Ostomy Memories of Eight Flicks #4

“Cinema Paradiso” is a 1988 Italian film which won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film at the 62nd Academy Awards. A famous film director receives word that Alfredo has died. Alfredo was the middle-aged projectionist at the little town cinema who befriended the then 8-year-old director thirty years earlier. The film unwinds as the director’s flashback memories of his youth, with a memorable score by the great Ennio Morricone. Sentimental, nostalgic, often hilarious, the film ends with the director returning home for Alfredo's funeral and receiving a gift from Alfredo’s widow, something from Alfredo, a gift that commemorates the wonder of life at the crux of the movie.  This wonderful film is what you might call a feel-good movie.  Spoiler alert:  I guarantee that you'll be smiling at the end.

Some time ago, Bob had asked here what people thought were the best tunes of the 1980s. Many entries were received, mine was the theme from "Cinema Paradiso" by Ennio Morricone and I was thrilled to see it mentioned here again. What a masterpiece it was. The movie itself was sad though you could say that the ending was happy. The Grande Maestro passed away in July this year but what a magnificent legacy he has left behind. If as they say there are Angels playing the harp in Heaven then he will be in good company.

Yes, I have many CDs of this magnificent composer's music and I listen to it all the time.  You can go on YouTube and see him conducting his own music, mostly the ground-breaking compositions for the spaghetti westerns.

Thanks for the reminder, HenryM.  We actually say the movie in Manhattan in 89, I think.  Morricone passed this summer after writing his own obituary the day before.

His music is beautiful!

Mike