Casablanca (1942): Film, Theme and Story Review

                In 1942 Warner Bros. released what would soon become one of the most iconic films in the history of Hollywood.  A gripping romantic drama set in the coastal city of Casablanca in Morocco the film Casablanca, Directed by Michael Curtiz, is 102 minutes of love, suspense and treachery.  With a cast including the legendary Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid along many other talented actors this film is as breathtaking as the city it is named after.  Casablanca tells the story of an embittered freedom fighter named Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) who owns a café in Casablanca called Rick’s Café Americaine.  Sticking to complete neutrality in all matters Rick’s world is turned upside down when his once lover, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), walks in the door of his club with an escaped Czech Resistance leader Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid).  The film beautifully tells the story of everything that happens to Rick from this point on in this war theme movie.  The script of Casablanca plays an important role in the success of the film along with its plot and excellent acting.  Casablanca is one of those timeless classics which everyone should see at some point in their lives and deserves a rating of 9/10 for telling one of the most intimate and suspenseful stories in film history.

                The film Casablanca takes place in the coastal city in Morocco after which it is named.  It tells the story of Rick Blain the owner of a luxurious night club names Rick’s Café Americaine, which serves as host to everyone from the most powerful to the most low life residents of Casablanca.  Rick, once a self-righteous freedom fighter, is now neutral in all aspects of life even saying his famous line “I stick my neck out for nobody.”  This all changes when his once lover and soul mate Ilsa Lund walks in the door with his Victor Lazlo an escaped Czech resistance leader who is being persecuted by the police.  Embittered towards Ilsa who left him waiting at the train station in Paris Rick has a hard time coming to terms with her reasons for abandoning him.  Ilsa and Lazlo need to escape from Nazi Europe so he can continue his work and to do so they need transit passes which Rick has acquired through a twisted turn of events.  Throughout the film Rick and Ilsa struggle with their emotions for each other until Rick decides to help Lazlo escape while Ilsa plans to stay with Rick.  Through suspense, drama and some action a plan comes together to allow Lazlo to leave Casablanca but without Ilsa, at least that was the plan ….

                Casablanca is a film that was released over 50 years ago and yet remains a classic watched in film courses throughout America every year.  This is only so because of the amazing work that was done when writing the story and theme for the film.  The story in a film is of course nothing without a script to base the production on; writers Julius and Phillip Epstein along with Howard Koch have provided such a superb script that this film could not help being one of the best of its kind. 

                The story of Casablanca covers two of the most classic themes in movie making; the triumph of love over adversity (even if the outcome is not what we would expect) and the undesirability of freedom and its importance to the human race.  These themes are repeated throughout the story of Casablanca with the centerpiece of it all being the relationship between Ilsa and Rick.  This love story which is framed in the troubles of World War II and Nazi Europe follows the classic style of raising action leading to a climax and then a resolution, but it adds a plot twist at the end that none of the viewers expect, but at the same time no one regrets.  Casablanca uses conflict and emotion to move the story forward, often in a way that we don’t see coming.  Even though the war and Lazlo’s escape is the catalyst for the action in the film, it is often Rick’s and Ilsa’s emotions that move us through the story and causes the two main characters to do what they do.  The theme of freedom and free choice also leads the actions of some of the supporting characters such as that of Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) at the end of the film. The story is so well built that it leaves the viewer in suspense most of the time, this suspense is further amplified by everything from the mis en scene to the camera angles that are outlined in the script.  The story in Casablanca has become a classic tale of romance in times of trouble in the world as a whole. 

