Cinema Paradiso

A detailed Summary of Cinema Paradiso

In the film "Cinema Paradiso", Toto, the main character, is a lost child without a father to provide a male role model. The story begins after Toto is informed of the death of his dearest friend, Alfredo. At this point, Toto is a mature man and a successful film director, having long ago left his home town, Giancaldo. Throughout the movie, however, Toto is a young boy with little parental support and direction. The young Toto develops a friendship with Alfredo, the film projectionist at Giancaldo's only cinema, the Cinema Paradiso. Alfredo takes Toto under his supervision and eventually agrees to take him as an apprentice. As Toto becomes familiar with the inside of the projection booth, he also learns about life. Alfredo becomes the father Toto has never had. "Cinema Paradiso" demonstrates, through Toto's relationship with Alfredo, that all children need parents to guide and support them to adulthood.

The absence of parental guidance in Toto's life has been a reoccurring theme throughout the film. While he goes to school all day, he spends his nights with Alfredo in the projection booth. Although Toto's mother is still alive she is unable to provide him with the male role model that every small boy needs. It is as if her soul

Toto begins to find interest in the opposite sex when he sees a new girl in his school. Toto and Alfredo's talks take a turn towards women and love. Something that most fathers talk about with their sons. Alfredo tells Toto the story of a solider who falls in love with a princess. While telling the story, Alfredo doesn't tell Toto what it is supposed to mean or how he can relate it to his own situation. Alfredo leaves him with, "And don't ask what it means. I don't know. If you figure it out, you tell me." This is for Toto to think on his own, about himself, and about the entire issue of love itself. Without this positive male role model, Toto could have ended up in jail or other serious trouble, but with the guidance of Alfredo he was able to succeed into adulthood.

Toto's father leaves Italy to fight in World War II when Toto is very young and has no recollection of his father. Alfredo knows that an adult male role model is missing in Toto's life. In one scene, in which Toto, who works also as an altar boy, walks with the village priest in the intolerably hot summer sun, Alfredo passes them on a bicycle. Because Toto is too lazy to walk back to the village, he feigns a leg injury and hitches a ride behind Alfredo. As both of them ride back to Giancaldo, Toto asks Alfredo about his father. "He was tall, thin, jolly," Alfredo tells him, "with a nice moustache, like mine." I like how Alfredo compares his moustache to Toto's fathers. Its as if Alfredo knows he can be of help and guidance to the young boys life. This could spark the concerns that Alfredo never had any children of his own to love. He goes on to say, "I always tell my children, be careful how you choose your friends." "You haven't got any

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Approximate Word count = 1165
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Arts