Cinema Paradiso (1988) Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (original title)

Director:

Giuseppe Tornatore

Writers:

Giuseppe Tornatore (story)
Giuseppe Tornatore (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

23 February 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

A celebration of youth, friendship, and the everlasting magic of the movies.

Plot:

A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theater and formed a deep friendship with the theater's projectionist.

Plot Keywords:

Village | Boy | Love | Cinema | Film Making

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 19 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Antonella Attili	...	Maria Di Vita - Younger
Enzo Cannavale	...	Spaccafico
Isa Danieli	...	Anna
Leo Gullotta	...	Usher
Marco Leonardi	...	Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita - Teenager
Pupella Maggio	...	Maria Di Vita - Older
Agnese Nano	...	Elena Mendola
Leopoldo Trieste	...	Father Adelfio
Salvatore Cascio	...	Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita - Child
Tano Cimarosa	...	Blacksmith
Nicola Di Pinto	...	Village Idiot
Roberta Lena	...	Lia
Nino Terzo	...	Peppino's Father
Jacques Perrin	...	Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita - Adult
Brigitte Fossey	...	Elena Mendola - Adult
Philippe Noiret	...	Alfredo
Nellina Laganà
Turi Giuffrida
Mariella Lo Giudice
Giorgio Libassi
Beatrice Palme
Ignazio Pappalardo
Angela Leontini
Mimmo Mignemi
Margherita Mignemi
Giuseppe Pellegrino
Turi Killer
Angelo Tosto
Concetta Borpagano
Franco Catalano
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roscoe 'Fatty' Arbuckle	...	Boxer (archive footage) (uncredited)
Antonio Arcidiacono	...	Ntoni (archive footage) (uncredited)
Junie Astor	...	Natacha (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ignazio Balsamo	...	Francesco Messana (archive footage) (uncredited)
Brigitte Bardot	...	Juliete Hardy (archive footage) (uncredited)
John Barrymore	...	The Baron (archive footage) (uncredited)
Isa Barzizza	...	Toto's Conquest (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ingrid Bergman	...	Ivy Peterson (archive footage) (uncredited)
Vilma Bánky	...	Yasmin (archive footage) (uncredited)
Clara Calamai	...	Ginevra (archive footage) (uncredited)
Mario Castellani	...	Jealous Husband (archive footage) (uncredited)
Nicola Castorino	...	Nicola (archive footage) (uncredited)
Charles Chaplin	...	Referee / The Lone Prospector (archive footage) (uncredited)
Gary Cooper	...	Lt. Frederic Henry (archive footage) (uncredited)
Olivia de Havilland	...	Maid Marian (archive footage) (uncredited)
Vittorio De Sica	...	Count Prospero B. (archive footage) (uncredited)
Kirk Douglas	...	Ulysses (archive footage) (uncredited)
Errol Flynn	...	Robin Hood (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jean Gabin	...	Wasska Pepel (archive footage) (uncredited)
Clark Gable	...	Ace Wilfong (archive footage) (uncredited)
Greta Garbo	...	Grusinskaya - the Dancer (archive footage) (uncredited)
Vittorio Gassman	...	Walter (archive footage) (uncredited)
Massimo Girotti	...	Il pretore Guido Schiavi (archive footage) (uncredited)
Farley Granger	...	Il tenente Franz Mahler (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cary Grant	...	Walter Burns (archive footage) (uncredited)
Georgia Hale	...	Georgia (archive footage) (uncredited)
Laurence Harvey	...	Joe Lampton (archive footage) (uncredited)
Helen Hayes	...	Catherine Barkley (archive footage) (uncredited)
Louis Jouvet	...	Le Baron (archive footage) (uncredited)
Anna Magnani	...	Maddalena Cecconi (archive footage) (uncredited)
Silvana Mangano	...	Anna / Silvana (archive footage) (uncredited)
Marcello Mastroianni	...	Mario (archive footage) (uncredited)
Amedeo Nazzari	...	Neri Chiaramontesi (archive footage) (uncredited)
Suzy Prim	...	Vassilissa Kostyleva (archive footage) (uncredited)
Donna Reed	...	Mary Hatch (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jane Russell	...	Rio McDonald (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rosalind Russell	...	Hildy Johnson (archive footage) (uncredited)
Yvonne Sanson	...	Rosa Carrisi (archive footage) (uncredited)
Maria Schell	...	Natalia (archive footage) (uncredited)
Norma Shearer	...	Jan Ashe (archive footage) (uncredited)
Simone Signoret	...	Alice Aisgill (archive footage) (uncredited)
Alberto Sordi	...	Alberto (archive footage) (uncredited)
James Stewart	...	George Bailey (archive footage) (uncredited)
Giuseppe Tornatore	...	Projectionist (uncredited)
Totò	...	The Suitor - Disguises Himself as Dummy / Band Leader (archive footage) (uncredited)
Spencer Tracy	...	Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde (archive footage) (uncredited)
Claire Trevor	...	Dallas (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rudolph Valentino	...	The Sheik (archive footage) (uncredited)
Alida Valli	...	La contessa Livia Serpieri (archive footage) (uncredited)
John Wayne	...	Ringo Kid (archive footage) (uncredited)

