Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Introduction to the Movie

The movie begins with Salvatore De Vita, a middle aged man in Rome who is revealed to not have returned to his home in Sicily in 30 years. However, in receiving news of the death of a man named Alfredo, Salvatore takes a walk down memory lane to a time when he was a little boy lovingly nicknamed Toto. We are then guided through Toto’s childhood and adolescence and what was it that led him to stay away from his home.

The Death of a Cinema and a Celebration of Life

While this movie solely focuses on the life of Toto, I would like to focus on the cinema itself. As the title of the movie “the New Paradise Cinema” implies, most of the movie took place there and is, I believe, a vital aspect of the movie. Throughout the progress of the movie, we are able to see what the cinema meant to the people of the town of Giancaldo.

To Alfredo, the cinema was his livelihood and like Toto, had been in the business since he was a child. Yet amidst his complaints of the job, Alfredo revealed that he found reward in the laughter of the people and how he feels responsible for putting that smile on their faces, revealing that intrinsic motivation is what propelled him to continue his job despite its hardships (Repovich, 2014). This is further evident in one of the captivating moments in the movie when he reflects the movie out to a building wall for the people locked out of the cinema without asking for anything in return.

Alfredo dedicated his life to the cinema (until it turned around and almost killed him)

When Toto returns home after 30 years, we finally learn the fate of the cinema. It has now been abandoned and closed down as movies are now readily available in homes. Technology has advanced to make movie watching safer, accessible and convenient for the viewers. Yet, why does it make us viewers feel sad and nostalgic? 

The crumbling remains of a happy past

In this movie, we were able to become a part of the small community of Giancaldo. We became acquainted and formed a kind of connection with the people and it was a joy to watch how the community interacted with each other. How they laughed together and cried together, found romance, and teased each other . The unity that once was easily and unknowingly achieved is now destroyed and we feel the loss and loneliness now experienced by the towns’ people.

Of shared joys and tears

Not forgetting the main character in this story, it may be safe to say that the cinema meant more to Toto than anyone else. His love for film was like a magnet that would pull him to the cinema at any given chance, even despite the initial protest and disapproval by his mother and Alfredo. It was in the small dusty projection room where his love for film was enhanced and his friendship with Alfredo grew stronger to the point where Alfredo became the father figure that Toto was deprived of. Likewise, Toto became the son that Alfredo never had. As he walks through the old cinema one final time, one can practically feel the nostalgia he was experiencing and we ourselves would be able to recall memories of Toto’s past.

We are left feeling empty with both the death of Alfredo and the destruction of the Cinema so close to each other. Yet with the final scene where Toto watches the movie reel left as a gift from Alfredo, we feel a kind of peace and closure. The memorabilia which contained a montage of all the kiss scenes that was once removed from the movie reels in his childhood days could mean many things, but to me it was Alfredo’s way of rekindling the flames of Toto’s first love for films by reminding him of that little boy who would treasure these tiny clips.

Reflecting back on Alfredo’s words of departure of not giving in to nostalgia, we can agree that Alfredo had Toto's best interest at heart; to not allow nostalgia to become the thing that holds him back from achieving his dreams. Yet, we find that it is also nostalgia that bolsters the social bonds of the townsfolk during their time of grief (Wildschut, Sedikides, Arndt, & Routledge, 2006). As for Toto, being reminded of his childhood sparked a positive regard for himself and for the first time, we finally see present day Toto truly smile in happiness (Wildschut, Sedikides, Arndt, & Routledge, 2006).

Personal Take

I sincerely enjoyed Cinema Paradiso for its simplicity and how relatable it is to every one of us. Sure, not all of us had the pleasure of practically growing up in a musky cinema projection room under the warmth and tutelage of a kind man such as Alfredo, but I am certain that many of us holds a place of nostalgia in our hearts.

            For me, my grandfather’s house, that is soon to be demolished this year, is a great source of nostalgia for me. I look around and there are more than a few memories to recall. That was the drain that I fell in. That was the pole that I used to climb. This was where I celebrated all my birthdays. Most importantly, it holds every memory I have of my grandfather when he was still alive, who very much like Alfredo was to Toto, was a great influence to me. I know the destruction of the building would not erase my memories of him, but somehow saying goodbye to that old one-storey house feels like I am saying goodbye to my grandfather again. Like Toto though, I will carry on towards the future without letting nostalgia hold me back but to push me forward to becoming a person that my grandfather would be proud of.

References:

Repovich, W. S. (2014). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Salem Press Encyclopedia of Health.

Wildschut, T., Sedikides, C., Arndt, J., & Routledge, C. (2006). Nostalgia: Content, triggers, functions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(5), 975-993. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.91.5.975