I wasn't able to help myself...

It was shameful and yet, there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Towards the end of the movie, the tears just started to trickle down my cheeks.

I'll admit it, I was indeed touched. I tried in vain to discreetly pull out sheets of tissue from my file case, but my friends apparently noticed.

Cinema Paradiso, in my opinion can be described in many words... Touching, remarkable, interesting, funnny; but to sum everything up, I would have to say that the movie was beautiful.
I was fascinated by the setting of the movie, being in Italy during the war period, the culture back then, the means of entertainment and the kind of technology available. I was captivated by the endearing characters of the film; and most of all, moved by the father-son relationship Toto shared with Alfredo.

I was really touched by the part where Toto went home in time for Alfredo's burial. I guess I was touched mainly because I could relate to the character in terms of losing a loved one. I lost my grandma last year and I would have to say that it was one of the most trying times in my life. Sometimes it still seems like my broken heart and spirit will never be mended.

On the other hand, I was heartened by what Alfredo said (although I failed to take note of it verbatim) about his blindness and being able to see more because of it. I realized that when life tosses certain "calamities" at me, I tend to wish for a better situation (quite frankly, who wouldn't?). But what I learned from Alfredo is that life throws storms at us that seem to shake us to no end, leaving us feeling weak and broken... But if we take it from Alfredo's way of dealing with life, we get to see that even in "blindness" there can be more sight. Beautiful things come out of even the worst situations.

After my grandma passed away, I began to really realize that "getting over" just doesn't seem possible; it's just that moving on is inevitable. It has to happen. And I really do think that once it does, then the person going through it emerges stronger than ever before, ready to take on more calamities and learn new lessons that help enrich one's life and make it more beautiful.

Photo sources:

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/dvdcompare/cinema-paradiso/title.jpghttp://blogs.hoycinema.com/myfiles/la-reina-del-mando/TotoAlfredohor.jpghttp://blogs.hoycinema.com/myfiles/la-reina-del-mando/TotoAlfredohor.jpg