Revisiting 1989's International Oscars: Cinema Paradiso vs Camille Claudel vs Jesus of Montreal
Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 5:30PM by Nathaniel R
You've gotten to know Juan Carlos a little bit as a new contributor here at TFE. He hosts a podcast "The One Inch Barrier" which is how I sought him out to join us here. Each episode looks at one year of the Best International Feature Film race at the Oscars, moving backward chronologically. Each season covers one decade. I've finally made the time to guest-star, for the season four premiere to discuss a year that's deeply embedded in my history: 1989... aka the year my beloved Pfeiffer lost Best Actress. We discuss Italy's winner Cinema Paradiso which is all about moviegoing and nostalgia (so appropriate for the now), France's presumed runner up Camille Claudel (which was also nominated for Best Actress for Isabelle Adjani), and Canada's provocative Jesus of Montreal. A few other films make cameos, too, including Hong Kong's Painted Faces which is randomly streaming on Netflix; it was not nominated but makes an interesting companion piece to Cinema Paradiso.
Please do share your feelings on these four films, none of which we've discussed on the site!
Reader Comments (15)
I love Cinema Paradiso. The Oscar-winning version is excellent but the longer version is even better (more adult regret). It's such a joyful film about going to the cinema. It's also very good on first love, adult loneliness, and lessons learnt. Ennio Morricone's score is sublime. My dad was a projectionist, and of Italian heritage. We lost him last year. We played the opening theme at his funeral.
I've seen Jesus of Montreal just once. I remember thinking it was OK, but I don't have a desire to revisit it. I'd much rather rewatch Arcand's 2003 Oscar winner, The Barbarian Invasions.
Funnily enough, I was thinking about Camille Claudel about an hour before reading this post. I've never seen it and I want to see it. Adjani and Depardieu and tjat wonderful run of French Oscar-nominated films in the 1980s. How have they only won this category once since the '70s?!
I caught Cinema Paradiso for the first time a few years ago and it's among my all time favorite films. I haven't seen the others.
Isabelle Adjani was magnificent as Camille Claudel, and that's why I could never imagine Binoche would be able to top Adjani's performance in the same role. She did it. Camille Claudel 1915 has Binoche's best performance since Blue.
I love Jesus of Montreal so much. The late 80s/early 90s were such a good time for Canadian cinema.
Mike -- yay. It makes me so angry that it's so hard for people to see now. You can't even rent it! I love it soooo much as you'll hear on the podcast.
I had to turn off Cinema Paradiso because I found it so cloying and sentimental. That kid was mugging and hamming it up so much I couldn’t handle it , sorry to say.
I saw Cinema Paradiso in the theaters back in 2012 on a morning screening as I love that film. I do need to see the longer version of the film.
TANDY4EVA
Cinema Paradiso is my #1 favorite movie of all time. I recognize that it's very sentimental as Owen criticizes above, but I feel like most cinephiles must surely connect with the lead character and his love for the magic of cinema.
I saw it when I was younger and my interest in cinema was just beginning and I think it was kind of the perfect film to introduce me to arthouse cinema. The metaphors and motifs (I'm thinking of the scene with the mother knitting when her son arrives home) are just simple enough for anybody to understand.
Cinema Paradiso probably would have won Best Picture, Director, Supporting Actor, Screenplay, Score, Cinematography and Film Editing if the distributor had real faith in it. It was pure Oscarbait (and a masterpiece).
Liked Jesus of Montreal, when I saw it back then, but never revisited it.
@Edward L
Sorry to hear of your loss. That was a great story though. I am fascinated by the techniques and ways of doing things during the era of analogue cinema. And films that portray and lament the passing of cultural landmarks like the art of being a cinema projectionist in Cinema Paradiso or the demise of diners in The Last Picture Show, are essential testaments of what life used to be.
I too like the score of Cinema Paradiso for its lushness, much like in Love Affair (1994) and The Mission. But if we're talking about Morricone scores, I prefer the ones he did in the 60s and 70s. They also provide amazing soundscapes for dance remixes.
One of my favorite actors is Lothaire Bluteau and I love Jesus of Montreal a lot more than most people. Everything about it works for me, art imitating real (and precarious) life, the opening scene of two sopranos singing, and that beautiful ending. He is also memorable in Le Confessionnal with Kristin Scott Thomas, Orlando with Tilda and Bent with Clive Owen.
I love Cinema Paradiso to no end. It makes me cry Every time I see the ‘film canister’ scene. Just the entire growing up portions of loving someone, what your hometown and its people bring to your life and the mentor pushing his protege to leave. Whenever I lose faith in the future of movies, this film places hope in me that someone is out there who can advance the cause.
Thanks for guesting on the episode, Nathaniel!
In many ways, this was the perfect year to have you on. Really looking forward to having you back soon. ;)
@Owl:
Thank you. And these films that show us traditions, ways of doing things, that have now passed on - you're absolutely right. They're really important.
I like Morricone's music in its various iterations. That includes his driving, anxiety-strewn scores for the likes of The Battle of Algiers, Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion and others. One of my favourites of his is The Untouchables, for its mixture of plaintive sensitivity (e.g. the tracks "Ness and His Family" and "Four Friends"), bullish intent (the opening credits theme) and epic lift (the main "Untouchables" theme).
Given your comments and Nathaniel's, I should rewatch Jesus of Montreal. I recall it being such a prominent and widely talked about film when it came out.
How did I miss this post! Cinema Paradiso is tied with In the Mood for Love for my favorite film of all time. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
PSA: Folks, please don't miss Isabelle Adjani's episode of Call My Agent!.