Cinema Paradiso – Arrow Academy (4k UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1988
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Writers: Giuseppe Tornatore, Vanna Paoli
Cast: Philippe Noiret, Salvatore Cascio, Antonella Attili, Marco Leonardi, Agnese Nano, Jacques Perrin, Brigitte Fossey

Release Date: December 7th (UK), December 8th, 2020 (USA)
Approximate Running Times: 173 Minutes 31 Seconds (Director’s Cut), 122 Minutes 55 Seconds (Theatrical Versi1n)
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Theatrical Version), 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Director’s Cut)
Rating: 15 (UK), PG/R (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Italian, LPCM Stereo Italian (Director’s Cut), DTS-HD 5.1 Italian, LPCM Mono Italian (Theatrical Version)
Subtitles: English (Director’s Cut), U.S. English, UK English (Theatrical Version),
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A,B (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

“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 highs and lows that shaped his life come flooding back, as Salvatore reconnects with the community he left 30 years earlier.” – Synopsis provided by the Distributor

Video: 5/5 (Director’s Cut, Theatrical Version)

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "This 4K restoration of Cinema Paradiso was produced by Istituto Luce Cinecitta, with support by Dolce & Gabbana, Cristaldi Film and the Cineteca di Bologna.

The restoration was completed at L'Immagine Ritrovata in Bologna under the supervision of Director Giuseppe Tornatore and Director of Photography Blasco Giurato.

A new 4K HDR/Dolby Vision graded master was created at L'Immagine Ritrovata on behalf of Arrow Films."

Cinema Paradiso, the theatrical version, comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 90.4 GB

Feature: 85.3 GB

Arrow Academy takes their already solid transfer for their 2017 Blu-ray and creates a new 4K master that improves upon that earlier release’s transfer. Colors look stronger, image clarity and black levels are noticeably stronger, there are no issues with compression, and the image retains an organic look. It should be noted that this film features clips from other films, and these moments vary from source to source quality-wise.

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, "Cinema Paradiso was exclusively restored by Arrow Films for this release. The original 35mm camera negative elements were scanned in 2K resolution at Technicolor Rome, with all grading and restoration work completed at Deluxe Digital Cinema - EMEA, London.

Throughout the process, care was taken to ensure that the film's original texture, details and grain structure remained unaffected by digital processing. Although every effort has been made to present Cinema Paradiso in the highest quality possible, some minor picture issues remain, in keeping with the condition of the original archive materials.

Thanks to Cristaldifilm for making this restoration possible."

Cinema Paradiso, the director’s cut, comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.7 GB

Feature: 45.3 GB

Cinema Paradiso’s director’s cut is the same transfer that Arrow Academy used for their 2017 Blu-ray release.

Audio: 5/5 (LPCM Stereo Italian - Director’s Cut, LPCM Mono Italian Theatrical Version), 4.5/5 (DTS-HD 5.1 Italian - Both Versions.

Cinema Paradiso, the theatrical version, comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Italian and a LPCM mono mix in Italian. Included are two removable subtitles, U.S. English and UK English.

Cinema Paradiso, the director’s cut, comes with two audio options: a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Italian and a LPCM stereo mix in Italian. Included are removable English subtitles for both audio tracks.

All four audio tracks sound excellent. Dialogue always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and Ennio Morricone’s score is well-presented. Though the two DTS-HD 5.1 audio tracks do a great job opening up things range-wise. I prefer the mono and stereo tracks.

Extras:

Extras on the disc with the theatrical version include a theatrical trailer (1 minute 40 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a featurette titled The Kissing Sequence (7 minutes 1 second, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), a making of documentary tilted A Bear and a Mouse in Paradise (27 minutes 26 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian and French with removable English subtitles), a documentary about Giuseppe Tornatore titled A Dream of Sicily (54 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Italian cinema expert critic Millicent Marcus and Giuseppe Tornatore, in English.

Extras on the disc with the director’s cut include Arrow Video’s 25th anniversary re-release trailer (1 minute 24 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles).

Other extras include reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 26-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Stolen Kisses: Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso written by Pasquale Iannone, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Giuseppe Tornatore co-wrote and directed Cinema Paradiso, whose other notable films include The Star Maker, The Legend of 1900, Malena, and The Best Offer. His filmography over the last 38 years surpasses that of any other Italian filmmaker. Cinema Paradiso would mark the first time Giuseppe Tornatore worked with Ennio Morrione, who would compose the score for all of Giuseppe Tornatore’s theatrical films until Ennio Morrione in 2020.

Cinema Paradiso is an extraordinary tale about love, regret, fate, and nostalgia. Salvatore’s love of cinema and his first love, Elena. Salvatore’s regret about losing his soul mate Elena and his regret related to abandoning his mother. The role that fate plays in one’s life and nostalgia, Salvatore’s love of cinema.

Cinema Paradiso’s remarkable score was composed by Ennio Morricone, who’s most remembered for the scores he composed for Sergio Leone. For a career that spanned six decades and over five hundred years, Ennio Morricone composed many timeless scores and has firmly established himself as one of cinema’s greatest composers. That said, Cinema Paradiso is another exemplary score that perfectly underscores that mood.

Cinema Paradiso is a film that spans forty years and covers three periods: Salvatore’s. preteen years, when he formed his friendship with a projectionist named Alfredo; his adolescence, where he found his first love, Elena; and the present day, where he is now a middle-aged man looking back on his youth.

Casting for a film like Cinema Paradiso is an easy task since it’s not possible for one actor to play a character at three stages in their life. And though there are some who might be turned off by the actors chosen because they don’t look alike, ultimately, this should be a non-factor for most viewers since the story and what lies within are so powerful that such a minor thing as actor continuity will be nothing more than an afterthought.

That said, performance-wise, the cast is all excellent in their respective roles, especially Philippe Noiret (La Grande Bouffe) in the role of Alfredo, Salvatore’s mentor and closest friend, and Salvatore Cascio in the role of a preteen Salvatore. Notable cast members include Marco Leonardi (The Stendhal Syndrome), who portrays adolescent Salvatore; Jacques Perrin (Girl with a Suitcase), who portrays middle-aged Salvatore; and Brigitte Fossey (Farewell, Friend).

There’s some debate over which version is stronger, the theatrical version or the director’s cut. And nowhere is this divide clearer than how different each version is tone-wise. The theatrical version takes on a softer tone than the director’s cut. That said, though both versions have their strengths, ultimately, the director’s cut gives a more thorough picture of Salvatore’s journey from childhood to middle age. Whereas in the theatrical versions, the removal of most of the Salvatore scenes lessens his moment of truth.

Though there have been other films where cinema plays a large role in the story at hand, there’s something unique about the way Cinema Paradiso intertwines cinema with Salvatore’s journey. This is most clear when it comes to cinematic moments. Notably, when a middle-aged Salvatore watches a collection of kisses that were censored from films. Ultimately, Cinema Paradiso is a superbly executed love letter to cinema.

Though some might be disappointed that both versions were not given 4K restorations with Dolby Vision or HDR 10, ultimately, most people are sure to be thrilled once they see the theatrical version’s new 4K restoration in Dolby Vision or HDR10. Cinema Paradiso makes its way to 4K UHD via an exceptional release from Arrow Academy, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a VLC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer