Cinema Paradiso

My rating of Cinema Paradiso is a 9.5 out of 10.

My first most memorable part of this film was when Toto yelled to Alfredo "UP YOURS!" because no child would dare yell that at an adult today...unless you have as good of friendship as Toto and Alfredo. Alfredo knew that Toto was only joking or did not mean it.

My second most memorable part was when there was a fire underneath Toto's bed from the film. His sister almost got hurt. But their family portrait of his mother and father was burned in half with the part of his father being gone, eluding to the fact that his father was dead and he was but a memory now.

Third would have to be in the very beginning the priest previewing the films that the townspeople would watch but he would "delete" all of the "pornography", which to most of us today is just kissing.

Fourth is when the film catches on fire and Alfredo is the last person inside, Toto rushes in to save him, but Alfredo is burned on his face to the point where he is blind for the rest of his life.

Fifth would be the first time Toto (also known as Salvatore as he begins to grow up) saw Elena. He began to film her because she was the most beautiful thing.

Sixth would be when Toto first speaks to Elena and forgets what he was going to say and talks about the weather.

Seventh is when Toto promises Elena he will wait 99 evenings for her and when she would open the window shutters to her room, that would mean she is finally in love with him too. That evening never came.

Eigth would be when a man comes to town with lots of money and offers to buy the old theatre and turns it into Cinema Paradiso and Salvatore continues working the film booth there. The film is not flammable any more, the pictures are more clear, and kissing is now allowed.

Ninth would be when Toto is leaving and Alfredo whispers into his ear, "Do not come back. No matter what. Do not come back. Nothing will be the same. No one will be here. If you come back, I will not let you into my home. I will not speak to you. Now go...go...". Toto never returned but when he did, everything was different.

My tenth memory would be the last scenes scrambled together. Toto receives a phone call telling him that Alfredo is dead. Salvatore returns to Giancaldo, Sicily only to find that Alfredo had been right. All of the old buildings he remebered, gone. Recognizable faces of people that he shared his childhood with, gone. Film...not so. Alfredo had kept all of the "pornography" scenes from the priest's day, and had kept them for Toto. The scenes represented what love was and also what was missing from Salvatores life.