Cinema Paradiso

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Cinema Paradiso

PG

Released Feb 23, 1988

2h 3m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

86 Reviews

96%

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50,000+ Ratings

Young Salvatore Di Vita (Salvatore Cascio) discovers the perfect escape from life in his war-torn Sicilian village: the Cinema Paradiso movie house, where projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret) instills in the boy a deep love of films. When Salvatore grows up, falls in love with a beautiful local girl (Agnese Nano) and takes over as the Paradiso's projectionist, Alfredo must convince Salvatore to leave his small town and pursue his passion for filmmaking.

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Critics Consensus

Cinema Paradiso is a life-affirming ode to the power of youth, nostalgia, and the the movies themselves.

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Tim Pulleine

Guardian

The skill of Cinema Paradiso happily manages to suggest that such a legacy has not entirely evaporated. At any rate, I find the experience it offers an enchanting one.

Jul 26, 2022

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Tim Pulleine

Sight & Sound

Cinema Paradiso itself possesses enough command and self-conviction to demonstrate that movies can still manage to manifest an alternative universe.

Jan 11, 2020

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Adam Mars-Jones

Independent (UK)

Giuseppe Tornatore, writer and director of Cinema Paradiso, knows that the way to make shameless wallowing palatable is to make no great claims for what you are resurrecting.

Dec 6, 2018

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William Stottor

Loud and Clear Reviews

One of the greatest Italian films, Cinema Paradiso is a special, timeless classic that will make you smile and weep in equal measure.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 11, 2024

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

This is both an unashamedly sentimental rite-of-passage picture and a charming reminder of the lost magic of cinema-going.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 1, 2024

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

The story is drawn from the director Giuseppe Tornatore's childhood memories, presented here as a series of loosely-linked episodes commemorating the importance of movies -- of art -- in the lives of people forced to manage on very little.

Rated: 3/4

May 9, 2023

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lisa f

best movie i’ve seen in 20 years! loved it!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

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Alcapp

Cinema Paradiso us a wonderful heart warming film. Youll laugh youll cry youll reflect. The ending is magical.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/02/22

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Benjamín P

One of the greatest of all time. Its a classic, and its part of the culture. The soundtrack is amazing, and the story is great. Its definitely a nostalgic feeling that make you wanna cry.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/21/25

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Julio B

This film is one of the most moving and emotional films I’ve ever seen. Definitely one of my favorite film scores of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/13/25

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Bob S

Still one of my favorite films of all time. But I'm a sucker for foreign language films that are full of sentimentality and nostalgia (e.g., My Life as a Dog).

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/06/25

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Anders C

Best movie ever made and top music by Meastro Morricone

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/04/25

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Giuseppe Tornatore

Director

Salvatore Cascio

Salvatore 'Toto' Di Vita - Child

Philippe Noiret

Alfredo

Marco Leonardi

Salvatore 'Toto' Di Vita - Teenager

Jacques Perrin

Salvatore 'Toto' Di Vita - Adult

Agnese Nano

Elena Mendola

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81%

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Synopsis

Young Salvatore Di Vita (Salvatore Cascio) discovers the perfect escape from life in his war-torn Sicilian village: the Cinema Paradiso movie house, where projectionist Alfredo (Philippe Noiret) instills in the boy a deep love of films. When Salvatore grows up, falls in love with a beautiful local girl (Agnese Nano) and takes over as the Paradiso's projectionist, Alfredo must convince Salvatore to leave his small town and pursue his passion for filmmaking.

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Producer: Mino Barbera, Franco Cristaldi, Giovanna Romagnoli
Screenwriter: Giuseppe Tornatore
Distributor: Miramax Films, HBO
Production Co: Cristaldi Film
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 23, 1988, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.1M
Runtime: 2h 3m

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