Cinema Paradiso (1989) (Theatrical & Director's Cut) (Blu-ray) (UK Import)

A winner of awards across the world including Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, 5 BAFTA Awards including Best Actor, Original Screenplay and Score, the Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and many more.

Giuseppe Tornatore’s loving homage to the cinema tells the story of Salvatore, a successful film director, returning home for the funeral of Alfredo, his old friend who was the projectionist at the local cinema throughout his childhood. Soon memories of his first love affair with the beautiful Elena and all the high and lows that shaped his life come flooding back, as Salvatore reconnects with the community he left 30 years earlier.

Presented in both the original award-winning cut and the expanded Director’s Cut incorporating more of Salvatore’s backstory, newly restored from original negative materials.

Extras

Newly restored from the original camera negative and presented in two versions – the 124 minute Cannes Festival theatrical version and the 174 minute Director’s Cut
Uncompressed original stereo 2.0 Audio and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio options
Optional English subtitles
Audio commentary with director Giuseppe Tornatore and Italian cinema expert critic Millicent Marcus
A Dream of Sicily – A 52-minute documentary profile of Giuseppe Tornatore featuring interviews with director and extracts from his early home movies as well as interviews with director Francesco Rosi and painter Peppino Ducato, set to music by the legendary Ennio Morricone
A Bear and a Mouse in Paradise – A 27-minute documentary on the genesis of Cinema Paradiso, the characters of Toto and Alfredo, featuring interviews with the actors who play them, Philippe Noiret and Salvatore Cascio as well as Tornatore
The Kissing Sequence – Giuseppe Tornatore discusses the origins of the kissing scenes with full clips identifying each scene
Original Director’s Cut Theatrical Trailer and 25th Anniversary Re-Release Trailer

Reviews

Heyne Filmjahrbuch: "Der Film läßt die Geschichte eines sizilianischen Kinos Revue passieren, das in der Sozilisationsgeschichte eines kleinen Jungen eine große Rolle spielt.​ Für Toto ist das Kino das zweite Zuhause, die Leinwand das Fenster zur Welt und der Vorführer ein Ersatzvater.​ Weil die Menschen lieber Kinosessel als Kirchenbänke drücken, läßt der Dorfpfarrer alle anzüglichen Szenen entfernen.​ Die Beute: geraubte Küsse aus mehreren Jahrzehnten und unsittliche Berührungen der verbotenen Art.​ Doch an den Schnittstellen der Zensur fangen die Träume der Menschen erst richtig an.​" Frankfurter Rundschau: "Vorzügliche Schauspieler, Sentiment und süßer Schmerz.​"