Cinema Paradiso (1988) - ★★★★★

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Writers: Guiseppe Tornatore
Stars: Salvatore Cascio, Phillipe Noiret, Marco Leonardi, Antonella Attili, Pupella Maggio

I saw this film for the first time today. It is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen. There were a few scenes that had me in tears, not because it was sad or joyful, but because of their sheer beauty. I loved this film for everything it was. The reason it affected me so much is because of how much the main character, Salvatore 'Toto' De Vita, reminded me of myself. His passion and sheer love for the cinema, along with many showings of classic films, swept me away in this magical film.

It is about a boy who grew up in a Sicilian Village who reminisces about his childhood and relationships with Alfredo (Phillipe Noiret), the projectionist at Cinema Paradiso. Under the fatherly influence of Alfredo, Salvatore (Salvatore Cascio) fell in love with the cinema, spending many hours discussing films and being taught the skills of being a projectionist. It showcases the changes in the world of cinema through the memories of this boys life.

The music composed by Ennio Morricone is among the most astonishingly beautiful pieces that I've heard over the years. It creates such magic in the movie, bringing about so many emotions in me, and truly enhancing the emotions shown in the characters. The cinematography displayed the Sicilian Village in so many beautiful locations, which had me feeling like a local as I became more familiar with the setting. Giuseppe Tornatore really created a masterpiece of cinema with these two aspects of the film alone.

For me, the greatest part of Cinema Paradiso was the relationship between Alfredo and Toto. The father-son love between the two felt so real, mainly because of the incredible acting of both Noiret and Cascio. One of my favorite characters of all time would have to be Alfredo, who was always there with a kind word and a life lesson for Toto. The character was meticulously acted, with so much soul and warmth generated from the expressions of Philippe Noiret. I might also add that Cascio played Toto brilliantly as the young boy swept up in the magic of film. Together, these two had such great chemistry, and it's hard to imagine the film without these actors.

The reason I was in tears was a combination of things. In one scene for example, Alfredo adjusted his projector to play a film outside his window for the viewing of many people who couldn't get in to the cinema. As he was doing this, the breathtaking music played, Toto watched in wonderment, and Alfredo suddenly became a man that brought joy to many disappointed people. It was definitely one of the most beautiful movie scenes I've ever seen, and I'll never forget the emotion that it evoked inside of me.

If you're a fan of the cinema, you'll love this movie. You'll love it for the music, the cinematography, the acting, the story, and most of all, the homage it pays to the classic films that we all know and love. Never has a film ignited so much passion for cinema in me, which is why I call it one of the greatest movies of all time.