The Film Cinema Paradiso - Movie Review Example

Final Project Cinema Paradiso Dr. Joseph Coroniti Due Cinema Paradiso “Life isnt like in the movies. Life... is much harder” (Tornatore, 94). Alfredo manifested these words to Toto when he was leaving his native town and was staying in front of a new life. This boy who lived together with films was beardless and naive. His unsophisticated mind could not comprehend all injustice of this world and chagrin of the fate. The film Cinema Paradiso boosts eternal problems what stand in front of every person sooner or later. It is extremely emotive film with moments to think up about immortal categories such as sense and existence, war and humanity, self- incipience and love, family and friends. It possesses a wide range of important questions and everyone is able to find something for himself in this film. I am going to focus on four relevant aspects according to which we can analyze and understand peculiarities of this movie in appropriate and clear way. There are a number of aspects which we are interested on: Drama Movement Editing Sound First and foremost I concentrate on the dramatic facet of the movie. The genre of the film is determined as drama. This means that film creators play on people’s emotions, mostly painful and lamentable which undergo tragic resolutions or poignant regrets for some committed actions or just hasty decisions. Themes for drama movies are taken mostly from real life or they depict realistic situations which occur in people’s daily routine. Creations of this exact genre predetermines nostalgic slant which is realized through the memories of leading characters. Also the moralizing moment is present in such movies and it encourages people to ponder on our own problems and feelings. Hence, there are no doubts that Cinema Paradiso is considered to be a dramatic movie and its genre is defined like this one. What is more, there are a huge number of features which designate drama themes and peculiarities in the film. Dramatic pouring is penetrated through the film absolutely and totally. The creation made by Giuseppe Tornatore engages a lot of aspects in the area of personal problems and inner individuality of a humane. The principal protagonist of the story is Salvatore Cascio or Toto, so the main drama transpires through his personality. Film director provokes such moral themes as childhood without a father, infelicitous love, high passion with its occupation, incapacity to come back home and others. He fosters with mother’s care only as his father remains in Russia and fights in the war. Toto tell mother that he even do not remember father’s image and he never come back in the family. While his mother convinces him in the opposite facts to ones he suggests. She replies: “It takes years to get there. And years to come back...”(Tornatore, 94). Maria has consoled herself with the hope that her husband will return home one day. Still, her son is considered to be right “Daddys not coming back...Hes dead” (Tornatore, 15). In some days notification about his father death is appeared. I suppose this event as a hard tempest for his mother, as she remained without any support. Moreover, beloved man is passed away and she cannot enjoy life together with him. Maria enshrines allegiance to her husband till the end of her life. She is in love with one man and do not want to be with any other. Her children become the purport of her life and the matter to continue existence in this world. Father guardianship is on high importance for a small boy, but he does not get it. The outlook of his father and his personality are curious points for Toto. He always looks through the photos of his procreator and asks mother and Alfredo about him. A dramatic moment related with his father is occurred in his mind when parent’s photos are burned together with cine film materials which Toto maintains together in his childhood. He gets reprimand from his mother and looses the last evidence about his father. This very moment is laid in his mind and preserved in his memory. I think he evidently tried to find a substitution of father’s concern and intercourse in current projectionist Alfredo. Boy is seriously attached to this man. There are two reasons of this addiction to Alfredo’s company. The first one is lack of father’s attention what is strictly needed in boy’s moral development. And the second one is Toto’s passion to the movie displaying and curiosity to equipment which reproduce these movies. Actually, the next tragic issue which occurs in the text is connected with Alfredo. The picture begins with the information about his death. Salvatore’s mother is tried to call him and proclaim this fact. It remains as the tieback of the film. This news encourages Salvatore to recall his childhood and young age, to restore these memories in his mind. The drama is in death of his friend, helpmate and fellow. Alfredo is an important person in Toto’s life. He is his mentor, teacher and soul mate friend, of it is better to mention the only true friend. Alfredo gives Salvatore guidelines and advices in all spheres of his life. Actually Toto become his successor in the film displaying after the fire, which made Alfredo blind. It may be suggested that Alfredo wants to implement his dream in Toto’s life. As he has a passion to film producing, but be is not available to deal with it during his life. He just shows the films, but do not create them. Some circumstances are always existed which made a barrier between him and his dream. Hence, I suppose he makes all possible efforts to inculcate his dream through the Salvatore’s personality. He encourages Toto to leave his native city and arrive to Rome for better faith. He arranges all events for inability of Salvatore and his beloved Elena to have a meet and reveal relationship. He proclaims him the last guideline: Do like the soldier, Toto! Go away! This land is cursed. (They are now leaning against a boat on the beach. ALFREDO goes on whispering his words.) When youre here every day you feel like youre at the centre of the universe, it seems like nothing ever changes. Then you go away, one year, two...And when you come back, everythings different. The thread has broken. You dont find those you were looking for, your things no longer exist. Isnt that