Cinema Paradiso

Starring:Antonella Attili, Enzo Cannavale, Isa Danieli, Leo Gullotta, Marco Leonardi, Pupella Maggio, Agnese Nano, Leopoldo Trieste, Salvatore Cascio, Tano Cimarosa, Nicola Di Pinto, Roberta Lena, Nino Terzo, Jacques Perrin, Philippe Noiret, Brigitte Fossey, Nellina LaganÃ , Turi Giuffrida, Mariella Lo Giudice, Giorgio Libassi
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product Type: DVD

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Giuseppe Tornatore's beautiful 1988 film about a little boy's love affair with the movies deservedly won an Oscar for Best Foreign Film and a Special Jury Prize at Cannes. Philippe Noiret plays a grizzled old projectionist who takes pride in his presentation of screen dreams for a town still recovering from World War II. When a child (Jacques Perrin) demonstrates fascination not only for movies but also for the process of showing them to an audience, a lifelong friendship is struck. This isn't just one of those films for people who are already in love with the cinema. But if you are one of those folks, the emotional resonance between the action in Tornatore's world and the images on Noiret's screen will seem all the greater--and the finale all the more powerful. --Tom Keogh

Amazon.com

Cinema Paradiso's complex, interwoven tales of wartime Italy, a boy's coming of age, and the history of cinema can be viewed in their entirety on the Director's Cut included in this Deluxe Edition. Director Giuseppe Tornatore's additional 50 minutes of footage provides closure for the saga's detailing Alfredo's death, and Salvatore Di Vita's lost relationship with his teenage love, Elena. Most of the 50 minutes serves as a continuation of the story, rather than as previously deleted scenes. The original, already celebrated Cinema Paradiso follows Toto (Jacques Perrin), a Sicilian boy who persuades the town projectionist, Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), to teach him how to show films. Spanning nearly 50 years, the film craftily draws parallels between Toto's life and those lives he sees on screen. As Toto matures into Salvatore, a successful Italian filmmaker, the Cinema Paradiso ages as well. Salvatore's return home for Alfredo's funeral is also a goodbye to his Paradiso, demolished to become a parking lot. The film's heightened sense of nostalgia subtly mirrors our humanistic love of movies, making it a tribute to cinema as an artistic genre. The Director's Cut can be fulfilling if one felt unsatisfied by the more ambiguous ending of the theatrical release, but it also feels slightly overwrought. Two documentaries in this package feature fans and critics praising Cinema Paradiso, proving its endurance as a classic. However, as Salvatore discovers over the course of the film, there is no need to improve a masterpiece. --Trinie Dalton

Description

A famous film director returns home to a Sicilian village for the first time after almost 30 years. He reminisces about his childhood at the Cinema Paradiso here Alfredo, the projectionist, first brought about his love of films. He is also reminded of his lost teenage love, Elena, ho he had to leave before he left for Rome. Cinema Paradiso is one of the most beloved Foreign films of all time! Winner of the 1990 Oscar for Best Foreign Film!

Customer Reviews:

Great, But ..........2007-07-05

The original release of the movie is timeless storytelling and a great work of art. Ennio Morricone's beautiful music is both uplifting and heartbreaking at the same time.

In a nutshell, a young boy (Salvatore) loses his father to war. He is befriended by the projectionist (Alfredo) at a local movie house, where he learns to love the cinema. As he grows up in his home town, he experiences the trials and tribulations of adulthood, including the pain of a lost love. He eventually leaves the little town and becomes a famous director in Rome. He returns thirty years later to attend the funeral of his old projectionist friend, who has bequeathed him a single can of film. Upon his return to Rome, he views the film and is transformed by what he sees.

This was the perfect end to a great film, but the director (Giuseppe Tornatore) must have felt the need to bring a little more closure to the lost-love bit. So he adds another hour to the movie, including Salvatore's rediscovery of the love of his youth, Elena. They park in a lonely spot near the beach and talk about their lives (fittingly, the flickering of a malfunctioning overhead street light gives the impression that they are at a drive-in movie). Salvatore learns from Elena that the philosophical Alfredo had essentially sabotaged their love thirty years before.

