Cinema Paradiso

Released 17th November 1988, Cinema Paradiso follows Salvatore ‘Toto’ Di Vita as he reflects on his youth after hearing about an old friend’s death. What makes this film such a treat is that it manages to communicate themes of grief, love, maturity, friendship under the umbrella of one concept: cinema. Cinema Paradiso is nothing short of a love letter to cinema and its history from the aged experience of Alfredo and the newer aspects explored through Toto. The film commits to cinema as the heart of the film by constantly showing cinemas as hubs of emotion, activities and also social endeavours; this is made all the more impactful with the ending which remains relevant today about cinema and its future in society. Toto is played by three actors; Jacques Perrin presents an older Toto, Marco Leonardi gives a teenage performance and Salvatore Cascio highlights Toto’s humble beginning with cinema and Alfredo.

Leonardi is fine as Toto (albeit the weakest of the three) and delivers his lines well enough throughout his portion of the narrative; Perrin is better but leaves less of an impact due to his screen time being spliced across the narrative as opposed to the other Totos. As for Cascio, despite being 9 at the time of filming, manages to out-perform his older counterparts and deliver a wholesome and cheeky personality through an expressive facial performance and an innocent vocalisation. Cascio also seems to have the best chemistry with Philippe Noiret’s Alfredo; the best character of the film (and one of my favourite film characters ever). Noiret imbues Alfredo with a sincere heart which can do no wrong; while he does have discernible traits holding him back across the film, Noiret takes them in stride and uses them to make his character more lovable. Agnese Nano also holds good chemistry with Leonardi as his love interest Elena, albeit less prevalent in the film.

While the cast spans much further, I could honestly gush over this film all day so take my word when I say they all have distinct personalities which develop / alter throughout the film. The on-location sets make the film feel further rural and quaint which helps emphasise the community aspect of the narrative and the subsequent ties it has with the cinema. Ennio Morricone presents a gentle yet energetic soundtrack which is thoroughly memorable and carries the emotions of the film furthermore. Cinema Paradiso stands as a love letter to cinema with great reverence to film itself but also the profound impact it has on those who affiliate with it.