Directed by
Giuseppe Tornatore

Writing credits
Giuseppe Tornatore		(story)
Giuseppe Tornatore		screenplay and
Vanna Paoli		collaborating writer

Produced by
Gabriella Carosio	....	delegate producer: RAI
Franco Cristaldi	....	producer
Giovanna Romagnoli	....	producer

Original Music by
Ennio Morricone

Cinematography by
Blasco Giurato

Film Editing by
Mario Morra

Production Design by
Andrea Crisanti

Costume Design by
Beatrice Bordone

Makeup Department
Laura Borselli	....	assistant makeup artist (as Laura Borzelli)
Paolo Borselli	....	hair stylist (as Paolo Borzelli)
Maurizio Trani	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Mino Barbera	....	general manager
Romualdo Buzzanca	....	production manager (as Aldo Buzzanca)
Eleonora Comencini	....	production manager
Aureliano Luppi	....	production supervisor
Salvo Luppo	....	production supervisor
Vittorio Noia	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Giuseppe Giglietti	....	assistant director
Pietra Tornatore	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Fabio Bonzi	....	assistant production designer
Benito Leonardi	....	construction foreman
Marco Maggi	....	constructor
Alberto Michettoni	....	first property master
Cinzia Milani	....	assistant art director
Marcello Molfo	....	second property master
Raffaele Pantaleo	....	construction foreman
Porfirio Perrone	....	constructor
Oreste Quercioli	....	set painter
Marina Zalapi	....	assistant production designer

Sound Department
Luciano Anzellotti	....	foley artist
Massimo Anzellotti	....	sound effects editor
Annia Bargagli	....	dubbing assistant
Alberto Doni	....	sound mixer
Franco Finetti	....	sound engineer
Massimo Loffredi	....	sound recordist
Stefano Nissolino	....	sound dubbing
Giulio Viggiani	....	boom operator
Dan Edelstein	....	supervising sound editor: special edition re-release (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Danilo Bollettini	....	special effects technician
Giovanni Corridori	....	special effects coordinator (as Corridori)

Stunts
Angelo Ragusa	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Luca Biamonte	....	still photographer
Nazzareno Brescini	....	chief electrician (as Neno Brescini)
Giuseppe Di Biase	....	camera operator
Claudio Diamanti	....	grip
Fabio Lanciotti	....	assistant camera
Carlo Passari	....	first assistant camera
Giuseppe Petrignani	....	key grip
Giuseppe Sciarra	....	electrician
Giuseppe Sgarra	....	electrician
Elio Tolles	....	electrician
Doriano Torriero	....	grip

Animation Department
Massimiliano Cerchi	....	animator (as Alvaro Passeri)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jacopo Bellini	....	assistant seamstress
Luigi Bonanno	....	costume assistant
Amedeo Monti	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Ida Cruciani	....	assistant editor
Giancarlo Mammetti	....	color technician
Luca Montanari	....	assistant editor
Stefano Quaglia	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John M. Davis	....	music editor (director's cut)
Enrico DeMelis	....	general music coordinator (as Enrico De Melis)
Andrea Morricone	....	composer: love theme
Franco Tamponi	....	musician: violin

Other crew
Nestore Baratella	....	administrator
Cesare Barbetti	....	dubbing director
Cesare Barbetti	....	voice dubbing: Jacques Perrin
Luigi Biamonte	....	press agent
Riccardo Caneva	....	coordinator
Lillo Capoano	....	continuity director
Claudia Catani	....	voice dubbing: Agnese Nano
Vittorio Di Prima	....	voice dubbing: Philippe Noiret
Vittoria Febbi	....	voice dubbing: Brigitte Fossey
Peter Fernandez	....	voice director (US version)
Elizabetta Gizzi	....	administrator (as Elisabetta Gizzi)
Francesco Liberati	....	production secretary
Fabrizio Manfredi	....	voice dubbing: Marco Leonardi
Bruno Morganti	....	production secretary
Vanna Paoli	....	researcher: film clips
Carla Pettini	....	coordination secretary
Alba Maria Ruggeri	....	cashier
Luciano Vittori	....	print production

