Monday, October 30, 2006
Week 14: Conclusion
Cinema Paradiso
Country: Italy
Year: 1989
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Length: 155 min / 170 min (Director's Cut)
Language: Italian
Critical Comment:
Cinema Paradiso is an excellent film that brings back the memories of cinema, film, the audience and film history.
Cinema Paradiso shows how ci nema can have an affect on the lives of the people it touches. It is a novel piece with a novel narrative. A small boy in town who has a curious passion and fascination for cinema and film who grows up to be the projectionist after a disaster in the town's only cinema and later goes out to be a filmmaker himself. Cinema Paradiso reminds us that cinema is watched and engages with the emotion of the audience. It is like a documentary that is almost similar to Bloody Sunday, that it enacts what cinema means to the audiences. Different emotions, expression, behaviours, attitudes and practices of watching cinema are shown. From the man who spits over the balcony, the man who memorizes every line until the end to the man that just wants to sleep in the cinema. Cinema Paradiso is like a docu-drama in that sense, it wants to represent realism of the different audiences that sometimes we find sitting right next to us.
This film also reminds me of Singin' in the Rain that base its narrative on film history. Toto is very much involved in the filmmaking process (since young until the end) like Don Lockwood is as an actor. Both also experience a decline of a certain era. While Don Lockwood sees the death of silent film (through the coming of sound), Toto witnessed the demolition of his hometown cinema; the death of cinema altogether (due to the TV, which was seen as the antithesis of cinema, which the film dedicates a small scene to it, 'Cinema with no film?').
But Cinema Paradiso although it has these undertones of realism and documentary about film and cinema in general, it still manages to fit in and draw the audience into its own unique narrative and seperate. The story of Toto as a child and how he befrie nds with Alfredo would go a long way to build a father-son relationship. A father which Toto nev er remembered. The love of a father for his son plays a very big part in the narrative and helps th e development of the character. Alfredo, the father, as a figure of wisdom, respect, sacrifice, companion and love speaks very much about fatherhood and it contribution in making Toto (a boy) into a man (although he never taught Toto how to become a 'bull').
Inserting a romance story is a great effect to elevate the mood of the narrative while it has its implications in the narrative. There are many types of love in Cinema Paradiso. A fatherly love that is shared between Alfredo and Toto (a father-son relationship), Toto's love for cinema (passion for art) and a romantic love between Toto and Elena (love between male and female). The theme of love is also explored through the cut scenes that Alfredo leaves behind for Toto in the end of the film. Love in film (with all the kissing scenes from various films) is just like love for film. We find the same experience for 'happy endings' in love like how Toto finally 'reunites' with Elena after 30 years in real life.
Readings:
Country: Italy
Year: 1989
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Length: 155 min / 170 min (Director's Cut)
Language: Italian
Awards:
- Best Foreign Language Film (Oscar)
- Best Foreign Film (Awards of the Japanese Academy)
- Bert Actor - Philippe Noiret (BAFTA Awards)
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Salvatore Cascio (BAFTA Awards)
- Best Film not in the English Language (BAFTA Awards)
- Best Original Film Score (BAFTA Awards)
- Best Screenplay, Original - Giuseppe Tornatore (BAFTA Awards)
- Grand Prize of the Jury - Giuseppe Tornatore (Cannes Film Festival)
- Best Film - Giuseppe Tornatore (Cleveland International Film Festival)
- Best Poster - Jouineau-Bordugue & Gilles Jouin (Cesar Awards)
- Best Music - Ennio Morricone (David di Donatello Awards)
- Best Actor - Philippe Noiret (European Film Awards)
- Special Prize of the Jury - Giuseppe Tornatore (European Film Awards)
- Best Foreign Film (Golden Globe)
- Best Foreign Film (KCFCC Award)
- Actor of the Year - Philippe Noiret (ALFS Award)
- Foreign Language Film of the Year (ALFS Award)
- Best Foreign Language Film - Giuseppe Tornatore (Mainichi Film Concours)
- Best Foreign Film - Giuseppe Tornatore (Robert Festival)
- Best Young Actor Under Nine Appearing in a Foreign Film, Special Award - Salvatore Cascio (Young Artist Awards)
Critical Comment:
Cinema Paradiso is an excellent film that brings back the memories of cinema, film, the audience and film history.
