An Italian Delight !!!. Review on The Legend of 1900 Movie

The Legend of 1900 (Italian movie)

Written and Directed by: Giuseppe Tornatore

Based on a dramatic monologue by Italian novelist Alessandro Baricco

Cast: Tim Roth, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Bill Nunn, Clarence Williams III, Melanie Thierry, Easton Gage, Cory Buck, Harry Ditson

Produced by: Francesco Tornatore

Director of Photography: Lajos Koltai

Composer: Ennio Morricone

Now a days, whenever I sit for watching a movie ? I feel like it is a composite mixture which is a product of a cut ?paste scenes from Successful movies.

But something like Giuseppe Tornatore's THE LEGEND OF 1900 and restores my faith in the magic of film.

Based on a very original dramatic monologue by Italian novelist ALESSANDRO BARICCO. Tornatore has constructed and created a brilliant screenplay on the monologue?s storyline. He has reunited with Ennio Morricone after their critically and commercially acclaimed international success, Cinema Paradiso.

And the result is a masterpiece of cinematic art from his powerful and sensitive direction, the stunning visual presence of the film?s sets, atmosphere, and outstanding cinematography to the outstanding performances by the film?s cast.

It?s hard to give you anything like a real feeling for this film without just showing it to you or telling you the whole story. As always, of course, I will stick by my rule of never telling enough to spoil your enjoyment of a film.

However, I can tell this much.

The story begins at the turn of the century (1900) when, on a ship, THE VIRGINIAN, that transports immigrants, both rich and poor, from Europe to the USA, a ship?s crew member finds a baby boy abandoned and left on a piano in the ship?s grand ballroom after all of the passengers have left the ship. He decides to keep the child who he names after himself, the produce box he was found in, and the new century ? Danny Boodman T.D. Lemons 1900.

After many years and circumstances, 1900 (Timroth) grows up and turns out to have an almost mystical natural talent for playing the piano. He continues to live on the ship, never having set foot on dry land, playing in the ship?s orchestra and becoming quite famous. 1900 amuses the ship's crew and guests (and the viewer) with his intrepid piano playing. As the legend grows, 1900 reaches the ears of jazz legend Jelly Roll Morton (Clarence Williams III) who responds by challenging him in a duel. What results is the film's most enlightening scenes featuring original compositions by Ennio Morricone as well as classic ragtime pieces.

I?d like to tell you much much more, but I?ll stop here. Just believe me, it?s a terrific story.

The film is labeled a fable. It?s also a metaphor for the human condition, that is, just as the central character 1900 lives his entire life within the limitations of the ship on which he was born and yet creates a life for himself which far exceeds those limitations, all of us who travel within the limitations of our existence have the potential to create lives which transcend our apparent and circumstantial limitations.

Tim Roth, as 1900, is nothing short of astounding. Less a fleshed-out character than a literary conceit, his 1900 is both a sweet, innocent naïf and a steel-willed professional.

A musical ''shootout'' between 1900 and Jelly Roll Morton (played in a scene-stealing manner by Clarence Williams III, who here even LOOKS like Morton) shows a slight edginess that lurks behind 1900's moony eyes. Roth has made a successful career out of playing hoodlums, two-bit drug dealers, and other scuzzballs, and to see him play a creative, romantic, warm-hearted, yet fundamentally sad man like 1900 is a revelation.

What do you associate with the word ''Italian''? Lush, rich, sensual food? Lush, rich, sensual opera? Overly emotional people talking with their hands? THE LEGEND OF 1900 is all of these.

A rich, gooey cannoli of a film, its original premise, operatic tragic/romantic themes, beautiful production values and stellar acting combine to create one of the most overlooked gems of the ear.

A lovely score by Ennio Morricone (known best for his scoring of Sergio Leone's spaghetti Westerns), of all people, rounds out this cinematic confection

Verdict : The Legend of 1900 is a movie to fall in love with.

Rating : 9.5 / 10