Told in flashback, "CINEMA PARADISO" is the wonderful, hypnotic tale about Salvatore, a man now in his fifties, recounting lost youth and an early first love that has never really ended. In a small Italian village, young Salvatore hangs out and befriends the projectionist at the area's only movie theater.  Before every new film is allowed to play, the projectionist, Alberto, must screen it for Father Aldelfio, a man intent on editing out even the faintest suggestion of sexuality on screen. No kiss, bare leg, or romance can be seen. The fact that these characters and the actual viewers are witnessing excisions from some of the greatest films of all time, allows for a unique form of empathy to take place. Even by '50s standards, most of the censored love scenes were tame, thus making one truly feel a sense of loss of innocence akin to what Salvatore and his mentor, Alberto, realize. 

The original version of the film was cut for release in America, and this new version not only restores all of its lost footage, but also expands upon it, making this version longer than either previous version.  While it helps in bringing more depth to the relationship between Salvatore and his love interest, Elena, it also removes the innocence of it.  Manipulative at times, the original "Cinema Paradiso" also benefited from subtlety, and there's a lot less of it in this version.  The original version, while a bit long in parts, still worked at its own unique pace. Unfortunately, while some of the new scenes are great, others tend to slow the film down to a point where it actually becomes trying for the viewer.

Thankfully, BUENA VISTA has also included the original version as well.

BUENA VISTA has provided both versions in their proper 1.85:1 aspect ratio, with 16:9 enhancement. Colors are terrific in both versions, and they mark a major improvement over the previous  "HBO" version.  While the previous version had some problem grain areas, there's none of that here.  There's also great clarity in every scene, and no signs of compression. Contrast is excellent, with deep blacks and grays, allowing for excellent depth in the darkest of scenes.  Fleshtones appear natural throughout.

BUENA VISTA has provided a new Dolby Digital 5.1 mix for the longer cut, and a Dolby 2.0 Surround mix for the original version.  Both sound terrific.  The 5.1 mix allows for Ennio Morricone's magical score to receive the soundstage it deserves, well complimented through all speakers. There's also a surprising amount of separation effects that were less apparent in the older release.  The Dolby 2.0 Surround mix also offers increased separation and clarity when compared to the previous release.  The dialogue on both is always intelligible and free from distortion.

A theatrical trailer is included.