Cinema Paradiso (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) Reviews

• What's Different about the New Version

  
  By A36DJJ4Q8WSWFM on 2004-03-10
  Cinema Paradiso is one of my favorite movies. I finally found the new version available for rent through Netflix when I couldn't find it in any Blockbuster.
  For those who have already seen Cinema Paradiso it needs no introduction. For everybody else, it won the Academy Award for Foreign Language Film in 1989 and features one of the most nostalgic treatments of the role of movies in people's lives. Ennio Morricone's theme song has also been recycled in countless commercials and movie montages and trailers.
  What's good about the Director's Cut or "New Version" DVD is that one can view the director's cut with added scenes on one DVD side and the originally released version on the other.
  For those of us who wanted some kind of closure to Toto and Elena's relationship, the Director's Cut has it-- there's about an hour more of footage of their relationship. The new version also more footage of Toto's military service and his adulthood. The added scenes somewhat mute the focus of the movie, so I could see why they were originally cut out. But, at the same time, the added scenes fill in the blanks that originally made a lot of us think, "Hey-- What about...?" And although Toto's childhood scenes are, as far as I can tell, unchanged from the original version, we also find out more about Alfredo.
  After finishing the New Version I appreciated the original version better. I highly recommend the new version not because it makes Cinema Paradiso more of a masterpiece, but because it adds more characterization to what, arguably, is a masterpiece. The added scenes can be a bit superfluous, but they show how important editorial decisions are to shaping the structure and momentum of a movie.
  
  

• Begs the question: When is a movie too long?

  
  By A3LA8WLE0RQ4MB on 2003-02-24
  I became aware of the existence of over 50 minutes of additional scenes in this film in the past two years. The original, pruned version received the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1990. I have owned the video for a decade. Then, last summer, the "new version" was shown in limited release, and a DVD was promised. With the addition of the deleted scenes, an entirely different film is created. Owning this DVD is owning a brand new version of the film's events.

  Initially, the film was considered too long, and massive scenes were cut, removing any and all references to whatever happened to Salvatore's great love, Lina. The original version of the film focused mainly on the young boy, fatherless in post-WWII Sicily, bonding with the childless cinema projectionist, Alfredo. The young Toto grows into the teen-aged Salvatore, who falls in love with the beautiful and unattainable Lina. They are parted. That is the last we see. Salvatore returns to his village many years later to attend the funeral of Alfredo, and the film is told nearly entirely in flashback.

  In this version, Salvatore is reunited with his lost love when he returns for the funeral. To think that this entire plot was removed from the film initially is almost unthinkable. There are other parts of the film that could have been edited to keep these additional scenes in. I don't know what the producers, directors or the studio were thinking when they edited a huge part of the movie out.

  Well, now the film is complete. Whereas the original version focused mainly on the relationship of Toto and Alfredo, we now see a conclusion to Toto and Lina as well. And, we understand the ending of the film in an entirely, much less sentimental light. Salvatore has spent the bulk of his life mourning his lost love, not returning to his village, and not knowing of Alfredo's hand in the matter. He is facing life-changing decisions, and must ultimately dip into a pool of acceptance and forgiveness. Without the addition of these scenes, the point is lost.

  This was an excellent film to begin with, now it is nearly perfect. It is bittersweet and touching, and all the more realistic with the deleted scenes returned. If you own the original version, you must own this version. You will see this film in a completely different light.
  
  

• A story of hope and love perfectly done - Bravo!

  
  By on 1999-08-17
  I must have watched this film 25 times and i know I'll watch it 25 more. I can't wait to watch it with my newborn daughter when she is old enough to understand. The message of hope and love is so strong in this film. When I visited the small Sicilian town of my father's ancestors I saw the same hope and love amongst its people. In a place that is in such dire straits by our standards I saw loveing people who truly cared about one another, whose love went so far beyond the materialistic. This movie portrays this so well. ALl that we see and hear, Alfredo is perfect what a father he would make and did make to young Toto. Toto's mother's resilience in contacting him. The scene at the end when Toto is seeing all the people he new from his youth, older and still in the same situation yet still happy and hopeful, and when our homeless friend walks through and states "La piazza mia." who can say they didn't cry but with a smile on their faces. A true masterpiece, I think I'll go and watch it right now. It truly is Paradiso.
  
