Few things are more powerful in this world than the effect a great film can have on you. Cinema is the grand emotional manipulator, and it is one that we welcome again and again as often as possible. It is not surprising that a number of filmmakers have tried to tell their own stories about the power of film, but few have been as successful as the 1988 Italian classic Cinema Paradiso. Aptly described as a love-letter to film, this drama was released during a transitional period for Italian cinema, and it was instrumental in bringing about a renewed urgency and creativity to this pocket of international cinema. With a classic underdog quality behind it, Cinema Paradiso was initially released on more than one occasion to very little fervor before getting a Cannes bump and eventually winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film cast a spell over audiences upon this release, but it’s timeless quality has allowed it to enter the hearts of many more of the past thirty-plus years. It is the type of narrative which allows you to remember why you love going to the movies.
The entire narrative is framed through a nostalgic lens; famous film director Salvatore Di Vita (Jacques Perrin, Z) receives word in “present day” Rome that an old friend has passed away. While it has been decades since he has returned to his childhood village of Giancaldo, Sicily, he knows he has to go pay respects to one of the people most influential in his life. From here the audience is treated to a gently unfolding flashback which shows his journey from precocious young boy to respected adult. Young Salvatore is played to endearing perfection by Salvatore Cascio, first seen nodding off during church services – one that he is an integral participant in. This child is not necessarily bored with the religious teachings, he is just exhausted from spending every possible moment at the local movie theater, Cinema Paradiso. Alfredo (Philippe Noiret, Topaz) is the kindly older projectionist who has his hands full with Salvatore. While the rambunctious child often sneaks in when he is not wanted or needed, a part of him really appreciates getting to impart his love of cinema onto young Salvatore.
As the years pass, circumstances change in various dramatic ways and a now-teenage Salvatore (Marco Leonardi) becomes more intimately involved with running the Cinema Paradiso. Salvatore’s father left his mother (Antonella Attili) a war widow, and the dynamic that develops between Salvatore and Alfredo transcends employer-employee. Despite the best attempts from Father Adelfio (Leopoldo Trieste) to censor moments of physical romance, Salvatore learns much about the world from film. Nevertheless, Alfredo has learned the hard way the need to live a life outside of the projection booth. Salvatore gets his first taste of love with Elena (Agnese Nano), daughter of a wealthy banker, but romantic love is not what director Giuseppe Tornatore is most fixated upon. This film is teeming with a love of life in all of its complexities. Salvatore has been raised with a mind entangled with film, but the richness of life cannot be completely transposed on celluloid.
While one of the themes of the picture involves living a full life outside of film, Cinema Paradiso makes a powerful case for why people so often turn to the comforting rhythms of cinema. The feature offers sweeping multi-generational character growth, grand romance, tragic loss, gut-busting interactions, stunning locations and so much more. It not only shows the emotional impact that a communal experience can have, but how one special relationship can shape your future. The score from Ennio Morricone stands as one of the great pieces of music that has come out of film in the past several decades. The way the imagery dances along with it is a thing of beauty. Everything crescendos to a now-iconic sequence that shows the beauty of cinema and humanity. The story does not have epic set pieces, but the direction from Tornatore makes minor character moments feel larger than life. Cinema Paradiso is an emotional crowd-pleaser that simultaneously satisfies as a work of great artistry.
Video Quality
Cinema Paradiso makes its long-awaited 4K UHD Blu-Ray debut with a stunning 2160p/Dolby Vision transfer for the Theatrical Cut which allows the film to look better than it ever has. It is derived from a 4K restoration supervised by director Giuseppe Tornatore and Director of Photography Blasco Giurato. The 4K UHD release also contains an accompanying Blu-Ray that sports the much-longer Director’s Cut which was previously released by Arrow. The new 4K UHD disc offers notable improvements over the already-solid previous Arrow Blu-Ray. The movie has a lovely amount of natural film grain which can be very thick but very tight and specific. This allows this movie to shine and gives a lot of pleasing texture and detail to the transfer. The image presents with a miraculous amount of depth that makes this Italian locale feel more three dimensional than ever. Some of the darkest scenes are chunkier when it comes to grain, but overall it is a very natural experience.
The improvements in contrast and overall clarity are outstanding, especially when you look at the exteriors of the town buildings or textures on costumes. The UHD disc contains very vibrant, deep colors throughout even with the bright Italian setting truly dazzling thanks to the cinematography. White levels are brighter and offer a greater stability without veering into blooming. Black levels are deep and allow the picture to maintain an excellent amount of depth and detail in darker environments. Skin tones look natural and the clarity of the transfer gives you a great amount of facial detail including some of the sweat of theater patrons escaping from the summer heat. This transfer is a treat for fans of this cinematic love letter. Arrow Academy has knocked it out of the park!
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with both a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and a LPCM Mono track in the original Italian which both handle this material well in different ways. These tracks do not feature constant kinetic activity, but it comes alive when it makes sense. The iconic score from Ennio Morricone is used perfectly to establish the mood of the story, and this track handles it elegantly throughout the duration of the film. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a good balance so that dialogue comes through clearly. The environmental sounds such as the weather effects and clamoring from the townspeople are rendered well alongside everything else. There does not seem to be any majorly noticeable instances of age-related wear and tear. Arrow Academy has given this film a perfectly preserved audio presentation that brings the movie to life in an exciting manner.
Special Features
The first-pressing of the Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Cinema Paradiso includes a booklet featuring the essay “Stolen Kisses: Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso” by writer Pasquale Iannone. This essay provides great historical context to the film in Italian cinema as well as insights into the release of the film and the themes of the story. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Director’s Cut (2:53:31): The much-longer cut of the film is also included in this package as a standard Blu-Ray for those who want the option to watch their preferred version.
- Audio Commentary: Director Giuseppe Tornatore and Italian cinema expert critic Millicent Marcus deliver a great commentary track that enriches your appreciation of the feature. Marcus is the focus here as she delves into the thematic elements of the film, some of the behind-the-scenes elements, the history of the project and much more. Snippets of comments from Tornatore are edited into this track, but it does not take up a large portion of the runtime.
- A Dream Of Sicily: A 55-minute documentary which profiles director Giuseppe Tornatore through interviews with him along with some neat home movies, as well as interviews with director Francesco Rosi (Christ Stopped At Eboli). There are many clues in this that shows inspiration for the feature.
- A Bear And A Mouse In Paradise: A nearly 28-minute featurette which showcases interviews with Tornatore, Philippe Noiret and a grown up Salvatore Cascio. It is nice to get some personal insights to their relationship with the picture.
- The Kissing Sequence: A seven-minute look at the inspiration behind one of the most famous scenes from the film along with a run-through of some of the features shown in the film.
- 25th Anniversary Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided for the re-release of the film.
- Director’s Cut Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer is provided for the director’s cut of the film.
Final Thoughts
Cinema Paradiso is a stunning reminder of why we fell in love with film in the first place. This coming-of-age narrative has all of the joyous highs and crushing lows that life throws at you, but as you arrive at the end the story surrounds you with complete beauty. Director Giuseppe Tornatore does a truly amazing job of bringing all of the technical elements together to make sure the film succeeds emotionally. Arrow Academy has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray featuring a stellar A/V presentation and a nice assortment of special features. Outside of having the Director’s Cut also presented in 4K, fans of the film could not ask for better. Highly Recommended
Cinema Paradiso is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Arrow Academy has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
