Nuovo cinema Paradiso
Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1988) is an Italian film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. It was internationally released as Cinema Paradiso in France, Spain, the UK and the US.
Told in flashback, it tells the story of the return to his native Sicilian village of a successful film director "Salvatore" for the funeral of his old friend "Alfredo", who was the projectionist at the local "Cinema Paradiso". Ultimately, Alfredo serves as a wise father figure to his young friend who only wishes the best to see him succeed, even if it means breaking his heart in the process.
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Alfredo
[edit]- Progress always comes too late.
Salvatore
[edit]- After all these years, I thought I was stronger, that I'd forgotten a lot of things. But, in fact, I find I'm right back where I was, as if I'd never been away.
Dialogue
[edit]- Alfredo: Get out of here! Go back to Rome. You're young and the world is yours. I'm old. I don't want to hear you talk anymore. I want to hear others talking about you. Don't come back. Don't think about us. Don't look back. Don't write. Don't give in to nostalgia. Forget us all. If you do and you come back, don't come see me. I won't let you in my house. Understand?
- Salvatore: Thank you. For everything you've done for me.
- Alfredo: Whatever you end up doing, love it. The way you loved the projection booth when you were a little squirt
- 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.
- Salvatore: Who said that? Gary Cooper? James Stewart? Henry Fonda? Eh?
- Alfredo: No, Toto. Nobody said it. This time it's all me. Life isn't like in the movies. Life... is much harder.
- Alfredo: Now listen. I got into this business at age ten. Back then, we didn't have fancy machines. Movies were silent. You turned the projector by hand with a crank. All the livelong day! And that damn crank was so hard. If you got tired and slowed down a bit, like a shot - voom - everything went up in flames.
- Salvatore: So why not teach me? Now that there's no crank and it's easier.
- Alfredo: Because I don't want to. This is no job for you. You're like a slave - and always by yourself. You see a film 100 times. You've nothing else to do. You talk to Greta Garbo and Tyrone Power like an idiot. You work like a dog. Even holidays - Easter, Christmas. You only get Good Friday off. And if they hadn't stuck Christ on a cross we'd even work then.
- Salvatore: So why don't you change jobs?
- Alfredo: Because I'm a nitwit. Who else around here could run a projector? Nobody. It takes an imbecile like me. I never had any luck
- Salvatore (Adult): Mama, I deserted you. Ran out on you like a bandit, without any explanation.
- Maria Di Vita (Older): I never asked for any. You don't have to explain anything to me. I always thought you did what was right. Why dwell on it? You were right to leave. You did what you wanted to do. Every time I call you, a different woman answers. But I never heard in any of their voices that they really loved you. I would've known. All the same, I'd have liked to see you settled down in love with someone. But your life is there. Here there are only ghosts.
- Salvatore (Adult): They tell me you never go out and you never talk to anybody. Why?
- Alfredo (Older): You know how it is. Sooner or later a time comes when it's all the same whether you talk or not. So you might as well shut up.
