What is the iRankMovies score for Cinema Paradiso?

Name: Cinema Paradiso
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Genre: drama, romance
Released: 1988
Duration: 2 h 4 min
Rating: 8.5

Cinema Paradiso has an iRankMovies score of 85.2/100, based on a weighted combination of IMDb (×3.0), Rotten Tomatoes (×2.0), Metacritic (×1.5), and TMDb (×1.0).

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso

An enchanted village. A wonderful friendship. Star-crossed lovers. And the magic of the movies.

Release:1988

Runtime:2h 4m

Country:Italy

Director:Giuseppe Tornatore

Language:Italian

Genre

DramaRomance

See the best drama movies →

Keywords

Parent Child RelationshipSicily ItalyMovie BusinessKissComing Of AgeFlashbackMagic RealismNostalgic

iRank85

Cinema Paradiso rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic

IMDb8.5/10· 317K votes

Rotten Tomatoes90%

Metacritic80%

TMDb8.4/10· 5K votes

With 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 8.5/10 on IMDb and 80/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been very positive.

About Cinema Paradiso

A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theater and formed a deep friendship with the theater's projectionist.

Cast of Cinema Paradiso

Philippe Noiret
as Alfredo
Jacques Perrin
as Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (adult)
Marco Leonardi
as Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (teen)
Salvatore Cascio
as Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (child)
Agnese Nano
as Elena Mendola (teen) / Elena's daughter (in Director's cut)
Antonella Attili
as Maria Di Vita (young)
Pupella Maggio
as Maria Di Vita (aged)
Brigitte Fossey
as Elena Mendola (adult)
Enzo Cannavale
as Spaccafico
Isa Danieli
as Anna
Leo Gullotta
as Ignazio, usher
Leopoldo Trieste
as Father Adelfio

Cinema Paradiso facts

Original title: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso
Budget: $5M
Box office: $36M

Our take on Cinema Paradiso

Giuseppe Tornatore's 1988 classic is a love letter to the movies: a filmmaker recalls his childhood in a Sicilian village, his bond with the local projectionist and the cinema that shaped his life. Nostalgic, tender and gloriously scored, it's pure emotional comfort. If its warmth and bittersweet nostalgia moved you, seek out heartfelt dramas about memory, mentorship and the films that make us who we are.

Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026Methodology Data sources

Audience opinions

What the audience liked

•Tornatore crafts magical meditation on cinema and coming-of-age authentically
•Nostalgic flashback structure captures bittersweet memories with genuine emotion
•Romance elements blend seamlessly with film history creating poetic resonance

What the audience disliked

•Haunted past and censorship themes create melancholic undertone throughout runtime
•Lengthy director's cut indulges sentimentality occasionally overshadowing narrative restraint