Production Companies

• Cristaldifilm
• Les Films Ariane (co-production)
• Rai Tre Radiotelevisione Italiana (as Rete 3) (associate production)
• TF1 Films Production (associate production)
• Forum Picture (collaboration)

Distributors

• Herald Ace (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Nippon Herald Films (1989) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Miramax Films (1990) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Transmundo Films (1990) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• HBO Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
• Transmundo Home Video (THV) (1990) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Miramax Films (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (director's cut)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2002) (Australia) (DVD)
• Alliance Atlantis Home Video (2003) (Canada) (DVD)
• Miramax Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Aquarius TV (2004) (Greece) (DVD)
• Aquarius TV (2004) (Greece) (TV)
• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2005) (Japan) (theatrical) (restored version)
• Dolmen Home Video (2007) (Italy) (DVD) (director's cut)
• Weinstein Company, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Emerald (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Concorde Filmverleih (1989) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1990) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar (Brazil) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (19??) (USA) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Spentzos Films (Greece) (VHS)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2003) (Sweden) (DVD) (director's cut)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2004) (Sweden) (DVD) (International version)
• Versátil Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Vestron Video (1990) (West Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• DRG Records  soundtrack published by
• Penta Studio  titles
• Solare Location & Casting  casting

Also Known As:

"Nuovo Cinema Paradiso" - Italy (original title)
"Cinema Paradiso: The New Version" - USA (director's cut)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality (director's cut) (2002)

Runtime:

155 min | Italy:173 min (Europa Cinema Festival) | 124 min (cut theatrical version)

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG | Chile:TE | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:10 | Peru:PT | Singapore:M18 (director's cut) | Singapore:PG | Sweden:11 | UK:15 (director's cut) | UK:PG | USA:PG (original rating) | USA:R (director's cut) (2002) | Iceland:L | South Korea:15 (director's cut) | Spain:T | South Korea:All (original rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | Italy:T | Netherlands:9 (2009) (DVD) | Japan:PG12 (2010) | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade) | Australia:M (Director's Cut)

Filming Locations:

Bagheria, Palermo, Sicily, Italy

Company:

Cristaldifilm

Trivia:

A sample of the line "Ora che ho perso la vista, ci vedo di più" in original language (in English it is "Now that I lost vision, I can see more") can be heard in the song "Take The Time" by Dream Theater.

Goofs:

Continuity: Toto as a child is shown to be left-handed during the school examination sequence, but as a young man he is right-handed as he marks off the days on the calendar. In addition, when in the army, he fires the rifle right-handed.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Maria Di Vita - Older:[in Italian]
[on the phone]
Maria Di Vita - Older:Yes, Salvatore di Vita. You mean you don't know him, Miss? That's right, and I'm his mother. I've been calling from Sicily, all day long. I understand, he's not there.

Movie Connections:

Features The Outlaw (1943)

Soundtrack:

Love Theme

The Loves Of 'Toto' Beautifully Told

After seeing this special edition DVD which shows the entire 174-minute film (in addition to the 121-minute one that most of us had seen over the years,) my rating of this film was elevated. This review is of the longer "director's cut."

Most of the new footage involved the main's character's romance while he was a young man. The story then is continued years later when that character comes back to his hometown for a funeral and runs into the woman he was in love with but never was able to get for his own. It turns out to be a somewhat tragic love story.

The first part of the film, with Salvatore Cascio as "Toto" a young boy is a love story about two people sharing their love of movies: the kid and an adult "Alfredo" (Phillpe Noiret) who runs the local movie theater. Their love of film bonds them for life.

The word "love" is used repeatedly in this review because that's the dominant theme: the love people had for others and for the world of film, something all of us on this website share.

The second and third parts of the film are the above-mentioned love story of Toto (Marco Leonardi as an adolescent and then Jacques Perrin as an adult) and "Elena" (Agnese Nano/ Brigitte Fossey). The first third of this director;s cut edition is much livelier and interesting, frankly, than the last two-thirds. Although not boring, it does drag in a few spots but the longer version is better in the long run because it makes the whole story much more meaningful.

It's very nicely filmed and you get a real feel for the Italian people and their little town. The director of the movie, Giuseppe Tornatore, went on to make other great visual films, two of which I also like: Malena and The Star Maker.....but Cinema Paradiso, I believe, is considered his "masterpiece."