The original theatrical version of Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Cinema Paradiso” is a wonderful, heartfelt love letter to the cinema that inspired the director himself, as well as an uplifting picture of success at a terrible cost.
The original theatrical version of Giuseppe Tornatore´s "Cinema Paradiso" is a wonderful, heartfelt love letter to the cinema that inspired the director himself, as well as an uplifting picture of success at a terrible cost. The new cut of the film is too long with information that didn´t need to be included and doesn´t advance the narrative of the story in any useful manner. Purchase this disc for the theatrical version and watch the new version to gain appreciation for good expanded cuts like "Almost Famous" and Fellowship of the Rings."
Video:
Both versions of the film are presented in their original 1.66:1 aspect ratio, enhanced for 16x9 televisions. The picture looks soft in some of the night scenes, but otherwise the contrast is good. Early in the theatrical edition, there is a loss in contrast, as the weakly lit scene flattens out and loses depth, but the problem is not so great as to be distracting, nor is it a recurring issue. I did not notice any real instances of grain, compression or edge enhancement, or film artifacts. The extra scenes are edited seamlessly into existing footage for the new version of "Cinema Paradiso." Overall, the picture looks like a movie that was released in the early 1990s… it is hard to qualify what exactly gives it that look (and that is not a derogatory statement) but it is certainly present.
Audio:
The original version of "Cinema Paradiso" includes a Dolby Digital 2.0 representation of the original mono audio track, and it is clean and clear. It did seem at times the ADR did not sync up completely with the mouths of the actors, though I think that more of a limitation of the filmmakers than a glitch in the transfer. Included are the original Italian track, and a French track for our neighbors to the north. Since my French is rustier than my Italian, I stuck with the original track… and not to worry, for you English speakers, an excellent player-generated subtitle track is included. The only issue I took with the subs were the selectiveness of translation, as written items that were featured in the frame and were probably plot points were not translated, leaving me frustrated at my own inability to read Italian than being engrossed in the story.
The new version of the film possesses a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that often seems artificial in the way it spreads the audio about the different channels, projecting an echo effect I would more closely associate with the original Dolby Pro Logic than a true Dolby Digital track. Other than those glitches, the rear channels are sparingly used, which is disappointing, for some of the scenes in the movie theater, surrounded by a raucous crowd would have been perfect for an immersing surround track.
Extras:
The only added feature is a Trailer for the theatrical release of "Cinema Paradiso: The New Version." For a film that won every award that a film can, I am a bit disappointed at the lack of comments from the director, or a documentary about the movies filming. But then again, American audiences don´t like to have to read anymore than they absolutely need to, so the exclusion is probably fiscally prudent. Still, disappointing.
Film Value:
"Cinema Paradiso" is a cinematic experience like no other. The original film is a wonderful story of the growth of a boy into a man, the trials and tribulations that shaped him and his love for cinema, and the love that pushed him away to pursue that dream. Beautiful in its fairytale simplicity, "Cinema Paradiso" is a must-own for anyone who has ever fallen in love with the images that flash across a screen, for anyone who has ever had their heart broken and been inspired to change their life in response. Although the DVD set isn´t loaded with extras, I would recommend it purely on the strength of the original version itself.
Video:
Both versions of the film are presented in their original 1.66:1 aspect ratio, enhanced for 16x9 televisions. The picture looks soft in some of the night scenes, but otherwise the contrast is good. Early in the theatrical edition, there is a loss in contrast, as the weakly lit scene flattens out and loses depth, but the problem is not so great as to be distracting, nor is it a recurring issue. I did not notice any real instances of grain, compression or edge enhancement, or film artifacts. The extra scenes are edited seamlessly into existing footage for the new version of "Cinema Paradiso." Overall, the picture looks like a movie that was released in the early 1990s… it is hard to qualify what exactly gives it that look (and that is not a derogatory statement) but it is certainly present.
Audio:
The original version of "Cinema Paradiso" includes a Dolby Digital 2.0 representation of the original mono audio track, and it is clean and clear. It did seem at times the ADR did not sync up completely with the mouths of the actors, though I think that more of a limitation of the filmmakers than a glitch in the transfer. Included are the original Italian track, and a French track for our neighbors to the north. Since my French is rustier than my Italian, I stuck with the original track… and not to worry, for you English speakers, an excellent player-generated subtitle track is included. The only issue I took with the subs were the selectiveness of translation, as written items that were featured in the frame and were probably plot points were not translated, leaving me frustrated at my own inability to read Italian than being engrossed in the story.
The new version of the film possesses a Dolby Digital 5.1 track that often seems artificial in the way it spreads the audio about the different channels, projecting an echo effect I would more closely associate with the original Dolby Pro Logic than a true Dolby Digital track. Other than those glitches, the rear channels are sparingly used, which is disappointing, for some of the scenes in the movie theater, surrounded by a raucous crowd would have been perfect for an immersing surround track.
Extras:
The only added feature is a Trailer for the theatrical release of "Cinema Paradiso: The New Version." For a film that won every award that a film can, I am a bit disappointed at the lack of comments from the director, or a documentary about the movies filming. But then again, American audiences don´t like to have to read anymore than they absolutely need to, so the exclusion is probably fiscally prudent. Still, disappointing.
Film Value:
"Cinema Paradiso" is a cinematic experience like no other. The original film is a wonderful story of the growth of a boy into a man, the trials and tribulations that shaped him and his love for cinema, and the love that pushed him away to pursue that dream. Beautiful in its fairytale simplicity, "Cinema Paradiso" is a must-own for anyone who has ever fallen in love with the images that flash across a screen, for anyone who has ever had their heart broken and been inspired to change their life in response. Although the DVD set isn´t loaded with extras, I would recommend it purely on the strength of the original version itself.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]11023[/release]