MovieChat Forums > Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1990) Discussion > Director's Cut? You can keep it!!

Director's Cut? You can keep it!!

posted 12 years ago by orangelion03
29 replies | jump to latest

Had not watched the movie in years, but my 78 year old mama was visiting us so we ordered it from Netflix. It's an old family favorite (yes, it's flawed, but we are a sentimental old bunch, and my mother and father saw many of the movies shown at the "Paradiso" when they were growing up in Argentina). Turns out we were sent the directors cut. Boy, were we pissed off after watching it. The whole thing with the "old" Elena at the end was horrid. And the scenes where we find out Alfredo lied to both of them? SCREW THAT!!! Really, the original version left a lot to the imagination with that over-credits scene where he spots her in a crowd. Sometimes, you just have to leave things alone.

[–] 9 years ago

[deleted]

[–] antoniorochira 8 years ago

I liked them both. I was happy that he saw her again at the end.

[–] witster18 8 years ago

I know I'm in the minority here... but the director's cut IS THE masterpiece. It just really completes the story and adds an entirely different and needed emotion to 2nd-half of the film. jmo

Theatrical cut - 9/10
Directors Cut - 10/10 in my top 5 movies of all-time.

[–] witster18 8 years ago

you see in the theatrical cut... the love story is just so abruptly over(imo incomplete and lacking a little impact)... those final scenes really bring the journey full-circle... and they're handled in such a realistic, caring manner... too bad it's getting hard to find the DC on any format. For me... without the added footage in the director's cut, the final scene just isn't as emotional/great.

[–] turnstile78 8 years ago

I have a copy of the theatrical and director's cut and the short version, is far and away superior. The additional footage doesn't feel it belongs in the film, as the pacing of the story is different. It's a bloated, unnecessary and unwanted epilogue, that was rightfully cut. The characters were never deep enough to require such an explanation. The middle-aged actors look nothing like the teenagers and we have 45 minutes not believing they are the same characters.

[–] ObscureAuteur 8 years ago

It seems to be eh solid consensus across critics, the public, and the box office results that long version of Cinema Paradiso is an distinctly inferior product, a rarity among multiple version movies.

CB

Good Times, Noodle Salad

[–] Stratego (29274) 6 years ago

I felt there should've been some kind of resolution to the Elena story. Maybe see her from afar and deciding to let it go. It was kinda set it bothered

[–] rnmboon (381) 3 years ago

I love both versions but I prefer the DC. But in all fairness: there isn't actually that much difference between the two versions. In both versions there is a tragic resolution of the love between Toto and Elena but only the nuance of the tragedy is different. In the TC there is the tragedy of them never meeting again and in the DC the tragedy is that they reunite but have led separate lives and will never be together because of this. I found both versions enjoyable and I can appreciate both angles.

What I actually love more about the DC is that it doesn't sugar coat as much. A theme of the movie seems to be that the past is the past, and even when you are reminded of the past today it still won't bring the past back. Toto and Elena meeting again and realising that they can't be together anymore drives that theme home in a much less suger coated way. For a movie with already so much nostalgia and romance that isn't a bad thing imho.