Golden Door (Nuovomondo) (2006)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	Introduction-Martin Scorsese Featurette-Making Of
Rating
Year Of Production	2006
Running Time	113:46 (Case: 85)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Emanuele Crialese
Studio Distributor	Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.	Starring	Charlotte Gainsbourg Vincenzo Amato Aurora Quattrocchi Francesco Casisa Filippo Pucillo Federica De Cola Isabella Ragonese Vincent Schiavelli Massimo Laguardia Filippo Luna
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Antonio Castrigano

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Italian Dolby Digital 5.1 (384Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	2.35:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	576i (PAL)
Original Aspect Ratio	2.35:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English English for the Hearing Impaired	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

    The DVD case for The Golden Door (Nuovomondo) has the words "Presented by Martin Scorsese" proudly stamped across the top. The noted Italian American director also provides a short introduction to the film. At first blush, it is a real question as to whether the influence of Scorsese will help to sell this movie above and beyond the art house crowd, particularly given that the master's films (with a possible exception of The Departed) are more respected by critics than loved at the box office.

In any event, it's not hard to see Scorsese's interest in the film. He has always professed a great love of Italian cinema and even made a documentary series as homage to his favourite Italian films. Perhaps even more so, as he says in the introduction, he is genuinely moved by the struggle of his ancestors to come to America leaving behind family, tradition and a sense of place. It is to be hoped that at least a few people buy The Golden Door based on Scorsese's recommendation for this is a heartfelt and expertly made film reflects all the heartbreak and the nostalgia associated with the Italian immigrant experience. Although the focus of the film is the immigration of a Sicilian family at the turn of last century, ultimately it could be taken to apply to any immigrant situation.

The Golden Door was made in 2006 and written and directed by Italian filmmaker Emanuele Crialese. It was met with great praise upon its release at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Lion Award. It was Italy's submission for the 2007 Academy Awards, though not finally nominated.

Salvatore (Vincenzo Amato) is the head of the Mancuso family. He is a widower and has two sons, one of whom is a deaf mute. He lives with the family in a poor region of rural Sicily eking out a living from the unforgiving land. His mother, the feisty Fortunata (Aurora Quattrocchi) is a local wise woman (witch doctor sounds a bit harsh!).

At the beginning of the film Salvatore and one of his sons climb to a lofty peak carrying rocks in their mouths. Spitting them out onto the base of the cross at the top of the mountain, they pose the all important question to the heavens: should they stay in Italy or try their fortunes in America?

That question is answered when Salvatore's other son produces some photographs of the New World. Ironically, the photographs had been given to Fortunata as she was "exorcising a spirit" from a young village girl. They were provided by an American man intent on luring one of the girls overseas. In one of the many bittersweet, humorous moments in the film the photographs show everything Salvatore has heard about America - there are trees with money hanging from the branches, chickens are as big as cows and the vegetables are large enough to feed an entire family for a year.

His decision made he and the boys, as well as the reluctant Fortunata, board a crowded steam ship for the long journey to America.

Crialese had previously made the film, Once We Were Strangers, about the experience of being an immigrant in New York. That film portrayed the difficulties, joys and heartbreaks of living in the New World. The Golden Door is almost unique amongst films depicting the immigrant experience in that it concentrates on only three points: the decision to leave, the journey across the sea and the immigration process at Ellis Island in New York where the newcomers are prodded, poked and studied to see whether they are fit to be Americans. It says nothing about what awaits the immigrants upon acceptance into America.

One thing immediately becomes clear. As difficult as it was for men to make the journey to seek their fortune, it was twice as difficult for the women. Unmarried women were not permitted to travel alone across the sea and had to be either engaged to be married or under a guardian's protection. Just prior to shipping out from Italy, Salvatore meets the beautiful and enigmatic woman Lucy (Charlotte Gainsbourg). She steps into the Mancuso family photo in an attempt to convince the authorities that she is not travelling alone.

Once on the journey, she and the other single women are faced with the inevitability of trying to find a match in order to enter the country. In his last role (he died during the filming) Vincent Schiavelli plays a marriage broker who travels on the ship seeking out young single women for his clientele of older wealthy American men looking for a match.

The common movie poster (but not the DVD case) for this film contains two obvious inaccuracies. The first is that it is described as a great love story. Whilst there is definitely attraction aboard the ship, the filmmaker makes it quite clear that love must come second place to pragmatism when trying to enter the US.

The second inaccuracy is that the poster shows the cast looking out from the boat to a New York skyline. In fact, it is fog bound when the ship arrives and during all the time at Ellis Island. They are prevented from looking outside and seeing their new home. This is frustrating for the viewer but important to enable us to appreciate and understand the frustration of the immigrants. The DVD cover does have on it a picture of the Statue of Liberty. Potent though this image is it is still misleading in the context of the film. Salvatore and his family would not have even known of the existence of the statue.