  

• Perfection in moviemaking

  
  By AYT4FJYVCHYLE on 2000-09-07
  Like many people I've seen this film countless times, and each time I end up blubbering by the end of it. A valentine to the movies, "Cinema Paradiso" tells the story of Toto, a boy in the small Italian village of Giancarlo, who is fascinated with the movies. This is long before televisions and vcrs.This was when movie going was an event to be cherished and savored. Much of the film centers on his friendship with the older Alfredo,(a heartbreaking Philippe Noiret) who runs the projector. But more than that it is a sweeping romance, and a bittersweet story of letting go of our past and moving towards the future. Its setting and characters will transport you for two magical hours and you'll feel like you've just spent time with old friends. My only beef with the DVD version of the film is that in the credits they've removed a scene. Elena, Toto's girlfriend in the film is shown in the final moments of the credits as an older woman. A scene that was obviously cut from the final print of the film. Toto turns, the camera cuts to her turning, their eyes lock, and the credits end. The DVD fades out before we see her. I don't know who's decision it was, HBO's or the director, but it's too bad because it was a neat tag for those people who stay through the credits till the end. Still, a must have movie for collectors.
  
  

• Watch the 'Cut' version before watching this!

  
  By on 2004-02-24
  Cinema Paradiso is a definite classic and is a must-watch for any self-respecting film buff. I first watched this movie (the cut-version) in 1994 on television. I loved it so much that I watched it frequently on tape thereafter. I think I've watched it 2 times a year (on average) and that would make it 20 times by now!
  
  The innocence of childhood, the passion of first loves, the cruel reality of adulthood are all depicted to perfection in the movie. Its bitter-sweet ending tops the theme of the whole movie off and it never failed to make me tear. I had so many questions each time after I watched the movie and that in itself, further reinforced the various main themes of the story: lost loves and most importantly, the great sense of regret that is a result of a lifetime filled with multitudes of unanswered questions. It was incredibly disappointing as I knew I'd never know the answers to all the questions that I had about the film. I had great pity for Toto as well as he'd never know. But this was all before I realised that there was an uncut version.
  
  I upgraded to the DVD version sometime ago but never got around to watching it. I loaned it out to a friend and got it back months later. I decided to watch it on a particularly boring afternoon. As I knew the film so well, I realised that there were scenes in the DVD version which I never saw in the 'old' version. As I watched further, more of such scenes came up. And it dawned on me that this version could contain some answers to the many questions which I had! I watched it right to the end and it still made me tear. But this time, I was touched not by the storyline itself but by the fact that all the questions that I ever had about the film have finally been answered. A chapter in Toto's life had finally been closed and for myself, it was also like closing a chapter in my own 'cinematic life'.
  
  I suggest all interested viewers to watch the 'cut' version first, then the 'uncut' version. It's a wonderful cinematic experience and allows you to understand and fully appreciate the true essence of the film. The film was previously cut as it was too long. With the release of the 'uncut' version, it serves to strongly remind the audience of the greatness of cinema, particularly how the same film can invoke such different emotions by the mere act of cutting some scenes.
  
  
• A Great Homage To Cinema
  By A21G1HKUQPHFKI on 2003-06-01
  In spite of some extra scenes that I think are unnecessary, this extended new version of "Cinema Paradiso" stills makes a great impression on me. This Italian masterpiece about the growth of a Sicilian kid (Salvatore Cascio, in a brilliant debut) from childhood, adolescence (in the person of Marco Leonardi), to manhood (in the shape of French actor Jacques Perrin) through movies is marvelous, touching, and truly entertaining.
  When I first saw "Cinema Paradiso" back in 1990, I fell in love instantly with it, thus becoming one of my favorite movies. The innocence of Toto as he wants to learn how to handle a projector, thanks to the help of Alfredo (French acting legend Philippe Noiret); the tough times in his adolescence, working as a projectionist, having an impossible romance with Elena, doing military service; and his loneliness as a movie producer in his adulthood. Everything caused me a great impact, and still does everytime I watch this film by Giuseppe Tornatore.

  Now, in this extended version, I like the fact that Toto -as an adult -has the chance to see Elena again and discovers why they failed to meet at the Paradiso prior to his departure for Rome. In my opinion, that's the most important new scene of the movie. I really wanted to know that, and now I feel satisfied.
  All in all, I still like this great work of love everytime I see it. A work of love towards life, innocence, romance and, above all else, movies. A great homage to cinema.
  
  

• Charming, Touching, Bittersweet
  By ACIBQ6BQ6AWEV on 2002-06-04
  A fatherless child in post-World War II Sicily falls in love with the movies shown at his tiny town's Cinema Paradiso, where he pesters an irrascible projectionist into teaching him the trade. Although their relationship is initially based on a love for the audience as a community, they also develop a profound friendship that has powerful and far-reaching effects in both their lives.

  There are several cuts of this film, and there seems to be an on-going controversy re which is best, with those who have seen the original Italian cut and the director's cut proclaiming they are greatly superior to the American version. If that is true, they must be very fine indeed, for as it stands the more widely available American version is a brilliant film--charming, touching, and bittersweet. Some have described this as a movie for those who love movies, but I find that only partly true; it is more a film about both community and how the people of our past make us the individuals we have become. The direction is smooth, the cinematography memorable, and the cast--particularly Philippe Noiret as the projectionist Alfredo and Salvatore Cascio as the child determined to befriend him--is very fine. An elegant, loving film; recommended.
  
  

• 5Get the full length version of this movie - you'll love it
  By A1IQ8IPZY3S2NQ on 2000-10-04
  5 stars - I've seen the original in Italian (at least 25 times) since its release... however, the version we saw in the U.S. was half hour shorter than the Italian release (I was lucky enough to obtain the original length VHS version years ago.) In the original, after 30 years we learn that Elena did come to meet Toto prior to her departure as they had planned but... well ... It would be a crime to give it away (In the hopes that you see the original.) The missing pieces make the ending - and all the pieces in between - fit like a perfect glove. The gift that Alfredo made to Toto (the pieced together clips of missing kissing scenes) has a greater meaning when put in the full context (I still get emotional seeing it.) It's even more poignant than before but, unfortunately, the meaning of a lot of the symbols and scenes, although pretty good in the U.S. release, were catapulted onto a different level in the longer version.
  
  
• Beautiful and brilliant
  By on 1999-12-22
  The more time that passes, the fonder I become of this movie. I concur with those reviewers who have described it as one of the finest films ever made. I first saw it with a friend on the large screen and was touched beyond words. This film has remained in my memory as one of the most emotionally significant experiences of my adult life. My friend has since died, but I look back on that afternoon with great happiness because we were able to share our mutual passion for Italian films and experience this extraordinary story together. The photography is lovely, the characters memorable, the music heart-breaking, and the story life-affirming. If you haven't seen it, you are missing out on something truly wonderful. E' un capolavoro, un miracolo!
  
  
• A five-star movie reduced by two stars.
  By on 2003-07-10
  The "original" (U.S. theatrical) version of this film has long been a favorite of mine. I had little interest in the newly-released director's cut, but purchased this DVD as it contains both versions. (Note: The "original" version is on side B of the two-sided DVD.) Out of curiousity, I did watch the newer version and the additional footage was, in my opinion, worthless. These scenes did indeed alter the very essence of the film, and I'm puzzled that the director had such a very different intent for the movie.

  The real "love affair" of the 1990 version was the father/son relationship between Alfredo and Salvatore. In fact, I always considered the boy/girl romance a superfluous element in the plot. I also appreciated the innocence of this film - an innocence that I believe was one significant reason for it's success. The director's cut trades in that innocence for something much cheaper and less palatable. There are several unnecessary sex scenes. Three primary characters are tainted: Alredo comes off as a liar; Toto's behavior is pathetic; and Elena is robbed of her purity. I was really stunned at the complete transformation in the film's entire message.

  This newer version truly diminishes the film in every possible way. I never thought I'd tire of watching "Cinema Paradiso", but the last half hour of this was unbearably tedious. The ridiculous reunion of Salvatore and Elena also serves to lessen the incredible final scene.

  As another reviewer noted, some stories are best left untold.
  
  

• Welcome to the Paradiso.
  By A1DI3PU62K8KZ0 on 2003-10-09
  I was able to see the extended version a few years ago. I paid dearly for a VHS copy from Ebay. As much as I loved and enjoyed viewing the original, I wanted to see the extra footage, primarily to find out what happened to Elena. During the end credits of the original version, there were two quick shots of an adult "Toto" and "Elena". That meant there was more to the film.

  Having seen the extra scenes, I feel, like many of you, that the story had changed. The original theme or point, which to me always has been, the love of the cinema and movies was now regulated to the background. This change didn't diminish my love for the film, but I feel the sweetness, the innocence, the spirit of the first version was lessened. Like so many have said before me, the extra sex scenes were completely unneccessary, as were the scenes of Toto visiting with his sister's family. But a few others added to the story. The scene where Alfredo mentions having a another wife and child die in childbirth added to his sad state. It only reinforces his quote that he was a slave to the cinema. He probably loved the movies as much as Toto did, but he was not rewarded. He suffered losses, both emotional and physical.

  The added scenes at the end where Toto finally learns what happened to Elena and that they are able to meet are a good closure to their story, though I did feel the scenes were longer than needed to be. I liked knowing Toto finally finds his Elena again, but I would have been content in seeing that he learn she always loved him and ended it at that. Like another viewer said, it is the soldier and princess story. They were never meant to be together. If should have been enough for Toto to know, Elena loved him so he could move on and not let her loss haunt him anymore.

  As for the scene where we learn it is Alfredo who asks Elena to let Toto go, I am unsure whether this added to the film or altered it. I will say it does add a bit to the story which is Toto's love for the movies. I have read many other viewers comments saying the film is about the love between Toto and Alfredo, or between relations and how they affect your lives. I agree in part, but I feel this film centers on Toto's one true passion, his love for movies.

  We see it early on before he even starts to develop his unique and special friendship with Alfredo or before Elena enters the picture. Toto's main love affair has always been with movies. The relationships he developed with Alfredo and Elena only added to this. Toto felt strong ties to his family, to Alfredo, to Elena, to the cinema paradiso, and to his little village. But they are only a part of what made him the man he is. The driving force has always been his desire to do what he always loved, making movies. Alfredo knew this, that is why he felt it neccessary to end the relationship between Toto and Elena. His mother knew this, that is why she wished him love and good fortune when he left for Rome, knowing it was right. Elena knew this, that is why she left the cinema before Toto could return. Although leaving the note was her was of saying, "Yes, I do love you."
  A curious scene in both versions always stuck with me. When an adult Toto returns for Alfredo's funeral, there is a scene between him and his mother when he tells her, he feels as though he abandoned her. I felt it was just the opposite, that he was the one who felt abandoned. When he left for Rome as a young man, he found success, but he was alone. He did not have the comfort of his mother's love, of Alfredo's love and guidance near him, nor the sense of belonging, the familiarity of his village. That sense of loss, or abandonment shadowed his life. He still fulfilled his dreams but he wasn't happy. He forgot how much the movies meant to him. He wallowed instead in the loss of Elena and how he never set foot in his childhood home for 30 years. I feel it was Alfredo's parting gift, the film of Kisses, that reminded him how much he truly loved the movies. He just needed someone to remind him.

  The scene where the Cinema is destroyed is dramatic and poignant in the way that it shows the passing of time in the real world and Toto's life. Keeping away from his old town preserved the place and the people there to the same time as when he left. To him, the town remained as he wanted to remember them. But seeing that it did change, that everyone grew older, and that the Cinema had to go because it had no place in this new day was the cross over into reality which he had not wanted to see in 30 years. He felt abandoned because it all changed without him. But he had Alfredo's gift and it was the way he could remember it. With all the passion each kiss gave, and the power to move him to tears.
  
  

• New vs Old - Old stands stronger to the core.
  By on 2004-03-15
  After reading all the reviews about new vs old, I think any warnings of good vs bad are a bit extreme. I watched both on a quiet Sunday afternoon 3 hours apart and although I beleive the old was a clearer fit tying his youth and mentor to the end of the cinema, the new version wasnt overwhelmingly distracting from the main story or "old version".

  All in all, the old still stands more solid evoking the same teary emotions from the primary story than the added "all in one" theme created by the interjection of the old girlfriend returns element reminiscent of the hollywood cliche. The new actually lessened the full intensity of experiences within the Cinema from the time he was a boy to his reminiscent return as a middle aged man.

  I recommend the cleaner old version for the afficionados of non hollywood influenced movies.
  
  

• A beautiful masterpiece that grabs your heart
  By A5DNHOADWCQ88 on 2001-02-05
  Once in a while, a film comes along and dazzles audiences with its smooth viewability, if that is a word, brilliant acting, and well crafted plotline. In the case of Cinema Paradiso, we see these elements combined with a stunningly soothing musical score, excellent cinematography, and a combination of comedic, romantic, and dramatic moments.

  This film starts in the present, presenting us with the main character, Toto, as an old man, well into his fifties, returning to his hometown to hear his lifetime friend and mentor Alfredo has died. What follows for the duration of the film allows us to see his childhood, his adolescence, and the way he fights through tumultuous times of love, disaster, and peril.

  Along the way, we are able to see his constant love for the movies and slowly evolving romance with the beautiful Elena. The romantic moments in this movie are especially touching, as are the scenes in which we see Toto struggle to win Elena's love.

  What makes this film a truly brilliant one is the way everything wraps itself up in the end. We are able to see the people from his youth aged into the present, and the film ends on a perfect close. There are no loose ends to be tied up, and I admit that I became a little teary eyed throughout the last 20 minutes. The scenes of Alfredo's funeral and the destruction of the Paradiso are very sad, and will make you think of good times long forgotten, save but in your heart.

  I recommend this movie to anyone. I am a college student, and I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it on an airplane when I was 8...admittedly, I can understand and appreciate it much more with age. It is a perfect date movie, and also makes for a nice way to spend an evening with a friend or even by yourself. Buy it today. I guarantee you'll love the story and music.
  
  

• Extended version a mixed blessing
  By A13YJOS3C4O2TU on 2003-03-07
  Like many fans of this film, I was thrilled to hear about this version, but after seeing it, I was left with mixed feelings. Some of the additions, while visually gorgeous, don't really add to the story; and some scenes, particularly the reunion of Toto and Elena, actually change the tone of the ending of the film. If you're a fan of this film, or filmmaking in general, this is a must have. Fortunately, both versions are included on the DVD, so no matter which version you prefer, you have the pleasure of watching your favorite.

  I was disappointed at the total lack of supplemental material - I would have been very interested to know why the director chose to release this version - even if it was in a subtitled interview. In particular, I would have liked to know if this darker, sadder ending was what the director originally intended for the film. Personally, I think that the original film is better, and would have been better served left as is, with the additional scenes included as deleted scenes in a supplemental section of the DVD.
  
  

• An artistic treasure of the highest order.
  By on 1999-02-24
  Even now, when I think about this movie, I get a catch in my throat and am able to sense the emotion it left me stunned by so many years ago. And I'm male. Maybe it's because of this fact that the film affected me as it did. There is something about the relationship that develops between the boy and the older, childless man that all men secretly long for, especially those who have lost fathers at a young age. And there is something in the relationship the growing boy experiences with his first love, here one moment, gone the next, that resonates painfully true with most men, as well. Then there is the issue of mortality that the boy, now a grown man, is confronted by, forcing him to begin a journey back to the memories and feelings he has for years hardened himself against. This movie takes us through these stages of life as they affect the main character, the older man who grows to love him, too, and the people who share their world in this small, post-war Sicilian village. And like life, there is just the right amount of comedy to go along with the pathos. Readers, you will not be able to forget this movie, nor will you want to. For its sentimental truths, its visual and musical beauty, for its timeless reflection of life and love and its celebration of the need in all of us to dream, Cinema Paradiso is the rarest of artistic treasures. And thank God they made it.
  
  
• Please, please, ignore the new version!
  By AAI0W08URWYYB on 2004-05-19
  I am among those who succumbed to curiosity and watched the new, extended cut. And I fervently wish I could erase it from memory. Nary a frame of it adds to the original story; in fact, it brazenly and systematically dilutes and sullies all the magic of the original. It trots out worn cliches about recapturing childhood and second chances, and makes out Alfredo to be a bitter back-stabber. Watching older Toto stalk Elena was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. DAMN! HOW can I recapture the original's beauty?

  There's good reason many of us are championing the original. There's good reason the original was released the way it was. Don't feebly tell me about needing 'closure' or 'more-is-better' garbage. Stay with the original, and use your imagination. Trust me.

  5 stars for the original, a generous 2 for the new cut, = 3 stars.
  
  

• cinema paradiso e una filma l'ultima!!!
  By A35U5SFX5RRL5F on 2004-10-31
  Although I have not seen the directors cut, I have every line of this movie memorized and even after having seen it more than 60 times I still cry. I was born in America but all four of my grandparents were born in Italy and Scotland. All of my living relatives (besides my mother and grandmother) are full blooded Italian, so I could definetely identify with this move. The cinemaphotography is beautiful as well as the story. I bought the dvd when my Papa was bedridden with cancer and I don't know who cried more... It appeals to anyone who left a culture/town/family behind to start a new life. I highly recomend this movie to any one who likes nostalgia or hearing stories of the "old country"... juliana
  
  
• Only one word that pops out when watching this: NOSTALGIA!!!
  By A2QSERZTTZLMYY on 2004-06-26
  To make it short, this is the one and only movie that makes me cry every time I watch it. It's the kind of movie that melts your heart and keeps you thinking about it for days ahead. Also, I've never heard a soundtrack as beautiful as the one in this movie. It only helps bring out your tears more easily, especially in the last sequence.
  
  
• Beautiful and heartbreaking.
  By ADKZMDET0H3L1 on 1999-12-17
  This is one of the greatest films ever made. It breaks my heart. Great character development. You get close to the actors as they become close to each other . . . I dare you not to cry when you hear Alfredo's parting words as Toto prepares to finally leave the village. And again, in what the above reviews call the "finale", when Toto views the film that Alfredo leaves for him. I know I'm speaking ambiguously but I want you to watch this film for yourself. This film affected me so deeply that I think about it all the time and no one can even joke about it around me.
  
  
• Two versions included
  By AQSNJ8HQ3WHMS on 2003-11-16
  This dvd "contains the 2002 173-minute version (Digital Dolby 5.1) and the original 123-minute version (Dolby 2.0 Surround & French language track" (quoted from the technical details). We enjoyed the original version the best. However, we watched the new version with great interest. It's a great movie, a timeless classic. It is subtitled in English, but that does not detract from our enjoyment of the movie.

  It is only the director's cut that is rated R, not the original version. The original version is marked "not rated" on my VHS copy, but doesn't contain the sexuality that is included in the later version. We enjoyed this movie enough to purchase the DVD copy although we already owned it on VHS. This is definitely a DVD worth owning.
  
  

• After watching, hit "play movie" and watch again 'N again
  By A2YEWO500GTR3G on 2000-01-29
  I must have watched this movie more than 20 times. I just did, again, with the newly released DVD version. After 11 years since the first release of this master piece, it is still the number 1 film of all times on my list if I have to rate it; albeit it is unable to be rated by human languages. You watch and feel it using your heart. Since then my life has been guided by Alfredo's last words to Toto so much. "Whatever you do in the future, Love it, just like the way you love the projector booth when you were a kid." "I don't want to hear you talk, I want to hea people talk about you." The friendship, the love, the memory, .., this movie is truly a message from God. If you have not seen this movie, I'd say you have never understood the power of a movie. Check it out, and it'll change your life.
  
  
• New version - Stories better left untold
  By A18UOZAIADDV6C on 2003-04-29
  This review is for the "new version." If you are like me and absolutely have to watch the new version no matter what, then I suggest not reading the ongoing. On the other hand if you don't mind peeking into the new version before purchasing the DVD, read on.

  The 51 extra minutes in the new version is devoted to the rendez-vous of Toto with Elena -- Toto's first love, whom he met as a teenager -- in their later years. These scenes are inserted around the scene in which Toto converses with his mother after returning home from Rome after 30 years. In brief, Toto runs into a young lady who surprisingly resembles the young Elena; he pursues her and finds out that she is indeed the daughter of Elena. Toto meets with Elena and talks about days long past...

  Many minutes of the extra footage are wasted on Toto trying to find out how he and Elena missed each other on the day Toto departed for Rome. Equally if not longer minutes are spent on explaining how all that happened. It turned out that on the day of departure Elena did come to see Toto at cinema paradiso, albeit a bit too late. She greets Alfredo instead. Alfredo persuades her to allow Toto to leave. As had been portrayed in the original version, Alfredo sees a great future in Toto, and for this he asks Elena to understand. He pretends to Toto that he did not hear from Elena.

  I am tempted to make an intellectual argument that, by creating an additional character -- the old Elena -- important to Toto, Tornatore had made the plot of the wonderful original messy (Remember the scene where cinema paradiso gets blown up? The poignancy of that scene gets lost due to the additional footage). However I won't use this argument. I was disappointed by the fact that Alfredo had to be reduced to a liar, whereas in the original Alfredo had remained the one who cared for Toto the most, the one who believed in Toto the most. Ok, ok, I admit that I am attached to Alfredo. But if you weren't, you wouldn't be reading this to begin with, would you?

  There are stories better left untold. I had no concrete examples of this saying till I watched the new version.

  If you are like me, you'll watch the new version regardless.
  
  

• Cinema Paradiso - Original Release vs. Special Edition
  By on 2001-04-11
  The most important thing at first: I love "Cinema Paradiso"! Although I watched the original version a countless times, I am still deeply moved by the wonderful mixture of joy, happiness, sadness and tragic - all this in the very same moment. This is definatly European cinema at it's best - there is nothing compareable to Giuseppe Tornatores masterpiece in the past and I am quite sure, there is nothing more brilliant to come in the future.

  So far for the original version! Not long ago I realized, that there was another version - more than an hour longer. And despite the fact, that for an native German speaker it is a rather a tough experience to watch an Italian movie with English subtitles, I immediately ordered the VHS and a few days later I saw my "Cinema Paradiso" as a "Special Edition".

  But now anything I feel is some sort of ambivalence! It's true, the extended version adds a lot of explanation to the movie - mostly at the end of Salvatores youth. It's true, that there is a bunch of question marks in the original version, which become resolved only in this release (e.g. the story of the waiting soldier). And again, it's true, that all layers of the plot now fit together in a proper way.

  But the price to pay is too high! Perhaps this is very subjective, but from my point of view much of the movie's magic has gone forever. The wonderful and heartwarming friendship between Salavtore and Alfredo, the key element of the movie itself has become questionable; understanding the motives of Alfredos acting is now totally unreproducible for me. And although the brilliant last scene of the movie hasn't changed at all, this wonderful mixture of joy, happiness, sadness and tragic has suddenly vanished.

  People who see this film as one of many others can take the "Special Edition" for its more coherent plot. But guys like me, who want to approach this movie in a completly different way, should reconsider this step over and over again. Even I still think, that this film is a inimitable masterpiece of movie arts, I deeply regret, that "Cinema Paradiso" will never be the same movie, I once fell in love.
  
  

• More is not necessarily better
  By A2CW9IQAPFEYLM on 2006-01-21
  
  An interesting and well-crafted homage to the role of movies in a small Italian town, circa 1944-54. But it's a lot more than that, too. A young boy befriends the local movie projectionist (played by Phillippe Noiret), who takes him under his wing and teaches him (while reminding us, in case we've forgotten) about the emotional power the movies can have on the populace. The boy becomes a young man, falls in love with a girl whom he loses, and on the urging of Noiret leaves the small town and goes to Rome to pursue his star (he becomes a famous movie maker, of course). The movie is warm with the nostalgia of a bygone era, though it comes dangerously close to being a sentimental weeper at the end. The acting is excellent. The shorter version is definitely the better of the two.
  
  
• A fantastic movie about the love of movies and the love that people have for each other.
  By A315K47GRB024C on 2005-12-01
  This review is for the 2003 Marimax "New Version" DVD.
  
  The story deals with a successful film director whose childhood nickname was "Toto". In a long flashback, he recalls his youthful days in a small Italian village in the mid-1940's. Young Toto's father died in Russia during the war, so he would frequently take refuge in the local movie theater and immerse himself in each and every film shown. He befriends the projectionist, a middle-aged man named Alfredo, and through fun and even tragedy, they become inseparable. When Alfredo is no longer capable of being the projectionist, young Toto takes over. As a teenager, Toto continues to work at the cinema, while falling in love with a beautiful girl named Elena.
  
  The DVD contains two versions: the original 123-minute theater version and a 173 newly released director's cut. The original version is absolutely incredible, while the newer, longer release is actually very average. The difference between the two is that the longer version deals with Toto and Elena over many more years than what is shown in the original, and besides being too long, it kills the innocence and purity of the original film.
  
  I've now watched the original about six times and it never grows old. I watched the extended version once and never plan to again. The original does a much better job staying focused on the funny moments as well as the heartwarming situations. Furthermore, the original effectively concentrates on not only loving the cinema, and even more so, loving people in the purest way possible. The new version fails miserably on the later. The ending of either version reaches a brilliant and gripping crescendo as middle-aged Toto views a film that was given to him by Alfredo. The musical score is also wonderful.
  
  The DVD quality is excellent with stunning color and sharp focus. A few short sequences seemed grainy, but it never seemed to be a major distraction. The audio is excellent too. Unfortunately, there were no extras on the DVD.
  
  
  Original Movie: A+
  
  New Version Movie: C+
  
  DVD Quality: A
  
  
• Re-edit is inferior to original
  By AMMEMPM9MPS55 on 2003-07-07
  If you are a fan of the original theatrical cut of Cinema Paradiso, allow yourself to watch this radical revision out of curiosity. If you have never seen Cinema Paradiso, your experience of the film will be RUINED if you let yourself watch the recent version first. I suggest you get acquainted with the far superior earlier cut, and later try the new version.

  The new version is a totally different film. The focus is shifted from the central character's relationship with Alfredo, a cinema projectionist, to his lifelong obsession with a lover from his adolescence. The latter lacks believability, and radically alters the mood of the film. Aside from this insertion of a mammoth chunk of storyline that was absent from the first film, there are a few edits and extra scenes dotted here and there throughout the film that utterly ruin some of the most memorable and effective moments from the original.

  Perhaps I am just too in love with the original (the irony here, in view of the film's major themes, is stark) to be able to accept this new version. Admittedly, the extra storyline fills in some glaring holes in the original, though not without creating a few new loose ends. If you are a fan, watch this just to satiate your curiosity, but bear in mind that you are watching a very different--and far inferior--film.
  
  

• FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME
  By AM2PV53UX1JEQ on 1999-12-09
  This movie, a warm and sentimental delight, delivers it viewers many gifts, most of which come as subtle surprises. It features wonderful performances, a spine-tingling soundtrack and a testimony to the power of the movies unlike any MOVIE ever made. Please please please do yourself a favor and DO NOT watch the dubbed version -- it depletes the wondrous acting by eliminating their own voices -- also: stay with the movie through its closing credits. The final shots deliver what might be the sweetest surprise of all. Happy crying!
  
  
• Skip the 2002 version
  By ABGLLUXUHJBXI on 2003-12-29
  Sometimes, directors should leave well enough alone.

  Cinema Paradiso in its original version is a lovely, funny movie about a boy growing up. It is one of those movies that can be seen again and again.

  The director's cut is a mess that clutters up the original story with a totally unnecessary subplot, turns one hero in the movie (Alfredo) into a monster and the other hero (Salvatore) into a stalker. The editing is such a botch that end of the movie becomes meaningless. Had this version been released in 1988, the movie never would have won the Best Foreign Film award.

  This new version is a textbook case of why directors should not recut their films.
  
  

• Kudos to Guisseppe Tornatore - for the brand new experience!
  By A73FVR5VRSO89 on 2003-12-27
  November 2003: While I agree that the New version does bring about the closure that the original lacked I feel that some of the magic of the film is lost with the telling of the whole story - I therefore prefer the original version for the way it tugged at the heartstrings in the face of an unknown and lost world.
  * Mise-en-scene: It was delightful to watch Toto in scenes that were new - I had grown so fond of the character that watching him in new situations was like bringing alive a now dead character and watching him do things he hadn't done.
  * I didn't enjoy the sex scenes - they took away from the nostalgia and the innocence of the flashback - may be this is cultural but I thought the original suggestions/subtlety was better than the explicit display.
  * It was heart-wrenching to see Toto's girl as an old lady - the irony of how they missed each other was very moving. However the old lady didn't quite have the charm of the young girl - and her character lacked the same conviction - though her lovemaking was a bold move given her place in life.
  * The part where the narrative was furthered compellingly was in the director's revealing to us just what an impact Alfredo had had on Toto, when he chose to separate the two lovers - the impact of that decision ultimately made the difference to Toto's life
  * I preferred the Old version for Toto's old character - he spoke less, was more reflective, had more aura. While the latest version makes him more human, and we can better understand his character, I feel that in sharing his vulnerabilities the director also makes him more common-place - the old guy was almost mystical.
  
  
• Best film ever made no matter the tech. quality.
  By A3TIHRBNZVPGW0 on 2000-03-29
  I have a bootleg of the original Italian release that is 155 minutes long instead of the 123 minute English version that is available. Oh...what everyone is missing....What a spectacular 30 extra minutes everyone could be loving and holding in their hearts. IF ONLY STUPID MIRIMAX WOULD PUT OUT A DIRECTOR'S CUT FOR EVERYONE ELSE! If you seek the longer better version (although both are perfect when standing alone), go to ebay.com. There are folks there who can help you get the directors cut (if you want it)plus it is in widescreen too. This review is based on my own version of the film. I'm not going to buy the DVD for another 123 minutes of what is on the VHS....Come on DVD lovers, don't you want to see what the director originally envisioned? I wish we could overwhelmingly attack the execs at Mirimax and get them to release a commercial director's cut with the extra 30 minutes instead of having to go to ebay.com and get a bootleg for a price that is phenomenal. By the way, he sees Elena again at the end. She's married and has a daughter that looks just like her when she was young and in love with Toto. But since Elena is married, her hands are tied. But she admits to never forgetting him or loving him more than anyone she has ever known. (Tears.)
  
  

• Il Postino
• Cinema Paradiso: Original Soundtrack Recording (1989 Film)
• Malena
• Life is Beautiful
• Bread and Tulips