the case?...Youve got to go away a long time, for many, many years, before coming back and finding your people again, the land where you were born...But not now, its impossible. Now youre blinder than I am (Tornatore, 94). These words seemed to be wise and relevant for Toto as his beloved plays false with him, but the end of the story claims that the matter is not actually in Elena’s defect. That is Alfredo’s game which he plays with heroes. To consolidate his efforts he suggests Toto: “Get out! Go back to Rome. You’re young, the world is yours! And Im old...I dont want to hear you talk any more, I want to hear talk about you.” These words are a confirmation of my suggestion. Alfredo constantly has intentions to embody his dream through the Toto’s experience. But what is the price for this dream? And is it worth doing? The answers on these questions lead us to the next and the most significant drama in the movie. This is considered to be love drama. The matter is that common boy fall in love with the rich girl. It is clear that a lot of interferences are existed in the area of their relationship. The first one is social status. Elena is increased in a prosperous family with a welfare and money. His father is opposed their relationships: “He wont be convinced, Salvatore. He has other plans for me.” This issue shakes the confidence in Salvatore that his beloved will be with him for all his life. Nevertheless, he tells Elena that he will wait till the day she fall in love with him and when she really do this Toto starts to made doubts in their mutual future. Still I concern Alfredo as the main terminator of their relationship. Firstly he proclaims the story which encourages Toto to hesitance in Elena’s love: Once upon a time a king gave a feast and there were all the most beautiful princesses of the realm. Basta, one of the guards, saw the kings daughter: she was the loveliest of all! And he immediately fell in love with her. But what could a poor soldier do compared with a kings daughter?!...One day he managed to meet her and told her he couldnt live without her. The princess was so struck by the depth of his feeling that she said to the soldier If you will wait a hundred days and a hundred nights beneath my balcony, then in the end Ill be yours. Christ, the soldier ran off there and waited! One day, two days, ten, twenty...Every night she looked out of her window, but he never budged. Come rain, wind, snow, never budged! The birds shat on him and the bees ate him alive! After ninety nights he was gaunt and pale and tears streamed from his eyes but he couldnt hold them back. He didnt even have the strength to sleep any more. The princess kept watch...And on the ninety-ninth night, the soldier got up, picked up his chair and left! (Tornatore, 58). Toto decides to wait for her, but in the New Year Eve she does not look at his side and he becomes disappointed due to this fact. I think she even does not know that he is waiting for her glance in front of her window. Still, Salvatore makes some subjective conclusions which do not help him to be with his beloved woman. Toto cannot understand why this soldier from the story leave his waiting at the last day, but due to some events he experienced he provide an understanding: Now I understand why the soldier went away just before the end. Thats right, just one more night and the princess would have been his. But she, also, could not have kept her promise. And...that would have been terrible, he would have died from it. So instead, for ninety-nine nights at least he had lived with the illusion that she was there waiting for him. (Tornatore, 94). I suppose, Salvatore decides that Elena does not keep the promise and he becomes more infelicitous when it happens now. He wants to feel guilt for his miserable feelings and to be in fault with his decision. Still, this decision is made with the help of Alfredo. He instructs not only Toto, but also Elena on impossibility of this relations and its completion by any perspective. Alfredo hopes for Elena’s understanding and he does not miscalculate in this case. He tells Elena: Dear girl, fire always turns into ashes! Even the deepest love ends sooner or later. And after that other loves appear, lots of them. Toto, he cant understand fiat now. If I tell him he wont believe it, he’d be capable of killing me...But you can understand, youve got to understand...Do it for him! ( Tornatore, 114). The matter is that Elena believes in this ending of love. I consider Salvatore does not credit in these words. His feelings are so strong that no gospels in the decrease of love to Elena. In the other side be believes that she does not come; he becomes sure in lie suggested by Alfredo. Nevertheless, I think Elena’s emotions to Toto are less that Toto’s one to Elena. The matter of her can be a care for Salvatore’s prosperous future. That is why Elena wants to make a sacrifice of their love for implementation of a Salvatore’s dream. I should mention that Alfredo with his wisdom and experience understand that love and prosperous future of film-maker are two contrary facts, so the Toto has to choose. Still, Alfredo makes this choice for Salvatore. It is evident for me that if Toto knows all details from the very beginning he will choose love and life with Elena. I suppose that because of his feelings that he could not achieve prosperous results in cinematography, as happy person cannot create masterpieces. People who are fortunate in the sphere of personal relationships are not able to direct all his efforts to his occupation. Only person who is tormented and suffered from moral pain can achieve prosperous results in a professional sphere, especially if it is creative one. Hence, I consider Alfredo’s intentions as an ingenuous and he do this because of wisdom and life practice. I guess he choose love in his young age and understands that the sense of love is laid in its quick endless nature and his intention is to provide a safety for his successor and friend. Still, on the other side I remain this Alfredo’s trick as an unfair and selfish in some respects. He has no right to choose a person’s fate. The second point I pay attention to is movement. Under this point I consider camera movement and technical work of the film-makers. Camera movement is represented