And then the two middle-aged lovers "do it" in the car.

Sorry, but this kind of "closure" doesn't "do it" for me. For one thing, Alfredo loved Salvatore like a son, and the betrayal bit just doesn't fit in. And while I was happy to see the star-crossed lovers nostalgically reunited for a while, the action in the front seat of the car just isn't my idea of romance (but maybe I'm old-fashioned).

Nevertheless, the original movie (which deservedly won the 1989 Oscar Award for Best Foreign Picture) is hard to beat.

My fault, but still frustrated.......2007-05-29

In searching for this title, almost all of them were sub-titled in English. I selected, purchased, only to find out that is was all in Italian. So, it's basically useless for me. Ended up renting it from a video store.

a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!.......2007-05-16

CINEMA PARADISO is one of the most well-loved and talked about Italian films, made in the last twenty years. I generally hear people speak of CINEMA PARADISO and IL POSTINO in the same breath. I was completely enamored of IL POSTINO (THE POSTMAN), so I really thought that I would be equally infatuated with this film. Unfortunately, the combination of melodrama and sleepy direction didn't sustain my attention. Though, I was completely in love with Marco Leonardi, who plays the more mature version of the protagonist, Salvatore. Leonardi is also well-known for his role as Pedro Muzquiz, in LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE, the love interest of perpetual cook, Tita (Lumi Cavazos).

In CINEMA PARADISO, Salvatore (Leonardi), a well-established filmmaker recounts his formative years as a young boy at the knees of Alfredo (Philippe Noiret), a film projectionist who introduced him to films, and ultimately helped shape the course of his life. Also, Salvatore has great love for Elena (Agnese Nano), that is ultimately ill-fated.

Yes, this sounds great. Yes, I am the only who doesn't think so. It's just my opinion. Honestly, I think you should see it for yourself and decide, but I wouldn't buy a copy today, as readily as I would IL POSTINO and numerous other Italian films that deal with coming of age and romance--one example that comes to mind is Fellini's great AMARCORD. You be the judge, though.

A Love letter to Cinema.......2007-05-14

Cinema Paradiso is what I would call it "the perfect picture of all times" for anyone how loves movies, this one is definitely a masterpiece. Tornatore's best achievement. This is a movie about a movie-lover, a story of Toto who fall in love with the magical world of movies, a world that he was introduced to by his friend Alfredo, it is also a about cinema and how it is dying due to the change of time and the aggressiveness of TV. This is a love letter to movies and what it represents in our life... a masterpiece by all means; if you love movies then you must see this one either in the Director's cut or in its original version.

"The endings justify the means, (all of them)".......2007-05-14

I loved this movie. It is well done dispite the typical Italian artistic whimsical touches. The characters are all bigger than life, (whimsical at times), but loveable. The story line is very good and reveals the life style changes in this Sicilian town as prosperity overtakes poverty after WWII. It is a "Must see" movie. It is the story of rags to riches set in post war Sicily.
My only problem is that I have seen three, (Count them), different endings to this movie. The endings are all quit good, but disturbing because I liked them all and had to see the three versions to understand what really happened, or could have to the hero. Incidentally, I have not viewed the "Directers Cut" yet; I have no idea how it will end.

Phillip A. Purpura

Average customer rating:

Great, But ...
My fault, but still frustrated
a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!
A Love letter to Cinema
"The endings justify the means, (all of them)"

Cinema Paradiso
Starring: Antonella Attili , Enzo Cannavale , Isa Danieli , Leo Gullotta , and Marco Leonardi
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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Ciao, Professore!

ASIN: 6305648522
Release Date: 2000-01-25

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Customer Reviews:

Great, But ..........2007-07-05

My fault, but still frustrated.......2007-05-29

a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!.......2007-05-16

A Love letter to Cinema.......2007-05-14

"The endings justify the means, (all of them)".......2007-05-14

Average customer rating:

Great, But ...
My fault, but still frustrated
a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!
A Love letter to Cinema
"The endings justify the means, (all of them)"

Cinema Paradiso - The New Version
Starring: Antonella Attili , Enzo Cannavale , Isa Danieli , Leo Gullotta , and Marco Leonardi
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
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Il Postino
Life Is Beautiful
Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection)
La Dolce Vita (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Ciao, Professore!