                The script of this 1942 classic is a perfect complement to the theme and story of the film in everything from dialogue to cinematography and costume.  The genius of the script is its ability to compliment the story by helping set the mood for the scene.  The mis en scene does a great job of this by using both the atmosphere and props to help the mood.  This can be seen in scenes such as the final scene where the fog helps keep the suspense of what the future holds for the characters as well as shrouding Rick’s relationship with Renault in mystery.  The cinematography also aides in this by using different shots, many of which are borrowed from film noir.  Close up shots/ expression shots are used often to show the feelings and thoughts of a character and wide shots are used during times of greater chaos such as the singing of the Marseillaise at Rick’s club.  Costume and music also play an important role with costumes being appropriate for the time period and music, especially when Sam sings “As time goes by” becomes crucial for setting the mood of the scene and to the story itself.  All these different pieces which are outlines in the script help the story of the film move along and helps set the mood.

                There are actors who play a role well but every so often we encounter a role which was made for a specific actor and this is the case with the role of Rick and Humphrey Bogart.  Bogart’s performance during this film is completely convincing and mysterious, but the reason he is perfect for this role is his own persona.  Bogart has had a history of characters in film that closely resemble Rick in the sense that they are shrouded in mystery.  Because of this he gives the character a deeper feeling than just what is seen on the screen, because of what we associate with Bogart, Rick comes with a history.  This added history with the audience along with his spectacular performance makes Humphrey Bogart pretty much the only actor who could have played Rick Blaine in Casablanca.

                The story portrayed in the film Casablanca has made it a timeless classic to be studied for many years to come.  This story is further enhanced by a magnificent script and is driven solely by emotion and the most basic human ideals of freedom.  This along with a spectacular cast and amazing performances makes this film reach a whole new level of excellence which had not been reached in 1942 upon its release.  All this factors together lead me to give Casablanca nothing less than a 9/10 rating and mark it down as one of the most magnificent movies ever produced.  

The Great Dictator (1940): A Script and Film Review

In 1940 the first talkie by famous actor Charlie Chaplin was released under the title of “The Great Dictator”.  This revolutionary film tells the satirical story of Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin), the dictator of the fictional country of Tomania.  This film from Charles Chaplin Productions  and directed by Charles Chaplin was and remains a timeless hit in the film industry for numerous reasons, but none more important than its satirical commentary on the Fascist rule of Adolf Hitler.  The film can be enjoyed by everyone; it is 125 minutes of pure comedy and political commentary during a time when Hitler had a tight grasp on free expression but the U.S. had not yet gotten into the World War II efforts.  “The Great Dictator” is a great film that uses a truly magnificent script to get its anti-fascist message across and thanks to this script it gets a 9.5/10 rating, overall this film is terrific.

                “The Great Dictator” is the first time that silent movie star Charlie Chaplin stars (and directs) in a talkie.  The film follows the story of dictator Adenoid Hynkel as he rules over the country of Tomania.  Chaplin plays two roles in this movie, that of the dictator and that of a Jewish barber who comes back from World War I with amnesia only to find that his barbershop is now in the middle of a Jewish ghetto controlled by Hynkel’s police called the storm troopers.  When the Barber and his friends are suddenly thrown into concentration camps the plot takes another twist in which the Jewish barber and Hynkel are mistaken for each other, and all of a sudden the barber becomes the dictator of all of Tomania.  Through different chain of events and the most breathtaking speech in movie history we are shown how the dictatorships should be regarded as evil and how truly heinous Hynkel’s dictatorship is under the symbol of the double cross.

                Being a film from the 1940’s “The Great Dictator” is not a blockbuster movie full of action and special effects like “Avatar” or “Harry Potter”.  In Fact the movie is in black and white and lacks much of the video and audio quality we have come to expect of modern movies.  This movie is a timeless hit however, this is not because it makes you feel like you just left an acid trip or because your hearing is all but gone when you leave the theater, it is a timeless hit because of the use of a spectacular script to make one of the most ingenious movies in history.

