Rating: 
Summary: Warning to true fans: don't watch this version!
Review: If this newer version of Cinema Paradiso were the original version of the story, it would probably rate as a mildly above average offering of Italian cinemia. Worth seeing in the theater perhaps, but certainly not distinguished above the usual continental European fare of adult melodrama. But as a "director's cut" of a magical masterpiece, this newer version is a huge hatchet job. The term "more than I wanted to know" came to mind so many times. This version force-feeds us so many details that ruin the mystery and magic of the original. From Toto screwing the theater's resident prostitute, to his getting back together with his old flame later in life (with all of the cliched dilemmas of never being able to recapture the innocence of youth), to Alfredo's complicity in the deceipt that prevented their successful marriage early in life, all of the tawdry details that didn't need to get told get aired like so much dirty laundry. The adolescent Toto doesn't even come across as convincingly heterosexual in this version.I'm sure that many fans of the film will enjoy revisiting the world of Cinema Paradiso, and no doubt find many of the new revelations fascinating, and the extended time frame an indulgence. But who among us can honestly say that the understated magic of the original hasn't now been explained away, and that the innocence hasn't been tarnished beyond repair? Now that we know all of the gritty details that got left on the cutting room floor, even the experience of watching the original has been sullied beyond repair. Stay away from this version if you still want to watch the original with the same sense of wonder.
Rating: 
Summary: Watch the 'Cut' version before watching this!
Review: Cinema Paradiso is a definite classic and is a must-watch for any self-respecting film buff. I first watched this movie (the cut-version) in 1994 on television. I loved it so much that I watched it frequently on tape thereafter. I think I've watched it 2 times a year (on average) and that would make it 20 times by now! The innocence of childhood, the passion of first loves, the cruel reality of adulthood are all depicted to perfection in the movie. Its bitter-sweet ending tops the theme of the whole movie off and it never failed to make me tear. I had so many questions each time after I watched the movie and that in itself, further reinforced the various main themes of the story: lost loves and most importantly, the great sense of regret that is a result of a lifetime filled with multitudes of unanswered questions. It was incredibly disappointing as I knew I'd never know the answers to all the questions that I had about the film. I had great pity for Toto as well as he'd never know. But this was all before I realised that there was an uncut version. I upgraded to the DVD version sometime ago but never got around to watching it. I loaned it out to a friend and got it back months later. I decided to watch it on a particularly boring afternoon. As I knew the film so well, I realised that there were scenes in the DVD version which I never saw in the 'old' version. As I watched further, more of such scenes came up. And it dawned on me that this version could contain some answers to the many questions which I had! I watched it right to the end and it still made me tear. But this time, I was touched not by the storyline itself but by the fact that all the questions that I ever had about the film have finally been answered. A chapter in Toto's life had finally been closed and for myself, it was also like closing a chapter in my own 'cinematic life'. I suggest all interested viewers to watch the 'cut' version first, then the 'uncut' version. It's a wonderful cinematic experience and allows you to understand and fully appreciate the true essence of the film. The film was previously cut as it was too long. With the release of the 'uncut' version, it serves to strongly remind the audience of the greatness of cinema, particularly how the same film can invoke such different emotions by the mere act of cutting some scenes.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie.
Review: Tender tale about a kid, and the way the local Movie house influences him and people around him in post World War Two. Giuseppe Tornatore creates an atmosphere full of love and nostalgia that fully brings out the way cinema really touches our life. I love the priest who censors the movie a head of time with the sound of his bell when he finds something objectionable in a movie. Reminds me of the people we have in our government today.
Rating: 
Summary: A rare case where the producers knew best.
Review: I loved the original version. I could have lived not knowing Guiseppe Tornatorre's version of it. Left to his own devices, the director made a sappy story about one man's life and loves, instead of one man's life-long passion about films inspired by the projectionist who befriends him in his childhood.
Rating:
Summary: Enchanting
Review: This is the most enchanting movie I 've crossed paths with. The plot is beautifull and the end will leave you breathless. Once we grow up we tend to forget from where we came and that we were kids once. Certainly a movie you will never, ever, forget...
Rating:
Summary: Molto Bene!
Review: This film should have competed for the best picture, not just the best foreign/international film. The storyline is real with the characters well developed and the acting superb. This movie is quite moving and touches one on a level that is uncommon for any type of media, not just film. If you're in the mood for a cleansing, healthy cry and are not averse to reading subtitles, buy this romantic classic and keep it handy for when special friends come to visit. It will be placed in your "surprise sleeper" movie pile that you can access on special ocassions.
Rating:
Summary: Old version is a classic, new one a little too much
Review: Quickly, one of my favorites of all time. The major problem with the new one is not that I have so much of an issue with the additional footage, but rather than it changes the climax of the movie from the last scene to the scene in the car, where Toto and his lover reunite. In the old version, the ending is one of the most touching moments in movie-making history.
Rating:
Summary: Skip the 2002 version
Review: Sometimes, directors should leave well enough alone. Cinema Paradiso in its original version is a lovely, funny movie about a boy growing up. It is one of those movies that can be seen again and again. The director's cut is a mess that clutters up the original story with a totally unnecessary subplot, turns one hero in the movie (Alfredo) into a monster and the other hero (Salvatore) into a stalker. The editing is such a botch that end of the movie becomes meaningless. Had this version been released in 1988, the movie never would have won the Best Foreign Film award. This new version is a textbook case of why directors should not recut their films.
Rating:
Summary: Kudos to Guisseppe Tornatore - for the brand new experience!
Review: November 2003: While I agree that the New version does bring about the closure that the original lacked I feel that some of the magic of the film is lost with the telling of the whole story - I therefore prefer the original version for the way it tugged at the heartstrings in the face of an unknown and lost world.
• Mise-en-scene: It was delightful to watch Toto in scenes that were new - I had grown so fond of the character that watching him in new situations was like bringing alive a now dead character and watching him do things he hadn't done.
• I didn't enjoy the sex scenes - they took away from the nostalgia and the innocence of the flashback - may be this is cultural but I thought the original suggestions/subtlety was better than the explicit display.
• It was heart-wrenching to see Toto's girl as an old lady - the irony of how they missed each other was very moving. However the old lady didn't quite have the charm of the young girl - and her character lacked the same conviction - though her lovemaking was a bold move given her place in life.
• The part where the narrative was furthered compellingly was in the director's revealing to us just what an impact Alfredo had had on Toto, when he chose to separate the two lovers - the impact of that decision ultimately made the difference to Toto's life
• I preferred the Old version for Toto's old character - he spoke less, was more reflective, had more aura. While the latest version makes him more human, and we can better understand his character, I feel that in sharing his vulnerabilities the director also makes him more common-place - the old guy was almost mystical.
Rating:
Summary: Two versions included
Review: This dvd "contains the 2002 173-minute version (Digital Dolby 5.1) and the original 123-minute version (Dolby 2.0 Surround & French language track" (quoted from the technical details). We enjoyed the original version the best. However, we watched the new version with great interest. It's a great movie, a timeless classic. It is subtitled in English, but that does not detract from our enjoyment of the movie. It is only the director's cut that is rated R, not the original version. The original version is marked "not rated" on my VHS copy, but doesn't contain the sexuality that is included in the later version. We enjoyed this movie enough to purchase the DVD copy although we already owned it on VHS. This is definitely a DVD worth owning.
| 