ASIN: B00007G207
Release Date: 2003-02-18

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Description

This Miramax Classics presentation of CINEMA PARADISO: THE NEW VERSION brings you the critically acclaimed triumph as never seen before! A famous Italian filmmaker, haunted by the memories of his first love, returns to his hometown after an absence of 30 years. Upon his return, he reconnects with the community and remembers the highlights and tragedies that shaped his life and inspired him to follow his dream of becoming a filmmaker. For those who have never seen it -- and those who have never forgotten it -- director Giuseppe Tornatore's (MALENA, THE STAR MAKER) cherished Academy Award(R)-winning motion picture (1990, Best Foreign Language Film) is now fully restored, digitally remastered, and includes 51 minutes of never-before-seen footage!

Customer Reviews:

Great, But ..........2007-07-05

My fault, but still frustrated.......2007-05-29

a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!.......2007-05-16

A Love letter to Cinema.......2007-05-14

"The endings justify the means, (all of them)".......2007-05-14

Cinema Paradiso (Limited Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Great, But ...
My fault, but still frustrated
a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!
A Love letter to Cinema
"The endings justify the means, (all of them)"

Cinema Paradiso (Limited Collector's Edition)
Starring: Antonella Attili , Enzo Cannavale , Isa Danieli , Leo Gullotta , and Marco Leonardi
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
ProductGroup: DVD
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Il Postino
Life Is Beautiful
Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection)
La Dolce Vita (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Ciao, Professore!

ASIN: B000I0RNVG
Release Date: 2006-11-07

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Customer Reviews:

Great, But ..........2007-07-05

My fault, but still frustrated.......2007-05-29

a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!.......2007-05-16

A Love letter to Cinema.......2007-05-14

"The endings justify the means, (all of them)".......2007-05-14

Average customer rating:

Great, But ...
My fault, but still frustrated
a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!
A Love letter to Cinema
"The endings justify the means, (all of them)"

Cinema Paradiso
Starring: Antonella Attili , Enzo Cannavale , Isa Danieli , Leo Gullotta , and Marco Leonardi
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Il Postino
Life Is Beautiful
Bicycle Thieves (Criterion Collection)
La Dolce Vita (2-Disc Collector's Edition)
Ciao, Professore!

ASIN: B000089Q9D

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Customer Reviews:

Great, But ..........2007-07-05

My fault, but still frustrated.......2007-05-29

a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!.......2007-05-16

A Love letter to Cinema.......2007-05-14

"The endings justify the means, (all of them)".......2007-05-14

Best of World Cinema - Volume 1 (Amelie/Malena/Farewell My Concubine/Cinema Paradiso: the New Version)

Average customer rating:

Exotic world movies

Best of World Cinema - Volume 1 (Amelie/Malena/Farewell My Concubine/Cinema Paradiso: the New Version)
Starring: Audrey Tautou , Mathieu Kassovitz , Rufus , Lorella Cravotta , and Serge Merlin
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet , Kaige Chen , and Giuseppe Tornatore
Manufacturer: Miramax Home Entertainment
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ASIN: B0000YTOSA
Release Date: 2004-02-10

Description

Grab your passport and experience Miramax's BEST OF WORLD CINEMA I, featuring the internationally acclaimed films AMÉLIE, CINEMA PARADISO, MALENA, and FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE -- all in widescreen format! AMÉLIE: Nominated for five 2001 Academy Awards(R), including Best Original Screenplay, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Cinematography. Special 2-disc set. CINEMA PARADISO: THE NEW VERSION: Winner of the 1989 Academy Award(R) for Best Foreign Language Film and winner of the Grand Prize Jury Award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. MALENA: Nominated for two 2000 Academy Awards® including Best Cinematography and Best Score. FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE: Nominated for two 1993 Academy Awards(R), including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Cinematography, Golden Globe® winner for Best Foreign Film, and Palme D'Or (Best Film) winner at the prestigious Cannes Film festival. CLICK ON LINKS BELOW FOR INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT DETAILS.

