8. Cinema Paradiso
Ennio Morricone may be most famous for his gritty work on Sergio Leones Westerns, but never has he written something as strikingly beautiful as his work on the painfully nostalgic Cinema Paradiso, which won the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar in 1989. Its at least his most romantic work. It seems that its only concern is sentiment, yet its refreshing enough to not feel contrived. The horns, strings and piano always work together, swelling and fluttering in and out. Every note is emotive and charming. Its best moment is at the famous tear-jerking end during a montage of forbidden kisses. The passion here is utterly cathartic. The score was a collaboration with his son, Andrea, and unfortunately they were both snubbed for the Oscar. Morricone never won competitively but he did snag an honorary statue in 2007. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bb37-VKl4Y
Jack Moulton
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Recently graduated from University of Hertfordshire with a Film & Television Production degree. Usually found watching films, listening to music, writing for whatculture and writing reviews for awardscircuit.com and my blog.
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