Cinema Paradiso

Directed by Giuseppe Ternatore
Starring:Philippe Noiret, Salvatore Cascio, Marco Leonardi
1989

Cinema Paradiso offers a nostalgic look at films and the effect 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, Salvatore, 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, Alfredo, and, in so doing, embarks upon a journey into his boyhood just after WWII when he became the man's official son. 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 Alfredo's life after a fire, and then becomes 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 goodbye 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. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Awards:
1991 British Academy Awards Best Score
1990 British Academy Awards Best Original Screenplay
1990 British Academy AwardsBest Actor
1990 British Academy AwardsBest Supporting Actor
1990 British Academy Awards Best Foreign-Language Film
1990 Golden Globe Best Foreign-Language Film
1989 European Film Academy Special Jury Award
1989 Cannes Film Festival Special Jury Prize
1989 Cannes Film Festival Special Jury Grand Prix
1989 Cannes International Film Festival Special Jury Grand Prix
1989 Academy Best Foreign Language Film
1989 Academy Best Foreign Film