Customer Reviews:

Exotic world movies.......2004-07-24

French, Chinese, and Italian -- three different countries, cultures, and worldviews. Two tragedies, a romantic comedy, and a character drama. This is the "Best of World Cinema Volume 1," collecting four of the best and most beautiful non-American films together.

"Amelie" makes life a little better for everyone. The entrancing, whimsical story centers on the sweet-natured, shy Amelie (Audrey Tautou) who finds a little box of treasures in her apartment, and returns it to its owner, now an old man. She changes the man's life, and decides to continue doing good for others via benevolent meddling. But then when she encounters her soulmate, will Amelie summon the courage to help herself as she's helped others?

"Malèna" is the heart and soul of this lush, riveting film. The sensual Malèna (Monica Belucci) moves into a small Sicilian town in the 1940s, and immediately captures the adoration of all the men, and the disgust of all the women. Preteen Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro) begins to develop pure, worshipful feelings for Malèna, but as he grows toward manhood, he sees that not all her beauty is on the outside.

"Farewell My Concubine" gives a breathtaking look at Chinese history and culture. A prostitute manages to get her young son Cheng Dieyi (Leslie Cheung), into the world of the Peking Opera, and falls in love with his costar Duan Xiaolou (Fengyi Zhang). But Duan takes a beautiful courtesan as his wife, and thus begins Dieyi's fall from grace.

"Cinema Paradiso: the New Version" is the expanded version of the classic film, a film about film. A famed film director returns to his old hometown and reminisces about his life, and the path that set him towards cinematic fame. As a boy (Marco Leonardi), he befriended a blinded projectionist (Philippe Noiret) -- but did the old man give him fame and glory at the cost of his love?

"The Best of World Cinema" covers different cultures, characters, and ways of directing. And they deal with each topic in their own ways -- fate, love, jealousy, hate and gossip. Is it depressing? In a majestic, melancholy way, some of the films are depressing, although the gorgeous "Amelie" will uplift you if you watch it last.

The acting in these films is almost uniformly superb, from Belucci's silent temptress to Leslie Cheung's tragic young singer to Tautou's elfin sweetheart. And the direction ranges as well -- "Farewell" is starker and grittier, "Amelie" is fantastical and wink-nudge sweetness, and "Malèna"'s warm sensuality.

Four beautiful movies. Four magnificent stories. And four modern classics of the cinema, each a work of art in its own way. Highly, immensely recommended.

Cinema Paradiso (Original and Directors Editions) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]

Average customer rating:

Movie Magic Casts It's Spell

Cinema Paradiso (Original and Directors Editions) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Great Britain ]
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000FS5H46

Product Description

Great Britain released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Subtitles), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (1.85:1), SYNOPSIS: Cinema Paradiso offers a nostalgic look at films and the affect they have on a young boy who grows up in and around the title village movie theater in this Italian comedy drama that is based on the life and times of screenwriter/director Giuseppe Tornatore. The story begins in the present as a Sicilian mother pines for her estranged son, who left many years ago and has since become a prominent Roman film director who has taken the advice of his mentor too literally. He finally returns to his home village to attend the funeral of the town's former film projectionist and, in so doing, embarks upon a journey into his boyhood just after WW II when he became the unofficial son of the town projectionist. In the dark confines of the Cinema Paradiso, the boy and the other townsfolk try to escape from the grim realities of post-war Italy. The town censor is also there to insure nothing untoward appears onscreen, invariably demanding that all kissing scenes be edited out. One day, Salvatore saves the projectionist's life after a fire, and then befriends the new projectionist. A few years later, Salvatore falls in love with a beautiful girl who breaks his heart after he is inducted into the military. Thirty years later, Salvatore has come to say good-bye to his life-long friend, who has left him a little gift in a film can. In 2002, over a decade after the film's original release, Tornatore brought the original 170-minute director's cut to American screens for the first time. SPECIAL FEATURES: 2-DVD Set, Interactive Menu,

Customer Reviews:

Movie Magic Casts It's Spell.......2007-06-15

The original theatrical release of "Cinema Paradiso"(1990)was honored with many international film awards. Among them the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Foreign Langauge film.The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards bestowed on this film Best Actor(Philippe Noiret), Best Supporting Actor(Salvatore Cascio), Best Film Not in the English Language, Best Film Score (Ennio and Andrea Morricone), and Screenplay for writer/director Guiseppe Tornatore, who also was awarded the Grand Prize from the Jury at Cannes.There were many more awards and nominations too numerous to list.

