Cinema Paradiso (1988)

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Director: Giuseppe Tornatore

Writers: Giuseppe Tornatore and Vanna Paoli, from a story by Giuseppe Tornatore

Stars: Phillipe Noiret, Salvatore Cascio, Agnese Nano, Antonella Attili, Enzo Cannavale, Isa Daniela, Leopoldo Trieste, Roberta Lena



A successful filmmaker recalls the projectionist (Phillipe Noiret) who was a father figure to him as a boy (Salvatore Cascio) and the movie theater that was a center of community life for their small town in the years following World War II.  



Many have already written that this is writer/director Giuseppe Tornatore’s valentine to the movies, but what really struck me, during a recent viewing during the height of the pandemic, is how it highlights the community experience of the movies.

 


This is a wonderful and moving film about community and the value of communal experiences with a beautiful Ennio Morricone score.



Salvatore and Alfredo have a front seat not only to the movies but also to the boisterous life of their neighbors as they gather to share an experience, with all their passions and idiosyncrasies on display.

 


They are individuals, but their common response to a film binds them together.

 


This is a phenomenon that has been fading for years. 



Families used to gather in front of the television (and before that the radio) together.

 


Now they are more likely to be having their own private experiences on their personal devices, but at least there was the local movie theater, the live venue, and the sports arena.

 


When they are not available, we miss them because there are few places where we can feel such a tangible connection with people who are otherwise strangers.





















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