I'm writing this review without seeing the restored version of "Cinema Paradiso." I rather review the film that I saw many years ago.

The film is a celebration of the love of not only the movies, but the movie theatre in general. Out of that love comes a friendship between a film projectorist and a boy who shared the love of movies. The film tells of a movie palace in a small Italian town, where people come to see the movies. We see how the lives of the people are transformed because of their love for the movies.

Some of the most memorable characters in the film are a guy who likes to split from the balcony or the Roman Catholic priest who rings the bell every time he sees a couple on the big screen kiss. Those scenes must be removed or the film will not be shown. Fires and the war couldn't slow this movie theatre down.

The music score is wonderful, you just got to hear the wonderful music that goes with the film. This film takes a elementary look at the rise of the Italian cinema.