by Yazmin Ghonaim

CINEMA PARADISO: THE NEW VERSION Giuseppe Tornatore (2002) Written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore (The Legend of 1900), the award-winning Cinema Paradiso (1989) won viewers and critics worldwide for its ability to exalt the romance of Hollywood movies, as well as the bittersweet effects these had on the colorful characters of a small Italian village. By 2002, the film has been digitally restored and complemented with 51 minutes of unseen footage that mainly focuses on the sexual awakening of the adolescent "Toto" (played by Marco Leonardi: Like Water for Chocolate) and that answers the first version's open-ended questions surrounding his love for Elena (Agnese Nano); a love that aged thirty years and that now revisits Toto as a famous film director (Jacques Perrin) and an older Elena (Brigitte Fossey). Aside from offering a clear and poignant conclusion to the bittersweet love story, Cinema Paradiso - The New Version moves viewers more profoundly by portraying more of the life and dreams of Toto, and more of his interaction with Elena; by accentuating the controversial and paternalistic qualities of the eccentric movie house projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret: Il Postino); and by deepening the melancholy of the man who returns to the cradle of his fantasies and his love. Inflamed by the indelible music by composer Ennio Morricone, the romanticism of Cinema Paradiso pays homage to movie romance and infects its characters with it. It begins by constructing a story about a projectionist (Alfredo) and a little boy (Toto) who, after an initial battle of wits, end up as partners at the "Paradiso" movie house that screened a series of classic Hollywood films for its loyal community of movie-magic consumers of all ages and socioeconomic standing. Over the years, motion pictures evolved and this family of viewers continued along the lifelong journey of inspiring entertainment, from the silent films of Charlie Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino, to the more risqué pictures of the 60s, which invited them to fantasize over Brigitte Bardot or Marcelo Mastroianni, and which inevitably liberated them from the severe censorship of the local priest, Father Adelfio (played by Leopoldo Trieste). Enveloped by his passion for movies and the great romances they projected onto him, Toto soon falls in love with the beautiful Elena, and the film follows the pursuit of his seemingly unrealizable dream. The New Version furthers the plot by revealing what had been Elena's fate, by showing how Toto uncovers it, and by disclosing that Alfredo played a key role in it. Through all this, the film constructs a tragic romance, analogous to the tragic love of a less fortunate Romeo and Juliet, yet nonetheless, a fate that ultimately falls victim to a mere twist of fate. Cinema Paradiso's overall success lies in its ability to: adequately cast and exploit the distinguishable charm of its main characters; to set them inside a picturesque town and movie house; to bathe them with the evocative musical themes throughout their moments of playful mischief, passion or heartache; to allow viewers to identify with the characters' emotional dependence on movies; and ultimately, to heighten the viewers' emotional response by denying its characters (Toto, Elena, Alfredo and Toto's mother) the very type of containable, controllable, repeatable love that would have lulled their fervor. It is in the denial of this type of love for its characters that Cinema Paradiso finds the ingredient for making movie romance, and for luring romantics back to the movie theatre.		DVD Music Books Search by keywords:
Outstanding Features: Music, Screenplay, Story, Editing, Acting, Casting,Production Design, Set Design Cinema Paradiso: The New Version Movie Review © 2002 Cinephiles - All rights reserved Photo © 2002 Miramax Films This film is rated R for some sexuality You may find more information on this film at: Landmark Theatres.