Cinema Paradiso: The New Version is a film by Guiseppe Tornatore released as a director’s cut in 2002. The story is about the flashback of the famous film director Salvatore Di Vita. He reminisces about his childhood and his experiences he had with his father-figure Alfredo as he grows up. How Alfredo has helped him reach the top to where he is now in his life as a famous director.

The film’s story revolves mainly around the flashback of the main character. As we have notice, I can say that this is Tornatore’s styling in portraying the message of his film. Just like in Malena, when Renato narrates the story of his life by narration, letting us see his flashbacks. As well as in Cinema Paradiso, Toto flashes back to his memories with Alfredo and his love affair with Elena. And also, another styling of Tornatore I noticed was the time duration of the two stories. Both films focused on the main character’s maturity – from childhood to adulthood – and his experiences while he’s in the stage of growing up.

The motifs of the story were: the cinema paradiso itself and the reel of films. The Cinema Paradiso represents the native Sicilian town he was in. How this cinema made him stand behind the reel of films and be a projectionist like he always wanted to be – that because of the fire that broke out in the first cinema, he would not be given a chance to be a projectionist. Also, it was the time of the “new age”, not only to make way for the new cinema for the people’s convenience inside the theater but also for the people to embrace the changes – to able to watch kissing scenes in the big screen without the filtering of their town priest.

Also, by the end of the film, when the cinema was burned down to pieces, it was the time when his connection of Alfredo and Elena died. That he must forget about the past and embrace the life he is leaving today. That as he comes home to his native town in Sicily, he looks back one last time, and must move on. That it was the end of their journey together, that if not because of this old town of his, the people in it, Alfredo, Elena and the Cinema itself he would never be a famous director in his time.

Moreover, the reel of film represents Toto himself, which from time to time he would grow older, and new inventions will emerge. Just like the reel of film that will never caught fire, the dying of the traditional cinematography, editing and screening. Thus, compared to Toto’s life when he was growing up – when he meet the beautiful Elena, how they feel in love, their struggles and the love affair in which also became the main reason why he left his old town Sicily and also the blooming of his career thus the replacement of the old projector with the new and high-tech one.

The sex in the film is somehow appropriate, since it was somehow the turning point of Toto’s adolescence. Also, the music really did sync well with the clips in the movie. Since music is also one of the most important elements in a movie, it is also another way of letting the readers feel the tension and drama, and Tornatore did a pretty good job collaborating with the Music Director. Also implementing his style like that in Malena, having theme music throughout the film.

Over all, I did like the movie pretty much since it is about life and childhood, about parenting and making decisions. Some parts of the film made me cry so it's a four out five stars for me. :D

“Swimming Pool” is a sensual, mind-boggling film directed by Francois Ozon released in 2003. It depicts the story of an English writer who is uninspired and jaded after completing a series of successful novels. Thereafter, she was offered by her publisher a nice country house in France for peace and relaxation. Once she was immune to the peacefulness of the house, her publisher’s daughter, Julie invades this privacy. At first, she was annoyed by Julie’s countless one-night-stands with various men, but later on gives up and makes Julie the main character of her next novel. The very “Julie” that is within her, all along.

I think, what Ozon wanted to portray is that, every one of us have different kinds of urge, and if we do not put much importance to it, it will just come out unexpectedly and unconsciously making it more uncontrollable. In the film, Julie is the symbolism of this urge. She was Sarah’s “urge”, her other half whom she wasn’t paying much attention to, the evil part of her. Her other half – careless, sexual, happy-go-lucky, stubborn girl – that has done all the stupidest things in the world. At first, Sarah is annoyed by Julie’s behavior but then she somehow accepted it and tries to live with IT. And when Julie killed Frank one night, all Sarah can do is to help this other half of hers, since she is still HER. And she has now accepted this evil-other-half of her.

Some of the symbolisms of the story were: the reflection, it would only appear when she was with Julie. The crucifix, in which she would hide it when she would do something unpleasant since she would feel guilty that her “other-half” has over-shadowed her. The swimming pool, which is the world of Julie, where she would only exist. And the dress was the representation of the changes in her; that she has accepted this “other-half” of her – which she has become liberated and open to her sexual urge.

Also, the sex was also appropriate in the movie since this is what this movie was all about. It was about the urge that is IN US somewhere, and that we must also put importance to, but not in a bad way though. So putting sex in the film was necessary to put more emphasis on what the director wanted to portray.

Over all, the film was mind-boggling; you will have to watch it over and over again to be able to understand it better. But it was a wonderful film though, portraying the other other-side of us that we must attend to. The director did a pretty good job of letting his message portrayed, and analyzing everything for him to be able to put this thoughts better into film. Four stars for this one. :D

Holly Hunter plays the role of Ada, a mute woman who is brought in New Zealand by her husband whom her father has arranged her into. Ada is very cold with her husband ever since he insisted to leave her favorite piano by the shore when they first came to the place. And it didn’t change everything especially when he decided to give it to George Baines for piano lessons with her. But everything didn’t turn right when she has learned to love him. So the story goes….

The film was basically centers on Ada, on who she is, what she does, and on how she struggles to follow her own will and heart, to be with the one she loves. The ending was not quite predictable though, I was surprised when Ada put her leg into the rope which is connected to the piano when they throw it in the middle of the ocean. But then, she freed herself. She freed her imprisonment when she decided to let go of the piano and live. But still, she dreams she is still part of that piano in the sea, she was, and always will.

The leit-motif in the film is the piano, the mud and forest. The piano was part of Ada’s life, also a representation of her muteness. She chose not to speak, and only the piano. When she has found love with George, she let go of the piano and offered everything to George. The same as when she let go of her muteness, when she has found a reason to live, she buried her muteness with the piano and started to learn how to speak. Her will to love him made her change and all the rest were buried in the ocean floor.

Also, her muteness made her the prisoner of her freedom to speak. It is a representation of herself being the prisoner of her father for making her marry the man she haven’t met before. She was a prisoner to her husband since she can’t do anything about it but follow what he wants even if it will made her forget and disregard her own will.

However, the mud and the forest became one of her everyday struggles. In comparison, it represents her struggles to win her piano back, that she must do whatever it takes to take it back from him. But at also at the last parts, when he has learned to love him, this mud and forest was her husband and his struggles with him to be with her beloved George.

At some point, the story would mean that: MEN are the head of the household, and women must be there to support the family, her husband before anything else, even before herself and her own interests. Some people would say that it does not apply now, but we know and it awfully shows in the society we are living the stereotype between men and women, and it really stricken the feminist in me. People say it does not, but it does, and it shows, and media are the ones who are taking most of the advantage. They show this to us like there is something wrong, that it is a rule that men are superior to women and at the same time letting us, the audiences, know the truth behind every lies. All of this exists, even if it wasn’t written in the book of rules.

In the end, Ada lets go of everything, and fights for what she think is right. This represent women in the society who can stand on their own, not being owned by anybody and has the power to choose their own will on things that they think best for them and the feelings, this makes them a woman. The strength of a real woman.