I want to start my movie blog with a blessed movie called "Cinema Paradiso".
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso as its called in Italian was internationally released as Cinema Paradiso in 1988 and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore (famous for Malena {Monica Belluci nude scene!!!). The film has has the eternal music composed by Ennio Morricone( famous for Sergio Leone movies like Fistfull of Dollars, Once upon a time in America, The Untouchables etc) .
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso as its called in Italian was internationally released as Cinema Paradiso in 1988 and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore (famous for Malena {Monica Belluci nude scene!!!). The film has has the eternal music composed by Ennio Morricone( famous for Sergio Leone movies like Fistfull of Dollars, Once upon a time in America, The Untouchables etc) .
Giuseppe Tornatore's "Cinema Paradiso," takes place in Sicily in the last years before the Television hit the world.
It has two chief characters: old Alfredo , who runs the projection booth, and a small kid named TOTO , who is fascinated by the booth and makes the theater, his second home . As the village folks line up faithfully, every night to feast upon the films, the kid watches as to how old Alfredo operates the old machine and lightens up the screens with stories, music and action.
There is a Censor board also in the village. The local priest sits alone a day before the screening of the movie and rings a bell whenever there is a kiss or any intimacy scene in the prints. Alfredo after hearing the bell, puts a bookmark in the print and edits/cuts the portion after the censors are done by the priest.
After the cuts are done, Alfredo screens it to the village folks, who look for entertainment in movies following the World war. The movie goes laugh, whistle and cheer the movie while they watch the story unfold.
Toto is awestruck by the movie projector and the print rolls, so he wishes to know more about how to use the machine. Alfredo, at first doesnt like him hanging around but the kids's innocence and love for the movies attracts him and with a deal to pass the local exam, he befriends the kid.
Alfredo teaches Toto all about projecting the movies and the use of the machine.In one scene the public tend to be more and all couldn't be accommodated in the theater hall. Alfredo, to make the people happy projects the projector into the town square for all the people to view it on a big screen.
I wish if a theater like that ever existed wherein such a variety of films were shown as the Cinema Paradiso does in this movie. In the Paradiso we can see clips of Charlie Chaplin, John Wayne and countless Hollywood classic romantic movies where men and women look lovingly at one another, come closer, seem about to kiss, an then suddenly are standing far from each other with a different look on their faces.
There are different people who come to the theater, some to sleep, some are noisy, one who spits from the balcony, one who utters the whole dialogues(having watched the movie many times), one nursing babies, some smoking and drinking and all who get saddened when the actors dont kiss.
The story is told in a flashback when the famous Roman director gets a call that "Alfredo" has died. The first half is magical with the kid knowing about his father will never come back as he is dead in the war. His love for the movies and the teachings with Alfredo. The director has mentioned this movie to be autobiographical and shows the kid being an altar boy of the priest. There happens to be a fire in the theater and the building burns down. Alfredo is saved by TOTO but he gets blinded by the fire.
A new businessman takes up the theater and reopens it, in which the small kid is appointed as the projection man.
There happens to be no more cuts and kisses are shown to the people now. The theater gets back to its glory days and Toto grows up with it.
Toto falls in love with a girl who is a bank manager s daughter. But there love falls short as Toto has to leave for being in the Army.
He comes back to everything changed in the town and Alfredo suggests him to never come back as the town is now a town of ghosts and he has to let go to be successful.
Toto comes back only after he hears about Alfredo, his father like figure, his idol.
Toto is nostalgic when he comes back and he is gifted by Alfredo s wife with a print.He sees the "cinema paradiso" being broken down as nobody now comes for the movies. With tears welled up in his eyes he remembers the gone time that went by. Alfredo is laid to rest.
In the end, the grown up Toto is shown watching a print containing all the kisses and sleazy scenes cuts done by Alfredo.
The cinema photography of the movie is soothing and pleasing to the eye. The sea coast, the war ridden streets, the old buildings of the Sicily, the square where the theater is located are all showed as per the era by gone.
Anyone who loves movies will surely love "Cinema Paradiso". Yet its tragic to see the big screens being replaces by small multiplex screens.
The biggest screen i have watched a movie was in Galaxy, Rajkot and S.K. Anand. But i dont think now all of them exist.
See you at the movies.
