Vita Toto Movie Review

Adapted from the novel by Cesare Zavattini, Tornatore's film is a bittersweet tale of changing times and old loves. It exists in a few forms, a 2002 173-minute director's cut and a 124-minute short version but both versions share the movie's final montage of kisses (censored for censorship reasons when the film first premiered in Italy). In this, he artistically intertwines sentimentality with humor and romance as well as history and memory. The movie could not have passed the censors in Italy at the time due to its mocking of government bureaucracy and for that reason was not a commercial success on its initial release, but has since become a classic.

The movie begins with adult Toto, a famed movie maker based in Rome, receiving a call that his mentor and father figure Alfredo has died in Giancaldo. In a flashback, the audience follows Toto from his youth, starting with him as a sleepy but eager acolyte of the local church who grows fascinated by the little hole in the wall where the town's cinema projectionist Alfredo works his magic.

vita toto over the movies which are, to Toto, more than just flickering images; they are a source of sadness, joy and wisdom. Over the years, Toto becomes a quick-witted apprentice who learns everything about films from Alfredo. However, he is not satisfied to just watch them from the seat of his theater chair; he wants to be up in the booth with Alfredo working the projector. When this dream is realized, Toto meets and falls in love with Elena, the daughter of a wealthy banker. Their relationship is strained by her parents who want her to enroll at the university in Pisa and eventually marry the son of their business partner. With the help of Alfredo's cajoling and strong advice, Toto leaves Giancaldo for Rome.