Cinema Paradiso shows how ci nema can have an affect on the lives of the people it touches. It is a novel piece with a novel narrative. A small boy in town who has a curious passion and fascination for cinema and film who grows up to be the projectionist after a disaster in the town's only cinema and later goes out to be a filmmaker himself. Cinema Paradiso reminds us that cinema is watched and engages with the emotion of the audience. It is like a documentary that is almost similar to Bloody Sunday, that it enacts what cinema means to the audiences. Different emotions, expression, behaviours, attitudes and practices of watching cinema are shown. From the man who spits over the balcony, the man who memorizes every line until the end to the man that just wants to sleep in the cinema. Cinema Paradiso is like a docu-drama in that sense, it wants to represent realism of the different audiences that sometimes we find sitting right next to us.
Cinema Paradiso which centers about cinema is then very much related with Salaam Cinema as it tries to capture the essence of cinema. A film about cinema. It gives us an indepth look about the cinema projector and film (which caused caused a fire and later in the film, it becomes fireproof, 'Changes come too late') just like the snippets of shots of the filmmaking equipment that was used to shoot Salaam Cinema. We become very attached with the projector and the other equipment such as the film reels (and even the piles of invoices) because we see it very often and it is a large part of the narrative. The film is very much about the cinema just as much as its character, Toto (Salvatore).
This film also reminds me of Singin' in the Rain that base its narrative on film history. Toto is very much involved in the filmmaking process (since young until the end) like Don Lockwood is as an actor. Both also experience a decline of a certain era. While Don Lockwood sees the death of silent film (through the coming of sound), Toto witnessed the demolition of his hometown cinema; the death of cinema altogether (due to the TV, which was seen as the antithesis of cinema, which the film dedicates a small scene to it, 'Cinema with no film?').
But Cinema Paradiso although it has these undertones of realism and documentary about film and cinema in general, it still manages to fit in and draw the audience into its own unique narrative and seperate. The story of Toto as a child and how he befrie nds with Alfredo would go a long way to build a father-son relationship. A father which Toto nev er remembered. The love of a father for his son plays a very big part in the narrative and helps th e development of the character. Alfredo, the father, as a figure of wisdom, respect, sacrifice, companion and love speaks very much about fatherhood and it contribution in making Toto (a boy) into a man (although he never taught Toto how to become a 'bull').
Inserting a romance story is a great effect to elevate the mood of the narrative while it has its implications in the narrative. There are many types of love in Cinema Paradiso. A fatherly love that is shared between Alfredo and Toto (a father-son relationship), Toto's love for cinema (passion for art) and a romantic love between Toto and Elena (love between male and female). The theme of love is also explored through the cut scenes that Alfredo leaves behind for Toto in the end of the film. Love in film (with all the kissing scenes from various films) is just like love for film. We find the same experience for 'happy endings' in love like how Toto finally 'reunites' with Elena after 30 years in real life.
Readings:
- Ebert, Roger (1990) 'Cinema Paradiso - review'. Chicago Sun-Times. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19900316/REVIEWS/3160302/1023. This review summarises Cinema Paradiso and is quite correct in addressing the meanings of emotions of the film. It evens point some trivia like the poster of Citizen Kane and other films from filmmakers of the era like Kurosawa. The narrative of Cinema Paradiso which I personally feel is an important part of the film where every process of Toto's growth is witnessed, Ebert is right to say that by the time Toto turns into a teenager, it turns a little predictable. However, althought predictable in the sense of Toto tragic romance with Elena, it builds the climax of the most powerful ending for the love of cinema (and the expression of love).
# posted by KC @ 10:13 AM 
