Cinema Paradiso

While writer-director Giuseppe Tornatore has added 52 minutes of footage and an entirely different, mood-altering last act to this 1988 Oscar-winning international smash-hit for the 2002 re-release, he's also retained much of the sentimental sensation that made the movie so memorable in the first place. Still told through the flashbacks of a melancholy, forty-ish film director (Jacques Perrin) recalling his childhood, in which he spent every free moment in the projection booth of the Cinema Paradiso in his Sicilian village, the revisions start creeping in after the boy (Salvatore Cascio) becomes a teenager (Marco Leonardi) whose life is forever changed when the girl he loves moves away without saying goodbye. In the new version she leaves a note, but Tornatore's major changes don't kick in until the present day, when the director returns to the island for the funeral of the Cinema Paradiso's gruff, playfully grumpy projectionist and begins chasing ghosts of his past. Although both versions eventually wind up in the same place, the 1988 release's mood  is one of mellifluous, largely unsullied movie magic, while the 2002 film is sentimental but seasoned with a much bigger bite of the blues. Recommended. [Note: The DVD offers the original 1990 theatrical version as well as the digitally re-mastered new version, which contains 51 minutes of never-before-seen footage. Bottom line: While otherwise extra-less, the option of watching the original or the revised version is a wonderful plus.] (R. Blackwelder)[DVD Review—Oct. 31, 2006—The Weinstein Company, 2 discs, 173 min., in Italian w/English subtitles, R, $24.95—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1989's Cinema Paradiso (Two-Disc Deluxe Edition) features a great transfer and Dolby Digital surround sound. DVD extras include both the theatrical and director's cut versions of the film, audio commentary by director Giuseppe Tornatore and Italian film expert Millicent Marcus, the 21-minute featurette “Cucina Paradiso: A Food Network Tribute—Easy Entertaining with Michael Chiarello” featuring cookbook author and chef Chiarello, “Exploring a Timeless Classic” (15 min.), “Little Italy Love Story: Cinema Paradiso Style” (5 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a truly deluxe edition of a modern classic.][Blu-ray Review—Oct. 25, 2011—Lionsgate, 121 min., PG, $14.99—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1988's Cinema Paradiso sports a nice transfer with DTS-HD mono sound. The sole extra is a theatrical trailer. Bottom line: a beloved contemporary foreign film makes a welcome debut on Blu-ray in its original theatrical version (hopefully, the extended cut will also make its way to Blu-ray).][Blu-ray/DVD Review—Mar. 21, 2017—Arrow, 2 discs, 124 min., in Italian w/English subtitles, R, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and Blu-ray, 1988's Cinema Paradiso sports a great transfer and features both uncompressed original stereo 2.0 audio and DTS-HD 5.1 audio soundtracks on the Blu-ray release. Extras include both the theatrical and director's cut film versions, audio commentary with director Giuseppe Tornatore and Italian cinema expert critic Millicent Marcus, “A Dream of Sicily” featurette on Tornatore (55 min.), the behind-the-scenes segments “A Bear and a Mouse in Paradise” (27 min.) and “The Kissing Sequence” (7 min.), and a booklet by Pasquale Iannone illustrated with archival stills, behind-the-scenes images, and posters. Bottom line: a beloved foreign classic sparkles in this excellent edition.]