                During the 1940’s, when this film came out, Adolf Hitler was not the heartless monster we all know and hate today.  During the beginning of his rule of Germany Hitler was seen as an ally of the United States and most of his crimes against humanity were not as well known.  However, Charles Chaplin (director, actor, writer, producer and pretty much the sole person responsible for “The Great Dictator”) could see through the farce that was Hitler’s image and so came out with this film.  During the time however directly mocking the dictator would have been career suicide and so the film turned into a satire.  Through his ingenious writing Chaplin turned out a script for this film that would become a case study for scriptwriting for decades to come. 

               

                Chaplin’s satire uses every aspect of the script; from the use of dialogue itself to the mere fact that Hitler decided to use the same facial hair fashion as the star.  Chaplin uses the script to create a satire of Nazi Germany that is clear as day, yet uses no real names, countries or symbols.  The satire of the film is where the director’s/writer’s genius lies.  If we look at the character of Hynkel and the barber Chaplin uses his own physical similarities to Hitler as a tool in the film to connect the audience to the thought of the real dictator without directly creating a link, after all who can blame him for looking like Hitler?  The script aptly connects the real world problem in Germany with the film over and over again with no direct mentions and so the script is a masterpiece of political satire.

                In the true form of a classic Chaplin film “The Great Dictator” is full of gags and slapstick comedy that is good enough to captivate any audience in its own right.  Scenes such as the awkward dance of the dictator with a balloon and the barber chair lift race between the dictators leave the viewer laughing for a big part of the film.  However like any true political satire the script is full of political undertones that are hard to miss if one pays attention to the dialogue.  By ridiculing and undermining Hynkel throughout the movie Chaplin shines a light on the evils of Nazi Germany and undermines their position as a legitimate government.  This all culminates with the 5+ minute speech delivered by the barber (who is thought to be the dictator) at the end of the film.  Instead of the script finishing the movie with good humor as is found in most comedies, it ends with a simple, prolonged, direct shot of Chaplin’s character where he uses his own voice to present his ideas and warnings about dictatorships in the form of a speech.  This scene is the culmination of one of the most valuable scripts in film where the story ends with a message that will resound throughout history. 

                Often times in reviews we praise an actor whose ability and role are of prominent importance to humanity, however Charles Chaplin is more than that.  The writer, director, star and owner of the production company of “The Great Dictator” Chaplin’s vision for this film came to life as a warning to mankind of the dangers of Dictatorships.  In a time when most of the United States and the western world saw Hitler as an ally, or just someone who wasn't their problem Chaplin put his career on the line in order to send one simple but important message “Nazi Germany and any dictatorship is dangerous.”  Through this film he did not only provide momentary laughter to millions of viewers, but he used satire to expand the minds of millions and get them to question the validity of a Dictator.

               

                “The Great Dictator” is a jewel of cinema whose script became a case study for decades to come throughout the world.  The film was one of the first true political satires during a time when the political environment was dangerous and no laughing matter.  Charles Chaplin created a true piece of art that made millions laugh, question and think about the political atmosphere of the time.  Because of this ingenious use of script and the social significance it had, I give “The Great Dictator” a rating of 9.5/10 and sincerely hope that the use of film as a medium for bold revolutionary ideas will keep on for the rest of the life of cinema. 

*Spoiler Alert: Final Speech Video Below 

Stand and Deliver: Production and Film Review

                The movie Stand and Deliver from Warner Bros. Production Company is one of the most iconic inspirational films of the 1980s.  Released in 1988 this film is a Drama about a high school calculus professor who goes the extra mile to give his inner city kids a chance to be more than criminals and maids in the future.  Director Ramón Menéndez does an excellent job of bringing this story to life and inspiring everyone with his masterpiece.  The 103 minute movie is rated PG and features such prominent actors as; Edward James Olmos, Estelle Harris and Mark Phelan.  This is a great movie for all those who enjoy a true inspirational drama with a strong message.  This movie is also a perfect example of what good production can do for a film and I give it a 9.5/10 rating and think recommend everyone watch it.