You may ask why a film with this many distinctions would have another version released? Well if you have seen the original, there's a good chance you fell in love with all the characters and the 50 aditional minutes spent with them is more than welcome. Most of the additional footage not seen in the original is devoted to the star-crossed love story bewteen Salvatore(also called "Toto") and Elena, and may give you some closure to their relationship. But the beauty of this DVD is that you get both versions to relive the beautiful moments over and over and you can decide for yourself which version is your favorite. Either one on it's own will touch your heart, and both together is well worth owning.

The story is one that will have you totally immersed. A small Italian village, post WWII is in love with film. They townfolk clamor to see whatever film is playing at their little theatre, "Cinema Paradiso". But none are more enamored by the films and the process of showing them then little Toto and his idol Alfredo, the projectionist. When Toto as a grown man and successful filmmaker learns of the death of Alfredo, he thinks back to that time in the village of his growing love for film, the girl he loved, and most of all the loving bond that grew between him and Alfredo.

This beautiful story of love and frienship is hypnotic. The actors are wonderful in their portrayals and the score delightful. It is one that will especially touch the hearts of film lovers.

This DVD edition is for DVD players formatted for region 2, double check with the sellers for languages and subtitles.You can find the region 1 edition here:Cinema Paradiso - The New Version. Both versions are included. For DVD details, of that one see my review of 9/7/03.

Get lost in Toto's world for nearly three hours and let this film cast it's spell on you...a must have addition to any film lovers collection...enjoy...Laurie

Cinema Paradiso [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg. 4 Import - Australia ]

Average customer rating:

Cinema Paradiso [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg. 4 Import - Australia ]
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Manufacturer: Umbrella Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000E8O6EY

Product Description

[ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg. 4 Import - Australia ] Australia released, PAL/Region 4 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. Languages: English (Subtitles) Italian (Dolby Digital 2.0) Synopsis: Cinema Paradiso offers a nostalgic look at films and the affect they have on a young boy who grows up in and around the title village movie theater in this Italian comedy drama that is based on the life and times of screenwriter/director Giuseppe Tornatore. The story begins in the present as a Sicilian mother pines for her estranged son, who left many years ago and has since become a prominent Roman film director who has taken the advice of his mentor too literally. He finally returns to his home village to attend the funeral of the town's former film projectionist and, in so doing, embarks upon a journey into his boyhood just after WW II when he became the unofficial son of the town projectionist. In the dark confines of the Cinema Paradiso, the boy and the other townsfolk try to escape from the grim realities of post-war Italy. The town censor is also there to insure nothing untoward appears onscreen, invariably demanding that all kissing scenes be edited out. One day, Salvatore saves the projectionist's life after a fire, and then befriends the new projectionist. A few years later, Salvatore falls in love with a beautiful girl who breaks his heart after he is inducted into the military. Thirty years later, Salvatore has come to say good-bye to his life-long friend, who has left him a little gift in a film can. In 2002, over a decade after the film's original release, Tornatore brought the original 170-minute director's cut to American screens for the first time. Special Features: Biographies Filmographies Interactive Menu Scene Access Trailer(s) Uncut

Cinema Paradiso (Director's Cut) [Region 2]

Average customer rating:

Great, But ...
My fault, but still frustrated
a film with a great concept....I just wish I had liked it more!
A Love letter to Cinema
"The endings justify the means, (all of them)"

Cinema Paradiso (Director's Cut) [Region 2]
Starring: Antonella Attili , Enzo Cannavale , Isa Danieli , Leo Gullotta , and Marco Leonardi
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD