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Cinema Paradiso
Cinema Paradiso
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Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso

1988
Romance, Drama
2h 35m
A famous film director returns home to a Sicilian village for the first time after almost 30 years. He reminisces about his childhood at the Cinema Paradiso where Alfredo, the projectionist, first brought about his love of films. He is also reminded of his lost teenage love, Elena, who he had to leave before he left for Rome. (imdb)

Cinema Paradiso

1988
Romance, Drama
2h 35m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 73.37% from 4696 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

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Rated 15 Feb 2009
9
90th
'Cinema Paradiso' would've ended up being my new favorite film had it not been for a couple of scenes that left me indifferent (I guess its synopsis and first act had me excited). The film felt aimed at children, lacking this epic quality that would've probably contributed a lot. I still enjoyed it for many other reasons; for the tribute it pays to this wonderful medium I love so much, one that brings people together, engages the mind and moves us. Recommended for any film lover.
Rated 02 Jan 2009
8
82nd
Wonderful movie for anyone who loves film. Set in a small Sicilian village but the themes are universal. Manages to be both heartbreaking and heart warming while telling a story that everyone can relate to.
Rated 12 Jul 2014
84
73rd
Beautiful images & music propel a frequently moving story about the power of film as human expression. The movie drips with nostalgia and poetic symbolism like wet paint from an artist's brush. The scenes with Alfredo and young Toto are the best and most emotional, but by the time Toto becomes an adult we don't really understand his motivations and it's hard to tell if Alfredo's life lessons have been positive or negative. Perhaps, though, that's an allegorical expression of a childhood lost.
Rated 12 Mar 2008
93
96th
"you think it's the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years... When you come back, everything's changed.The thread's broken. What you came to find isn't there. What was yours is gone..."
Rated 09 May 2007
75
64th
The production aspects are top-notch, but Tornatore is way too melodramatic and manipulative for my taste. Also, that kid was annoying as hell.
Rated 03 Feb 2009
100
99th
This is the meaning of nostalgia.
Rated 21 Jan 2009
92
95th
Despite being nostalgic, sentimental and predictable at times, it is still magnificent and so well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable as well as heart-warming. I'm mostly at a loss for words as to how to describe it but I do suggest you seek out the Director's Cut, even though it's 3 hours long I had no trouble at all sitting through it and it adds a very important story thread missing in the theatrical cut.
Rated 27 May 2014
80
86th
This Italian ode to cinema, puppy love and the love of cinema is one for all you softies out there. Toto, Alfredo and Morricone's music will stay with you. In its eventually bittersweet focus, Tornatore's version of the film strikes some of the same chords of nostalgia and regret as 'Once Upon a Time in America'.
Rated 12 Jan 2009
85
88th
Masterpiece of Italian films. This film has several meanings, much symbolism, too much to say. It is pure love, movie was made of the heart, love for the movies.
Rated 18 Nov 2007
70
26th
I have really mixed feelings on this. There's no denying it's a really well made product, but there were huge chunks that really rubbed me the wrong way, mainly much of the beginning with the child Salvatore and the ending after Alfredo's funeral. The film can get really manipulative and the overlong ending only serves to highlight this. Noiret is amazing though and while I disagree with the focus Tornatorre decided to give the story, he did make it captivating.
Rated 19 Mar 2007
92
88th
Cinema Paradiso is a lot like Francois Truffaut's touching and personal movies in the 50s and 60s. It's an excellent story about a boy and a man who gain a father-son type relationship through their work together at a theater. It's moving from start to finish and truly embodies the excellence that film can have on a fan.
Rated 20 Apr 2020
95
97th
Director's cut. Need to watch theatrical cut later. Middle better than beginning and end. It's 3 love stories: boy/cinema, /girl, and /mentor. It's a coming-of-age for not only the boy, but his insular community as well. Nowadays it'd be called Oscar bait, with its odes to classic film, but dammit it hits all the points for me. The long finale takes the punch out of the heartache quite a bit. It's like the writer's fanfic. Fav scene: Elena showing up and kissing him in the projectionist booth.
Rated 10 May 2016
93
90th
Cinema Paradiso is nothing less than a big, sumptuous valentine to anyone who has ever loved film.
Rated 28 Apr 2012
75
57th
I really liked all the scenes in the movie theater with young Toto and Alfredo. The overwhelming sense of nostalgia and the love story didn't really connect with me though. I enjoyed it, but it didn't have a great emotional impact on me like it did with other people.
Rated 28 Apr 2011
45
25th
Yapmacikliğindan, yapis yapis duygusalligindan, yapayligindan tiksindim yemin ediyorum. Il Postino denen ucube film de bunun bir esi, ayni dertlerden muzdarip marazli filmler.
Rated 13 Nov 2010
75
77th
If I had seen this movie ten years ago, it's likely I'd loved it more than I now ended up doing...
Rated 07 Jun 2010
8
79th
A celebration of film as a medium. Alfredo the projectionist and the young boy's relationship is genuine and only gets stronger when they're older, characterization at its best. Wonderful film on all accounts.
Rated 10 Jan 2009
95
99th
for the love of cinema
Rated 02 Sep 2008
88
87th
With the (debatable) merits of home-video, there are 2 ways to watch this seminal Italian masterpiece: an extended, 3-hr cut and a theatrical version. Brevity is the soul of wit - make sure to catch the beauty of the shorter, more pleasantly-paced version. The coming-of-age of a Fellini-esque director, and his old, lovable mentor beautifully displays the death of old cinema and the transcendence of its form. Few films can catch this film's sense of quiet pathos, nostalgia, and that ending...
Rated 26 Aug 2008
85
77th
#825 - 26 Agustos 08 23:55 & "you think it's the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years... When you come back, everything's changed.The thread's broken. What you came to find isn't there. What was yours is gone..."... sanirim biraz benim hayatimi anlatiyor... ya da benim sectigim hayati demek daha dogru.
Rated 01 Nov 2007
60
28th
Packed with sentimentality to the point of just feeling manipulative. Essentially a Hollywood film produced in Italy.
Rated 12 Aug 2018
100
90th
Not just another classic, Cinema Paradiso is up there with the very best films of all time. Outstanding.
Rated 11 Dec 2017
52
37th
selfish shit abandons his widowed mother for 30 years. He also likes films
Rated 03 May 2016
45
33rd
I've consumed copious amounts of the old Italian and French cinema referenced here, and I've worked as an analogue projectionist myself in my youth, but Cinema Paradiso still is not for me. Tornatore is proficient enough, but hasn't a hint of subtlety, and though Noiret's presence is always a blessing, it's not enough to redeem such sentimental tripe.
Rated 06 Dec 2014
77
56th
Works exactly the way you'd think it would, but it's heartwarming and entertaining. I didn't watch the director's cut, so the romance came across nothing more but stupid.
Rated 18 Jan 2012
70
67th
This is a big love letter to cinema. It was nice. The director's cut that I saw was close to 3 hours long, and it did drag a little. I wouldn't say the cinematography or direction were particularly good, but it's the real emotion in the story where the strength of this film lies.
Rated 20 Mar 2010
100
99th
brilliant piece of art
Rated 05 Sep 2009
94
98th
I would honestly beat up anyone who raised their voice against this movie.
Rated 10 Apr 2009
100
93rd
Nostalgic in its celebration of the cinema, beautifully detailed in its enjoyment of the rituals of small-town life with, underneath it all, a toughness in its depiction of a child's growth to maturity.
Rated 25 Feb 2009
98
99th
One of the last scenes (when cinema paradiso is demolished) is very emotional.. All these people are old and sad.. everything has changed.. Italy has changed.. Capitalism errupted, there are cars everywhere. World has changed, and it's worse..
Rated 10 Jan 2009
100
98th
Romantic type of film lover's dream coming true. My own sentimental favourite for welcoming me as such.
Rated 28 Jul 2008
89
94th
Moving story about a boy growing up in a small Sicilian village, going through several stages of his life, from the time he is mentored by Alfredo, the town's projectionist, through the loss of his teenage love, his departure to Rome and his short return to the village much later in life. A story of life, love and childhood memories. Especially the scenes with Toto in his childhood are heart-warming. Also great soundtrack that fits excellent with the movie.
Rated 29 Apr 2008
100
99th
Maybe the greatest love story ever filmed! A tribute to cinema! Beautiful! Exciting! Touching! Awesome! Perfect!
Rated 27 Apr 2008
100
99th
Um filme que conseguiu realizar a mais singela homenagem ao cinema. Por mais que aprendamos lidar com o vazio, o cinema desperta a emoção acerca de tudo que nos completa. Vida e eterna ao cinema.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
82nd
Charming and lovely - a must see in any language.
Rated 26 Mar 2007
100
95th
Possibly the movies' best-ever tribute to movies. Wonderful
Rated 19 Apr 2024
80
80th
Nostalgic and old fashioned. But your heart will feel warm at the end.
Rated 24 Feb 2024
98
92nd
Nearly untouchable. Touching
Rated 30 Jan 2024
100
0th
Probably my favorite foreign language film (Italian)
Rated 15 Dec 2023
70
83rd
ita_eng; [cinema paradiso]; ein kleiner junge ist begeistert für die Filme, welche sein freund Alfredo regelmäßig im kino vorstellt - doch erst als dieser stirbt kehrt er mit vielen Erinnerungen zurück an den Ort seiner Kindheit und ersten Liebe.;
Rated 21 May 2023
92
96th
How cinema moves us
Rated 21 Mar 2023
59
17th
Cinema Paradiso is a romantic drama and it's fucking tedious... And I only watched the theatrical version. Sure the performances are alright, but the Italian penchant for dubbing voices makes me wish the language goes the same way as Latin. While some of the film is well-written, notably the set-up for the ending, most of the film is a wordy drain-circler that should have filled 20 minutes not the near 3 hour runtime. Let the past die; kill it if you must.
Rated 15 Dec 2022
60
27th
Didn't really work on me. Watch a good Visconti film instead.
Rated 12 Dec 2022
84
91st
Saw it a long time ago, so can't really remember how much I enjoyed it! A recollection of warmth, but perhaps the trailer has suckered my memory.
Rated 04 Aug 2022
50
97th
First movie to make me cry
Rated 01 Aug 2022
93
96th
I watched the Director's Cut of this and loved it so much that I immediately watched the theatrical version (which won the Oscar). I found them to almost be two completely different movies, though I loved both. The 99 rating is for the DC version, though, which I feel is superior and packs a bigger emotional punch with has more character depth. Perhaps a bit oversentimental or cliched at times, but damned if it doesn't work sublimely in every way. Great off-type score by Ennio Morricone.
Rated 10 May 2022
100
70th
SAD ASF. but its ok because i got through it with a box of kleenex
Rated 06 Aug 2021
99
99th
10?2016.12.26????????????????????????????Ennio Morricone???????/??????2021.6.11??????????????????????????????????/?????????????????????????????????????????????/Alfredo??????????????????????????????/
Rated 22 May 2021
84
80th
It reinforced my cinema love. Morricone doesn't disappoint.
Rated 18 Feb 2021
88
94th
Really cool to see the evolution of Alfredo, the script is really good. Morricone's music transports you through all the story creating a beautiful connection between different moments of Alfredo's life. I loved the widespread sense of nostalgia rooted in the photography.
Rated 02 Feb 2021
3
72nd
The ending justified the drawn out story-telling.
Rated 20 Jan 2021
97
98th
What do we care the most in life? Passion? Love? Friendship? Past? Ambition? Excellent.
Rated 02 Oct 2020
85
45th
????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???
Rated 09 Aug 2020
100
97th
A beautiful love letter to cinema, but also to love itself -- sometimes forgotten, sometimes vaguely remembered. There are a lot of heart-tugging moments intended to invoke nostalgia, which hit hard for this viewer who also lived in a small town and had to move away to find later success (such as it is). The longer version gives some of the characters a little more emotional depth, helping to cement their personalities while surrounded by a few memorable generic characters.
Rated 07 Aug 2020
73
46th
Opinión personal: 7 Actores: 7 Planos: 7 Guión: 7 BSO: 9 FX: - Total: 73
Rated 05 Jul 2020
75
67th
(director's cut) The second part with the love story was boring.
Rated 19 May 2020
70
64th
It was a captivating experience, but I honestly felt that it did not live up to all the praises it has received.
Rated 08 May 2020
5
92nd
I felt a little bit of "movie-paradise" watching that. *Very good
Rated 22 Mar 2020
95
91st
Sentimental to be sure, and loses some of its energy once Toto matures, but this is still a genuinely heartwarming and sincere tale, which communicates the feeling of the love and passion for film better than any other, meaning its likely to stir the "feels" for any true movie buff! Beautifully performed, with the camaraderie between Noiret and Cascio in the early stages beautifully observed - quietly stunning final scene (with Perrin's help) is the perfect capper. A beautiful treat.
Rated 03 Feb 2020
100
98th
tornatore farkı........
Rated 31 Jan 2020
75
13th
It a nice story and makes you feel happy and emotional together and one of good example of the italian cinema.
Rated 15 Dec 2019
70
36th
rented and watched w my dad when i was little, dont really remember it
Rated 10 Nov 2019
80
81st
Alfredo: "Living here day by day, you think it's the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change. Then you leave: a year, two years. When you come back, everything's changed. The thread's broken. What you came to find isn't there. What was yours is gone. You have to go away for a long time... many years... before you can come back and find your people. The land where you were born. But now, no. It's not possible. Right now you're blinder than I am."
Rated 23 Oct 2019
45
15th
Man, can you just make any movie about film and people are gonna flock to it? This is nothing but clichés strung up.
Rated 21 Sep 2019
100
99th
Hayatımın filmi...
Rated 01 Sep 2019
90
91st
Only seen the theatrical version. God what a cute film
Rated 27 Jul 2019
95
93rd
Life isn't like in the movies.
Rated 18 Jul 2019
84
85th
I loved it, but maybe experienced more emotional distance than I expected to from the 2nd half of the movie beyond the scenes between young Toto and Alfredo. The scene at the end really got to me though!
Rated 06 Jul 2019
100
97th
w/ Melisa
Rated 17 Jun 2019
90
87th
It's a lovely portrait of life in rural Sicily in a world that has completely vanished. It's heavily indebted to "Amarcord", even using some of the same actors, but is also decidedly it's own film.
Rated 01 Jun 2019
80
72nd
A fine and lovely picture, and one that doesn't drown the viewer in banalities posing as Profound Truths, the way that today's totally pre-fab corporate-managed exercises in schmaltz and Dopiness always seem to manage. But -- in the dark mood I'm in, did I _need_ to see a picture all about how Time Eats Everything and how Everything You Love Turns to Dust before it's your turn to do the same? Nah.
Rated 21 Apr 2019
75
73rd
Poignant tale of aging man going back to his home village for the funeral of his mentor. A heartwarming tribute to cinema.
Rated 23 Dec 2018
60
37th
if you live in a city with a cinema that shows films on film; go there, don't waste that privilege
Rated 26 Sep 2018
85
98th
It's about love, passion, companionship, and of course, the cinema. There's a phrase, in the lyrics of a turkish band ‘yeni turku' We have grown up / And the land is grime now. This movie is the cinematic equivalance of this sentence. Or i am a nostalgic bastard
Rated 18 Jan 2018
100
99th
yonetmen olsam, ilk olarak cinema paradiso'yu cekmek isterdim...
Rated 06 Jan 2018
9
87th
the ending had me full-on dawsons creek gif fucked up laura dern ugly face crying
Rated 03 Jul 2017
60
69th
Enjoyed it. But afterwards, reading reviews, I came to realize that I had unwittingly just seen the newer, extended, inferior version, as opposed to the version that won an Oscar. I was not aware there were multiple versions of this. That bummed me out. Beware!
Rated 15 Apr 2017
94
94th
Cinema Paradiso is a captivating love letter to anyone who has ever loved film.
Rated 21 Oct 2016
100
99th
Nostalgic, poetic, magical love letter to cinema its self. Brilliant film.
Rated 09 Oct 2016
65
32nd
Although the cinema is an obvious theme of the movie, this didn't seem to be what the movie was "about." What it seems to be about is the idea that a person has to choose between home and family, vs. following his dreams and having a successful career. Also about how we are influenced by our parents and mentors in ways we don't realize or understand. I apparently watched the shorter version and can't imagine sitting through any more.
Rated 10 Sep 2016
97
78th
Although long, this film is worth every minute. The famous Ennio Morricone soundtrack makes it all the more emotive and impressive.
Rated 11 Aug 2016
93
88th
Watched the cut version, but I hear the extended uncut version is even better and fills in a lot of the gaps. I might have rated this a little lower but the strong ending and the way it settled with me a few days later.... just one of those movies that makes you smile.
Rated 31 May 2016
91
90th
Objectively, this film has some flaws, and should only be good, rather than truly fantastic. For reasons I can't quite put a finger on though, it REALLY hits home. Somewhere in my subconscious it pushes the exact right buttons and makes me all mushy. It's not just me either: Everyone who watches this turns to butter.
Rated 23 Apr 2016
89
82nd
A film that is about the love of the cinema, and by that I mean both the artform and the physical building. In a day where I watched this at home on my PS3 from a disc there is something really missing from the experience of watching a film how it was intended. "Cinema Paradiso" captures the essence of watching a movie together, as an audience, and forming a bond because of it, especially in a small town. "Cinema Paradiso" is built on nostalgia and longing. It is sad, but in a very natural way.
Rated 18 Apr 2016
80
85th
A nostalgic look at early cinema in a sleepy Sicilian village. The early part, featuring young Toto played by Salvatore Cascio, is the most enjoyable. The bittersweet ending leaves much unresolved. Like life, maybe?
Rated 24 Dec 2015
70
42nd
I enjoyed the first half beyond my expectations (Italian cinema's conventions can grate on me), but Tornatore can't settle for "Watching movies in the old days was a fun communal experience," he has to add (and underline, repeatedly) "and modern society is shit." Which is a big groaner for me, and started to weigh the movie down, along with the romance and the teenage lead, both as insipid as those things can get. The little kid may have been an outrageous mug, but at least he was fun to watch.
Rated 26 Nov 2015
80
57th
Sometimes my love for cinema is a paradise and that's what I think this movie tries to portray. This movie shows the story of a man whose life is shaped by his love of film. I would say it's a romance movie where the love interest is the silver screen. The movie is terribly romantic in its showing of the Cinema Paradiso. I especially love how the projection comes through a stone-lion's mouth. Theaters were so decadent in the past, although I don't know if I could handle how raucous they were...
Rated 01 Nov 2015
83
95th
definetly deserved!
Rated 19 May 2015
91
99th
Best movie about love for cinema, childhood and small town life. Bring tissues.
Rated 13 Jan 2015
100
99th
Dünyanın en hisli filmi olabilir.
Rated 04 Jan 2015
60
52nd
This movie is nostalgic by definition. The plot has a very strong first act with fantastic performances, maybe the best child performance I've ever watched, it tells about the friendship between a child and an adult around a classic movie theater in Italy. Then the movie goes to two correct but not as strong second and third act which goes into the adolescence and adulthood of this friendship. The music score is fantastic, it creates a great atmosphere.
Rated 03 Dec 2014
80
80th
3rd viewing
Rated 13 Nov 2014
50
10th
Technically well made, but easily the corniest movie I've ever seen in my entire life. I guess I'm just not one for teary-eyed schmaltz.
Rated 08 Nov 2014
85
54th
Maudlin and too Hollywood, but an enjoyable film. Doesn't quite live up to its premise, and the whole doesn't make the most of its parts. Beautiful visuals and music, however.
Rated 08 Aug 2014
75
90th
This film absolutely slayed me emotionally. An incredible musing on the power one can have when overcoming nostalgia, reminding the viewer that even though the things you love may be gone, they will never forget about you.
Rated 05 Aug 2014
100
98th
sooooooooooo much nostalgiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiccc :(
Rated 18 Apr 2014
70
48th
Totally cheesy, but still enjoyable.
Rated 25 Mar 2014
100
99th
A very sincere and touching homage to film. Movies mean a lot to me, and this captures my emotions pretty well. The beautiful score by Morricone really opened my eyes to him as the best ever. - 3/22/14
Rated 09 Jan 2014
80
0th
2x
Rated 16 Dec 2013
7
73rd
enchanting, enjoyable and nostalgic.

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