This is a movie about movies, a nostalgic movie that recalls the history of movies and the emotional journey of people.
In Western society where material civilization is highly developed, people generally feel emotional loss. They miss the past, review history, and seek spiritual comfort. In literary and artistic creation (including movies), there is a "nostalgia" craze. The difference is that "Paradise Cinema" is not as sentimental and depressing as most nostalgic films. It uses a simple historical view of good and evil to look back to the past, look to the future, and use the unique way of film to vividly explain the inevitability of historical development. Saying goodbye to the past with a smile on it makes sense in that regard.
The story presented in the film is extremely simple, and Salvatore’s emotional experience (movie-viewing experience and emotional experience) can also be experienced by most audiences. In this way, the film and the audience, Salvatore and us, will build up a relationship. With the emotional knot, you do not feel like you are watching a story calmly, but go through the emotional process with the protagonist. Its unique nostalgic way, that's what it is. The screenwriter and director of the film, Giuseppe Torna Torre, chose the film, the most popular communication medium, to cut into his own story, and chose the film's location in his hometown. Undoubtedly, he realized two interconnected "Nostalgia". One is the audience's "nostalgia" for the history of movies, and the other is the "nostalgia" of his personal experience. This also constitutes a very unique structure of the film. The appearance is linear, a popular story that is easy to grasp, but the content is complex and intersecting, and it takes thinking to understand its meaning. In this regard, he incorporates his true feelings. Torna Tolle did not intend to show only one beautiful story, nor did it show the process of decades in detail according to the chronicle method, but chose to share with both Alfredo and Salvatore. Relevant events—events that are bound to generate sparks of emotional impact and resonate with the audience to show. In this way, the whole film is like shining pearls strung with threads, the dots and lines are combined, and the brilliance is intertwined.
The film directly or indirectly expresses the development process of film technology and art through the rise and fall of "Paradise" cinema, and expresses the evolution of historical concepts through a series of fragments of classic films. Chino Visconti's "The Earth is Fluctuating," Fritz Lange's "Fury," John Ford's "Flying Mountains," and Chaplin, Keaton, Laurel, and Hardy , Eric von Strauchen, Rita Hayworth and other movie stars who have fascinated fans. This historical review is undoubtedly a tribute to the masters of the past. This is organically combined with the memory and tribute to an obscure projectionist Alfredo throughout the film. There is a scene in the film in which the actress is in tears watching the rerun card and recites familiar lines with the characters in the film. This exciting scene is a true portrayal of the infinite reverence for movie idols.
Torna Torre vividly recalls the experience of watching a movie with his father in a small country town for the first time when he was four years old: "I felt very strange at the time, and I wanted to understand how there could be all these activities on the big cloth. Where is the person?" Later, he found the projection window along the strong beam, saw a circular lens there, and vaguely saw the projectionist's head. He knew that the reason for the magic of movies came from this. He started working as a photography assistant at weddings and gatherings at the age of 12, and with his first income, he bought a super-eight movie camera and started shooting. In his youth, when everyone was fascinated by existential films, he insisted on making a documentary about the production of traditional trolleys by Sicilian artisans. These experiences and experiences have greatly contributed to the creation of "New Paradise Cinema".
The success of "New Paradise Cinema" comes from Torna Tolle's true feelings about life on the one hand, and his inheritance and development of the film tradition on the other hand. Although Italian neorealist cinema is long gone, its focus on ordinary little people remains interesting to a wide audience of moviegoers. The film focuses on the life of Alfredo, an obscure old projectionist. He is upright, kind, intelligent, and humorous in times of hardship. He learned from various types of films and formed his own unique philosophy of life, which he passed on to Salvatore and encouraged him to walk firmly on a new path. The creator expresses the character's thoughts and character in many aspects with movie-like life details, such as "recovering" fifty lire for Toto at the entrance of the theater, creating the magic of movies passing through walls for more audiences to enjoy the movie, etc. , Not much brush and ink, the characters' kindness and agility are vividly displayed. Torna Tolle also faces up to and respects the former glory of Hollywood movies, and there are quite a few clips of genre movies in the movie. At the same time, he also introduces Hollywood movies (including commercial movies) into his own movies. Techniques and means of expression , centered on the love story of Salvatore and Elena. It can be said that this is an Italian-style film with Hollywood style. The success of the film is guaranteed by the wonderful performances of two world-class movie stars, French actors Philippe Noiret and Jacques Perrin, as well as young actor Salvatore Cassio, who was found on location. Novare is an actor familiar to Chinese audiences. He created Alfredo, who has a completely different background and personality from "Old Gun", showing his extremely high acting skills and talent. Jacques Perrin also created a very different image from the astute and pervasive reporter in "Z". Little Cassio also deeply attracted the audience with his innocence.
As the film reveals, the "Paradise" cinema can become a thing of the past, and many films will also become a thing of the past. All material things will tend to die out, but the beautiful feelings hidden deep in human beings will always inspire us.
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