                Stand and Deliver is based on the true story of high school teacher Jaime Escalante, portrayed brilliantly by Edward James Olmos, a teacher from Garfield High School in Los Angeles, California.  The film follows Escalante as he quits his job as a computer engineer to become a computers high school professor in an east LA high school in one of the worst neighborhoods in the city.  Escalante is taken by surprise when he finds himself teaching math instead because the school has no funds to buy computers.  After much struggling with his students, department and even some parents he realizes how much he can do for the kids in the school who are heading down a path that can only find them in bad jobs, jail or even worst.  After Escalante has built a group of students he does the impossible to start a calculus course in one of the worst schools in the city to help his students believe in themselves and make something out of them.  Through many problems ranging from bad moods, to low budgets to gangs Escalante takes his students to take their AP Calculus course where it will be determined if all of his students efforts were worth it, this test will make them or break them.

                This film is a true gem of history and to this day retains its value being shown in many schools across the country to inspire students.  Many things make this movie no one things jumps out so overall the production of the film is what captivates its viewers.  The pre-production of the film is magnificent in its outcome making the story and locations come to life.  The script of the film is the result of countless revisions until it was perfect, not only is the dialogue inspiring but the use of authentic slang from the time and location are what transports the audience.  With words such as “kimo” an shortened version of “kimosabe” a Hispanic slang for a know it all and Escalante’s nickname from his students may seem made up to some, but to most people familiar with the culture it is a connection with the diegetic world of the film.  Part of this preproduction is also the search for different locations for the film, and here the Director outdid himself by filming at two locations; 1) Roosevelt high school in LA, 2) the very same Garfield high school where Escalante taught.  This combination of script and locations really exemplifies how much detail went into this movie before they even began filming.  The production of this film is even more amazing in this sense, with a low budget the director and his crew managed to turn out an amazing movie.  The cinematography uses very simple camera shots in order to augment the meaning of the film such as when Escalante is in the car with Pancho talking about choices in life, by focusing on the two passengers the camera is able to mimic how Pancho doesn’t see how the choices he makes affect his future.   The true genius of the production however is in the amount of detail given to the movement of the actors and the camera.  The amount of performer and actor blocking in this film must have been immense because every shot is a work of art with even scenes such as Angel acting like Jesus on the cross is perfectly set.  Finally the costumes and props are so well picked that they transport you to an inner city, low income school in the middle of LA’s most poor Hispanic neighborhood where the film is set.  The final step in the production of the film and what makes any movie shine is the post-production which includes editing and sound.  Post-production for Stand and Deliver was also an arduous step with lots of attention to detail.  The cutting between scenes in the film is almost flawless and achieves a fluidity that can be missed in some movies.  Apart from this the scene sequences set up a timeline that is neither too crowded nor missing parts; we can see a natural progression from the beginning of the film to the end.  The sound editing and music in the film is not a major part of what makes it such an icon but it aides in many ways, specially the sound effects we see in the more intense scenes.  These effects are not always obvious but the small things such as Angel’s grandmothers cough help set the mood.  Overal the production of Stand and Deliver is top notch and has helped this film become and stay an icon of cinema.

                Many of the actors in this film deserve recognition for their roles and their performance, but none as much as Edward James Olmos who plays Jaime Escalante.  Olmos, who received a nomination for best actor in the 61^st academy awards thanks to this role, leaves his heart on the screen when he plays the real life teacher.  The emotion he puts behind the role is not what you see in every film and it takes a very special actor to portray.  It is my opinion that Olmos’ Mexican decent (Born in the U.S. to a Mexican father and a Mexican/American mother) had a lot to do with his role in the film and how much passion was behind it.  Edward James Olmos should have won the Best Actor Academy Award for the role of Jaime Escalante but was bested by Dustin Hoffman for his role in Rain Man.

