OK, so I just updated my Facebook status to read, “Vincent is feeling Old World” and I need to explain the thinking behind the status:
I just finished watching Emanuele’s Crialese’s The Golden Door and it was truly magnificent. Crialese tells the story of a Sicilian’s family voyage to the US in the early 20th century. The film is simplistic in story, but very rich in language and meaning. The language component is remarkable in that Crialese manages to accurately reproduce the Calabrian/Sicilian dialect. The film has rich dream sequences and true to life depictions of the immigrant experience at Ellis Island (psychological tests and all – looks like the Soviets weren’t the only ones trying to create a perfect society).
The film had tremendous meaning to me as I’m a first generation American – my parent’s immigrated to the US in the early 1970’s (from the same environment that Crialese depicts in his film). However, you don’t need to be an immigrant’s son to appreciate the film, so go out and find the DVD or purchase it on Amazon.
Here’s the trailer:
