Watch This If You Love Cinema

I've never seen anything more beautiful so far. 

Cinema Paradiso is so touching and emotionally gripping that you will want to cry, knowingly. 

What shook me the most was the unbreakable, most affectionate and devoted bond between the protagonist, Salvatore Di Vita, nicknamed Toto (Salvatore Cascio, Marcio Leonardi, Jacques Perrin), and the middle-aged projectionist, Alfredo (Philippe Noiret). The childlike, guileless and frank indulgence of Salvatore as a child in Alfredo's work of projecting films at the movie house Cinema Paradiso, and wanting to take up his job, just to watch more films from the projection booth, takes us back to our own childhood days. How the local priest orders the critical kiss scenes to be censored, the audience expressing their disapproval over the deletion of scenes, and Salvatore and Alfredo adoring everything just the same- it all just reminded me of how happy I've always felt going to the film theatres. I am craving to go watch a film (amid this Corona virus outbreak). It reminded me of my childhood; I've always been Salvatore. I could feel him.

      The film also explores the power of storytelling, apart from the influence of cinema and the bond between the two friends, in different ways. For instance, through Alfredo telling Salvatore the story about a boy waiting for his girl crush, which helps Salvatore do the same for Elena. All the same, "Life isn't like in the movies. Life is much harder." 

       It's a great film because it starts with a bang, makes you lose yourself in it, and then ends with a bang. I haven't told most of the things and I don't intend to either. See for yourself and let me know if you cried in the end. I GENUINELY LOVED THE LAST SCENE. I CRIED AND SMILED BOTH, AT THE SAME TIME, IN THE END.