Cinema Paradiso
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cinema Paradiso is a 1988 drama film directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, starring Philippe Noiret, Jacques Perrin, Marco Leonardi. It drew a wide audience and shaped its genre.
Plot
In 1988 Rome, Salvatore Di Vita, a famous film director, returns home late one evening, where his girlfriend sleepily tells him that his mother called to say someone named Alfredo has died. Salvatore shies from committed relationships and has not been to his home village of Giancaldo, Sicily, in thirty years. As his girlfriend asks him who Alfredo was, Salvatore is unable to fall asleep and flashes back to his childhood. A few years after World War II, eight-year-old Salvatore is the mischievous, intelligent son of a war widow. Nicknamed Totò, he discovers a love for films and spends every free moment at the local movie house, Cinema Paradiso.
Production
Written by Giuseppe Tornatore and Vanna Paoli, the film was produced by Cristaldifilm. Ennio Morricone composed the score. Blasco Giurato handled the cinematography. The film runs 124 minutes. The crew and editing refined every shot.
Reception
On a budget of $5,000,000, Cinema Paradiso grossed $35,962,062 worldwide at the box office. A critic consensus praised its screenplay and score.
Legacy
The film's influence spread across the century; its narrative and tone echo in much later cinema.
See also
References
- "The 100 Greatest Films of All Time". topfilms100. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- Ebert, Roger. The Great Movies. Broadway Books.
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