Cinema Paradiso

The creation of film to portray a message is extremely effective and powerful, allowing the director to introduce important concepts and ideas to a vast audience. Director Giuseppe Tornatore constructs the way in which the film Cinema Paradiso is seen on screen with care and thought, such that he reveals the main ideas to the audience in the best way possible. In doing so, Tornatore can manipulate and influence the way the audience views and interprets this highly emotive film. Giuseppe utilises film techniques, specifically differing camera angles, to establish and represent his views and ideas within the film Cinema Paradiso, assisting him in creating either a sense of connection or disconnection between the audience and the actors.
Giuseppe Tornatore positions the frame of the film to reflect
numerous different feelings of emotion and connection between the audience and characters within the film.
Many scenes in Cinema Paradiso contain emotional events, thus creating various levels of tension and suspense within the storyline. With the introduction of one
of the main characters, Salvatore, the audience is provided with the idea to perceive him as a fairly insignificant character. This is due to his positioning within frames, with Tornatore situating his character in the background of on-screen images, displayed using long-shots. The use of such camera and angle techniques assists the director in forming a level of disconnection and distance between the audience and Salvatore’s character, hence characterising him as rather lonely. In doing so, Giuseppe Tornatore further builds upon the idea that having a wealthy and successful family and life does not in fact result in happiness as it is difficult to form an emotional and positive connection with Salvatore within the beginning of the film. The way in which Giuseppe Tornatore positions the frames of his film add to the establishment and interpretation of core ideas and concepts in relation to the viewers.
Furthermore, the use of silence within Cinema Paradiso is very effective in influencing the way in which the audience understands specific scenes. Giuseppe Tornatore includes a few very critical scenes in his film, where a middle-aged Salvatore is displayed roaming around the old cinema prior to it being demolished. During this scene, the audience is exposed to silence, demonstrating a sense of reflection for Salvatore. From this, the audience is influenced to interpret this silence as a form of sadness due to the proposed destruction of the cinema in which he had spent many years of his life in.