Cinema Paradiso: Previewing Themes
Mother’s love and devotion for a son |
A missing father |
Symbolic spaces |
Saying good-bye! |
It takes a village to raise a child |
Young people in love |
Dark night of the soul! |
The FIRST KISS! |
Leaving home! |
Returning home! (You can’t go home again) |
New ways replace the old ways |
Magical sources of light! |
Passages: childhood— Adolescence— Adulthood-- |
Magical powers of a mentor |
Town “characters” |
Reunions |
These themes can be used for previewing notes. Create cards and distribute, ask students to discuss these themes as metaphors that anyone can relate to as a part of one’s growing up. Then ask students to apply these themes to the unfolding narrative of the film.
Film resource written by Robert Yahnke
Copyright, Robert E. Yahnke, © 2009
Professor, Univ. of Minnesota
Request permission from the author to reprint this resource--for educational use only