19
Orpheus Star (2020)
0/10
Douglas Privett is a young musician who returns to the small mid-western town of his childhood to see Ezrela Mae Privett, the ailing grandmother who'd raised him, a Baptist preacher battling demons of her own. Despite childhood memories of emotional trauma, Douglas agrees to stay in town and help her with therapy. Douglas searches for Cal, his only childhood friend and secret crush, but only finds Cal's younger sister, Jaylene. While staring at a starry night sky, Douglas recalls a positive memory o his grandmother and has a chance encounter with Dora, a wise homeless woman.
Release: 2020-12-13
Sleep Sweet, My Darling (2005)
6/10
A bittersweet coming of age of Tomica Skrinjar, starting at the tail end of World War II in 1945.
Release: 2005-07-22
Swedish Beauty (2000)
5/10
The arrival of a beautiful new stranger in town prompts two boys to spend their summer holidays enticing the young woman to act in a short-film. However their motivation is purely that of seeing her naked.
Release: 2000-11-03
Orgies and the Meaning of Life (2008)
3.3/10
Baxter Goode is a man trying to find an ending to his book about a sex obsessed stick figure searching for a portal to the three dimensional world, as his father, a best selling Christian author, tries to stop him. His life is further complicated by his search for the one woman who will liberate him from his long addiction to orgy fantasies.
Release: 2008-01-01
The Cat's Meow (2001)
5.8/10
Semi-true story of the Hollywood murder that occurred at a star-studded gathering aboard William Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.
Release: 2001-10-08
Amrum (2025)
0/10
Amrum Island, Spring 1945. In the final days of the war, 12-year-old Nanning braves the treacherous sea to hunt seals, goes fishing at night, and works the nearby farm to help his mother feed the family. Despite the hardship, life on the beautiful, windswept island almost feels like paradise. But when peace finally comes, it reveals a deeper threat: the enemy is far closer than he imagined.
Release: 2025-10-09
Nasha (2013)
4.3/10
A teenage boy becomes smitten with his new drama teacher and pursues her, despite the perilous risks of being found out.
Release: 2013-07-22
Oh, What a Night (1992)
4.5/10
During the summer of 1955, seventeen-year-old Eric Hansen embarks on a journey in his new town, a journey which will change his life forever.
Release: 1992-10-09
The Flower of My Secret (1995)
6.8/10
Leo is a middle-aged writer of popular romantic novels who writes under a pseudonym, since she despises her own work. At home, her husband, who works overseas, is distant both physically and emotionally. As she reevaluates her life and writing, Leo is led to an unexpected relationship with Ángel, a sensitive newspaper editor.
Release: 1995-09-22
The Nasty Girl (1990)
6.6/10
When a young woman investigates her town's Nazi past, the community turns against her.
Release: 1990-02-15
Just a Question of Love (2000)
7.3/10
After his gay cousin dies from hepatitis, young Laurent, who lives with his best friend Carole, falls in love with Cedric, a plant scientist. He's afraid to inform his conservative parents that he is gay.
Release: 2000-01-26
The Reivers (1969)
6.418/10
In turn-of-the-century Mississippi, an 11-year-old boy comes of age as two mischievous adult friends talk him into sneaking the family car out for a trip to Memphis and a series of adventures.
Release: 1969-12-20
The Jane Austen Book Club (2007)
6.5/10
Six Californians start a club to discuss the works of Jane Austen. As they delve into Austen's literature, the club members find themselves dealing with life experiences that parallel the themes of the books they are reading.
Release: 2007-09-09