a high quality of technical team-work under the film. The usage of low angles of the camera ad technique of moving eye is reflected in the movie. There is an episode when the camera “passes the entryway into the living room/study area, there is a dolly in. This creates a sense of eavesdropping, following him through the darkness, and catching him unawares in his personal space” (n.a., 10). There are the shots where the camera is stationary and shows the actions of the characters. One more episode represents curious movement of camera: “This is a crane down, which make the wind chimes appear very big and Salvatore seems small and vulnerable” (n.a., 18). Hence, it is obvious that a camera movement and right technique of shooting at the camera can create a proper images and chiaroscuro of the film, which is of the high importance. As the camera is the main devise for transference the picture of the story. The next point under consideration is editing. This aspect is also possessed as an important one. It is clear that all the scenes and shots are to be approved and grounded. All defects should be leaved behind the scenes. What is more, various shots put an emphasis on various actions, words and settings of the film. For example, the first shot put the emphasis “on mis en scene. The importance on the introduction of Salvatore Divito as the principal character in the movie is emphasized by the atmosphere created by the mis en scene” (n.a., 6). Also one of the shots represents straight cuts before and after. I can suggest that the film-makers provide a huge emphasis on a mis en scene technique as it is used in most shots of the film Cinema Paradiso. The last point which I want to pay attention to is sound of the movie. It is not a secret that music can create mood and slant of the shown story. Also sound perspectives may underline intrigue and encourages various emotions in the preceptors of the piece of art. Sound dimension in this film is represented accurately and reasonably. The music which is appeared in the movie has no words, this is just the audio. I consider this director’s choice as a good one, as this is film not a concert and magnificent songs are to be excessive for this film. For instance the first shot uses audio only in its scenes. A scene where Salvatore’s mother is trying to get in touch with his son to say the news about death of Toto’s friend and original projectionist at the Cinema Paradiso is a straightforward example of a bright instrumental music. This sound creates “flowing and poignant with a sentimental air. It foreshadows the events which are about to unfold” (n.a., 1). We can observe the sound of noise of his shoes and the rustle of his clothes and the click of light switch in the scene when he returns home at night at the very beginning. It seems to me that these sounds extend the space and create an echo effect. This leads to a tension of the situation and the expectation that something will happened. The sounds seemed lonely, dark and involved deep into the night. The third shot represent the sound of storm. “The ambient sound of thunder, the tinkling of wind chimes and the continuations of the sirens become more noticeable” (n.a., 17). Such sound accompaniment encourages the feeling of loneliness and unknowing on what is happened. The episode with reflects the first meet of the young Toto in the rose of an altar boy represents the music together with the tickling of wind. This moment leads me to the past. Everyone is able to recognize that it is a memorable moment which is important to the Salvatore. But then I go further into the shot a can hear “a soft chanting of the priest” (n.a., 30). This emphasizes the point of Toto’s memory. The episode seems sweet and with a glance of nostalgia. Also it is worth mentioned that the sounds “floats through the frame”(n.a., 30) and it creates a calm and pleasant atmosphere of on old memories. To sum up I can mentioned that a huge amount of sounds are soft, pleasant to hear and percept. Film directors involve me to the ocean of Toto’s memories and music proclaims a right and relevant emphasis on important moments. Also sound accompaniment helps to create tension in proper moments and calm when it as needed. All in all I want to argue that this film is a real masterpiece. There is no minute in this movie for me to feel boring. The producer’s work is magnificent and incredible. There is evidence that Giuseppe Tornatore applied to some facts from his biography while creating this piece of art. I can feel that he inserts his soul into this movie. I cannot but mentioned that Cinema Paradiso deserves all this rewards which this movie awarded for. Nomination to Oscar for the best foreign language film tells that this creation is worth seeing. And this is only the beginning of the rewards-list. What is more it is relevant for me that movie focuses on eternal moral categories and problems which can be appropriate and actual for any person. Such questions as the problem of choice, personal development in the society, fulfilling of a dream, love dimension, loneliness, war and politics, technical progress are aroused through the movie. This work concerns a wide range of personality existence aspects. I suppose there are no humane for whom this film can be awful and uninteresting. Film-makers create strong images which reflect the peculiarities of each character and depict the actions in a pertinent way. The image of fire is rather relevant, as parents photos are burned and Alfredo looses his eyesight and opportunity to work when the blaze of the cinema is occurred. It encourages viewers to understand fire as a devise for destruction. “With this incredibly popular film, Giuseppe Tornatore’s made Cinema Paradiso one of the great statements on film, by a film” (Carr, n.p.). This film displays, and personifies, movie magic and wide diversity of various feelings. Reference List: Carr, Jeremy. “Cinema Piradiso”. 2010. Web. Available From: http://studiesincinema.blogspot.com/2010/07/cinema-paradiso.html Tornatore, Giuseppe. “Cinema Piradiso”. 1988. Script. Web. Available From: http://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/cinema_paradiso.html “Cinema Paradiso” Web. Available From: http://www.coloradofilmschool.net/Analyses/Cinema_Paradiso.pdf Read More