After the occasionally life-threatening struggle of crossing the Atlantic the immigrants are detained for questioning and examination. They are not only given thorough physicals but also required to complete intelligence tests to ensure that America receives only the best. In one scene at Ellis Island, the universality of the immigrant experience comes home when the camera tracks back to reveal immigrants of all races and nations hoping against hope to get in.

The Golden Door is a moving experience on many levels. This is despite the fact that Crialese is very careful not to try to create false emotions. It is interesting that in the Making of featurette the cinematographer, Agnes Godard states that for much of the time he felt as if he was making a documentary, such is the honesty of the performances and the lack of undue sentimentality. The film is beautifully shot and the acting is excellent, particularly Amato in the lead. Gainsbourg , last seen in The Science of Sleep, is also excellent as a woman with a mysterious past. In the Making Of feature, the director states that he wanted the Gainsbourg character to be almost an alien amongst these people.

One scene says something about globalisation. A group of Italians are talking about their home town origins. They come from different regions of Italy and one man remarks that he has never been surrounded by so many foreigners before. It's an amusing moment but reflective of how much change was required to take this peasant stock from the fields of home to the metropolis of the New World. Salvatore and his family are naïve enough to believe they won't have any difficulty locating Salvatore's brother, who went to America many years before, because they are almost identical. This is despite the fact that neither of them can read nor write and they have no idea where he is living in America!

Crealese has created a beautiful film that with resonate with those who have family members who came to this country and started a new life. Some may be surprised at the level of intelligence tests and suitability tests carried out by the US authorities before allowing the immigrants to come into the country. It is often sad and frequently moving in its simplicity. Salvatore is no hero. He is simply a father trying to take his family to a new life. The film will have particular resonance for those of Italian or European backgrounds but anyone who likes Italian cinema will find much to enjoy in The Golden Door.

Video

    The Golden Door was shot on 35mm film at an original aspect ratio of 2.35:1.

Readers will be pleased to hear that this ratio has been preserved in the DVD transfer maintaining the epic sweep of the film. It is 16x9 enhanced.

Cinematographer Agnes Godard captures the spirit of the three locations perfectly and there are some unforgettable images throughout. An amazing scene, shot on location in Buenos Aires, sees a seemingly united crowd slowly split as the ship eases away from the docks.

It is only one of many clever scenes in this film which also include a number of dream sequences. The final scene (no spoiler here) of Salvatore and all the immigrants swimming in a river of milk is beautiful in its simplicity and audacity.

The image quality is bright and clear. There is film grain but it is barely noticeable and not unattractive. There was no evidence of compression problems on my display.

The only real complaint regarding the transfer is the liberal use of edge enhancement throughout. This was no doubt considered necessary due to the large number of shots of actors, crosses, masts pitted against the sky. Otherwise the film looks gorgeous. There are subtitles in English and English for the Hearing Impaired. The film is mainly in Italian but has snatches of English and French. Interestingly the English is also subtitled.

Video Ratings Summary

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Audio

    The Golden Door has a 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack running at 384 Kb/s.

The soundtrack for the film is by Antonio Castrigano. It is a significant work of art in itself if only for the powerful and intuitive selection of music and the decision when and when not to use it.

For the first third of the film there is no music. It perhaps represents the elemental nature of Sicily at the turn of the 20th century. On the ship there are two laments, one by the men and one by the women, for the dead lost in a storm on the trip and some other incidental music. At Ellis Island and in the final phase of the film he uses Nina Simone in two key scenes. At first the modern songs jar but Feeling Good, with its lyrics about "a new dawn, a new day", perfectly expresses the hopes and desires of the immigrants. The final scene referred to above is accompanied by Sinnerman and the effect is profound enough to stand up the hairs on the back of your neck.

The sound is good quality throughout. Surround effects are used occasionally such as the wind blowing in Sicily and the subwoofer fires up from time to time. However, it is fair to say that restraint has been used in the sound design of the film.

As best as I could work out the audio sync looked fine.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
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Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

The Golden Door contains only one extra, a Making of featurette. As proof that quality outweighs quantity this is a very worthy extra. Running almost 30 minutes the film consists on interviews with the director and his two leads and key crew members. Crialese talks at length about his research for the project and his fascination with the courage against adversity of the immigrants. The actors relate their own struggles to bring the film to the screen Amato worked on a farm in Sicily for two months to get a feel for life on the land and also to get a handle on the Sicilian accent. Gainsbourg tells of the draining shoot in South America where 700 locals were brought in as extras.

    The film is available in various Regions including Region 1 and 2. The DVD appears identical.

    The Golden Door is a moving and well made film that many will connect with very deeply.

Apart from edge enhancement the transfer is high quality and presents the film in its best light.

The sole extra is well worth a watch.

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Audio
Extras
Plot
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