                This film is an absolute work of art and has the best production of its time which can hold up to any modern movie.  Everything from the script to the acting is absolutely magnificent and the plot even carries an uplifting message.  It is not a question of how good the film is or who liked it at this point, it is a question of who has and has not seen the film and when will they fall in love with everything in it.  Because of it pretty much everything in it, but still keeping my reservations about a few minor things in the film I give Stand and Deliver a 9.5/10 rating and recommend that anyone who has not had the pleasure of seeing this film get their hands on a copy.  

Some Like It Hot (1959): A Film and Music/Sound Review

              Some Like It Hot might be an appropriate title for this 1959 comedy from Ashton Productions and The Mirisch Corporation.  With the heated chases, steamy romances and hot comedy director Billy Wilder does an excellent job of keeping his audience laughing it up throughout the 120 minutes of the movie.  The film features some big name actors such as Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon as the main characters.  The film does wonders in the area of narrative and music making it an amusing piece for the whole family to watch.  It contains cheap laughs and exquisite puns for all ages; however it also contains deep sociopolitical undertones which were especially progressive for the time period.  The film does lack in the acting of some of the secondary characters but this does little to dampen the quality of the film.  This film deserves a high rating for its music/sound and its narrative/dialogue however its lack of any impressing cinematography in combination with the unimpressive acting by some of the secondary characters leads me to give the film a rating of 8/10.  This film was not rated and can be watched in both its original black and white version or in a more modern colorized version.

              

               In Some like it hot a couple of musicians who are down on their luck during the tough times of the prohibition become hunted by the local mafia when they bear witness to a crime.  In need to get away from the city but also completely broke, the duo decides to dress up as ladies and join an all women band in route to Miami, FL.  In their long journey the two will learn that it is not easy being a woman in a man’s world.  When their trip gets more and more complicated the two friends are placed in countless situations where comedy is not lacking, and neither are the wondering hands.  Will they finally escape the mob? Will they be able to return to being men? And most importantly, how do they walk on those heels? To answer those questions you will have to watch this film which is all about the laughs, the awkward moments and the excitement.

                Like every film this one is a mixture of various things from cinematography to acting; however what comes through the most out of this film is its music and sound effects, but let’s leave those for last.  There are a few things that are part of this film but are either not of note or sincerely just not very good.  The most prominent disappointment of the film is the lack of acting ability in part of a handful of the secondary actors.  The most blatant example of this is the scene where toothpick Charlie is “rubbed out”, in this reviewers opinion his death is less than believable and a little over dramatic.  On the other hand the acting from the main characters is spectacular, they make you laugh until you drop and at points you even forget Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are actually men.  The cinematography on this film is average, which is to be expected since it is not the main focus.  There are a few above average uses of the camera such as the use of a low angle right before the two broke musicians go betting being switched to a high angle when they lose everything; apart for a few of those however the cinematography is nothing of note.  Along with this most of the lighting in the film is natural light (usually from the sun) so again there is nothing to note there.  Where the film really starts to get interesting is when we start to look into the costumes and props.  You have to admit that making two full grown men into convincing women is a feat to be admired even with today’s amazing makeup, so imagine doing it in 1959.  With just the use of dresses, wigs, hats, jewelry and what I’m guessing was a truckload of waxing wax, the wardrobe department for the movie (headed by Bert Henrikson) manages two turn these two actors into very convincing women.  Costumes however are not the only thing that make the movie; let’s shift our focus into the true component that makes this such a good movie, the music and sound.

                The sound department headed by Fred Lau and the music by Adolph Deutsch are what truly place this film in its above average rating.  Most of the sound effects in this film are synchronous with the action in the frame and have a top quality mixing.  These sounds are often ambient noises that are part of the scene but are obviously added post production.  However, these ambient noises do serve a purpose other than to fill in silence; this film is very adept at using the ambient noise to remind us where we are.  There are various scenes in the film where we are in modes of transportation that resemble regular rooms very closely, such as the train and the yacht, and if it weren’t for the adept use of ambient noises such as the wheels of the train or the waves hitting the yacht we might forget exactly where he scene takes place.  Sound also have other more obvious uses in this film that add to its cinematography and to the comedy.  Often noises are used as sound bridges between scenes, now this is very normal of films but in Some Like It Hot the scenes are more so connected through the use of noise mimicking such as when Jerry repeats “I’m a girl, I’m a girl….” This slowly fades into the rhythm of the train and then Segway us into the next scene.  Sound is also used to very adeptly enhance the comedic effect of some scenes.  The best example of this is when Jerry says to Joe “I think I’m going to be sick…” and right at this point he goes out of shot and we hear what sound like someone throwing up, but when the camera pans out we see it is actually the gasoline tank overflowing.  Moments like this show a true mastery of the use of sound in the part of the sound department and a collaboration with the cinematography department.  The music in this film is also of top quality which is shown through many factors.  Firstly the music is very appropriate for the era, something that is sometimes lost when a film has a diegetic score written specifically for the movie.  The use of the music is also expertly done when the score is non-diegetic, the music helps us get a better image of the situation when there is no dialogue (such as the fast, hectic music when Joe changes from a women to a man) but it fades out and does not overpower the dialogue when this one begins.  The best use of music in the film however happens when the score is diegetic and the main characters are the source.  Whether it contains lyrics or not the music is a medium for the feeling of the character to be projected onto the audience.  The best example of this happens toward the end of the film when we see Sugar singing “I’m Thorough with Love” after she has had her heartbroken, and we can truly feel her sorrow from the melody.  This great use of music as a medium for emotions is what puts Some Like It Hot into a special place in film history.

                The three main actors in this film all truly deserve a special mention in this review.  Marilyn Monroe, a well-known star, who plays Sugar Kane does an amazing job of bringing her character to life.  Everything from her dialogue to her mannerisms convince us that Sugar is no more than this naïve and innocent girl who is just trying to keep her head above water in such a crazy world.  Monroe in my opinion plays the perfect innocent blonde girl and for that she is to be applauded.  Tony Curtis (Joe) and Jack Lemmon (jerry) on the other hand are the perfect comedic duo.  Curtis plays a perfect devious and strong cheapskate while Lemmon is perfect at playing the wacky and spineless sidekick.  Between their witty banter that carries this natural chemistry and their amazingly hilarious facial expressions these two can make a church mouse die of laughter in the middle of a service. 

                Because of its amazing use of sound and music along with it’s incredible acting by the main characters I give Some Like It Hot  an 8/10 rating.  This movie will make you cry from laughter or from the pain we feel coming from Sugar singing about her broken heart.  The amazing work with the costumes for such an early movie just puts this one over the top giving it that realism that we seek in all films.  Overall I highly recommend watching this film with the family so everyone can enjoy its comedy.  

Cinema Paradiso (1988): A Film and Cinematography Review

              Cinema Paradiso is a 1988 Italian drama film by director Giuseppe Tornatore.  The film is the story about a Film Director recalling his life from his childhood forward, and all the different events that led him to this point of his life.  The film includes a number of classic stars from the time period such as; Phillipe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale and Antonella Atilli.  The film being a classic from the eighties is simple in its effects and editing, however the quality of the cinematography, script and acting makes this film memorable and full of emotion.  From a scale of ten stars I give this film a score of nine which it deserves due to the emotion it is able to convey with the mere use of a camera.

                A big time director receives a message from his mother, after many tries, that an old friend from his childhood has recently passed away and that his funeral will be the following day.  The story does not take place in recent time but instead is told in a flashback format with Salvatore (the main character) lying in his bed at night.  The story is that of his life and his relationship with Alfredo (the recently diseased friend) who was his inspiration to get into the art of filmmaking.  The film follows their interaction from the time that Salvatore is a little squirt who bugs Alfredo all day and gets into trouble, to the time when they become friends and Alfredo teaches him how to run the projection booth and even into Salvatore’s teenage years when he leaves the small town and upon returning his old friend urges him to chase his dreams and make something of himself.  Cinema Paradiso is a highly emotional story of how one person can influence our lives at a deeper level than we are even aware of.

                This film is full of things that make it great; from the script to the score of the music and even the acting is far beyond reproach.  However there is one thing that makes Cinema Paradiso rise above all other films of the time and that is its simple use of cinematography in order to drive what the viewer sees, thinks and feels in the two hours of the film.  The film relies in the use of the camera in order to guide the viewer through the story instead of cheesy effects, which in the eighties were not as advance as today. Though the angle, movement and even omission of things in the frame of the shot the film creates an atmosphere where the audience can sense all the feelings of the scene even without dialogue.  One of the things that is apparent from the begging of this film is the introduction of new characters to the plot through the slow zooming out of the camera, we can hear the voices of the characters before we can actually see them.  This is used from the beginning when Salvatore’s mother is trying to call him and we slowly zoom out from the view of the window, we get to hear the age and strain of this woman’s voice long before we get to see her, but we can conclude what kind of character she really is because of this.  The film also does a magnificent job of using close up shots in order to let us see into what is going on in a character’s mind.  When Salvatore first hears of the death of Alfredo the camera slowly zooms in into his face.  Even though there is no dialogue in this scene, we can catch small things in his facial expression due to the closeness of the camera.  This way we can conclude from his shifting eyes and grim expression that Salvatore is deep in thought and sadness when thinking about this person from his past who we are yet to meet and so we can conclude that Alfredo was very important to him.  Even though the camera is instrumental to the audience learning what is going on inside a character it is also used for other purposes, often during the time where the main character is a child it is used to show the relationships of power in the town.  Very often strong characters such as the priest, his mother, the teacher and even Alfredo will be shown from a low angle and over the shoulder or from the point of view of Salvatore.  These shots get the audience into the point of view of the protagonist and show the relations that he has with these other people and how, to him, they seem to hold a lot more power than he does.  Finally during the duration of the film the cinematography is essential to contrast the feeling of the surroundings with those of the protagonist.  During much of the film long shots and narrow focus are used in order to get us to pay attention to a harsh contrast.  For example during the new year’s scene we get a shot of Salvatore who is looking rather grimm however as this slowly zooms out into a long shot of the street we start to see people celebrating and fireworks going up into the air, this comparison of happiness and sadness makes us feel even more for the main character and his current pain.  Because of these and other reasons cinematography is an essential part of Cinema Paradiso which makes it stand out among the films of its time.

                The stars of Cinema Paradiso really do a great job or working with the cameras and the director to convey the feeling of the film.  Their acting is far beyond reproach and they can convey feelings to the audience without the use of words and instead rely heavily on their expressions and the use of the camera.  Out of all of the actors and actresses Philippe Noiret deserves a special mention.  His role as Alfredo is not only touching and completely convincing, but he stands out in the minds of all the viewers as that role model that we all have or want.  Noiret does a great job of being that old, scruffy man that everyone in the neighborhood finds just a bit strange but at the same time draw us into his character and makes us love Alfredo because in the inside he is just an old romantic with a soft spot for the protagonist who we can even see as being his son.  For his role Noiret deserves a special mention in this review.

                In my overall opinion of Cinema Paradiso I must say that I normally do have difficulty watching older films because, like most of us born into the age of technology, I expect good effects and the latest CGI.  However this film was not hard to watch at all, instead it was hard to look away from.  The brilliant use of the camera, the amazing acting and the decision to stay away from cheesy effects that at the time were the hot thing makes this film timeless.  It is easy to watch because the story and camera ability don’ have a time period and will be forever appreciated by audiences of all ages.  Cinema Paradiso in my book gets an nine out of ten rating for captivating an audience even after twenty six years on the screens.