Children of Heaven & Cinema Paradiso

Children of Heaven: Much wisdom often goes with fewer words. This happens to be true with this Iranian movie . The movie is about two siblings. So much less is spoken in the movie. But yet these siblings enter your hearts at ease with all those solem expressions. The plot is simple. The brother, on his way back home after repairing his sister's shoes loses them. It is a grave tragedy for them. As his father canot afford to buy her sister a new shoe. He explains it to the sister and gets her confidence too about not informing their father. Now as they attend schools in different times they agree to share the brother's sneakers. How they manage to share the shoe, while their father manages to earn some money to buy new shoes for the kids is the film all about. The director Majid Majidi using this small plot crafts a masterpiece which brings before your eyes the plight of a poor iranian family. The boy always has a expression like he is always afraid but will never give up to try. He never shows his confidence on his face. May be rather his age would not allow him. But still he handles each and every problem so daringly only to make things comfortable for each and everyone he loves. The girl on the other hand too believes in his brother as she too believes that she can't trouble her father. This little girl's portrayal as to how she helps her mother, takes care of a little Kid all adds on to make this character more lovable. small scenes like how the family shares whatever little they have with the neighbour makes the movie more lovable. There is this scene where the brother waits on the streets for his sister to return and get the shoes and run late to the school every day. Though this scene comes again and again the newness, freshness in each scene be it the expressions of the kids makes us believe the remorse yet hapless kids' struggle. Two things that i reaffirmed after watching this movie

1)If an authentic classic movie is that without even a tithe of extra noise, music, expression,focus,..then this is a perfect Example.

2)Children are really from heaven....they can melt ur heart for whatever they are.


Cinema Paradiso: Biopics are really tough. Very few movies could make you engage with them and make you ask for more. Ironically sicily has been related with one of the finest biopic ever produced-The Godfather. Cinema Paradiso also has its roots from a small town in sicily where a fifth grade boy develops a unintended fascination for movies. The movie is actually a nostalgic trip of Salvatore (also called Toto) who returns to his native town after 30 years for the funeral of his mentor. After 30 years salvatore returns to get a glimpse of all those reminiscence only with a hope as to find the real joy and love. The move starts off around the period of second world war. The boy, whose father has been taken as a prisoner of war lives with his mother and his small sister. He does small errands for the local priest. The town has a movie hall called cinema paradiso where in people flock to forget all the war woes by watching movies. All such movies are censored by the local priest to delete kissing & other profane scenes. It is during one of such censor sessions that the small boy manages to sneak and get a glimpse of the movies. However it is not movie that fascinates him. Rather it is its origin, the projector room. The operator Alfredo though at first scares the boy away later due to circumstances befriends him and become a fatherly figure or a mentorlike for him. In an accident Alfredo loses his eye sight and the operator job is given to toto for he can support his family, as the news of death of his father is confirmed. Toto grows in that projector room only surrounded by cinema. It teaches him all. At the college he falls in love with a girl called Eleana. However circumstances lead to their seperation. Now Alfredo advises him to grow out of the memories of the lost love and move to rome and make a big career. So does Toto. He becomes a succesful filmmaker. But no happiness prevails. It is then when Alfredo dies and he returns to his native after 30 years. The movie is a perfect example where the sum of parts add to a holisitc entertainment. The childhood part of salvatore is so cutely picturised showing the pranks of Toto. The sufferings of the war is brought out euphemistically via the audience reactions to the movie. That part where in salvatore returns is poignant to every frame. The dialogues be it Alfredo's advice to Toto, Toto and his mother's conversation leave a indelible impression. They are soft, simpl yet powerful.Take this for example, Toto returns to his town after 30 years where he is received by his mother and she just asks the pretty normal question "Was your Journey Safe?".For this Toto replies "it was just an hours flight".The mother replies back "You don't have to say this after 30years". Cinema Paradiso is never melodramatic. Nonetheless never misses an expression or feeling. It captures them all at the right proportions and at the right intentions. This is one movie without which the classic collections may never be complete.