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Anatomy of a Kiss: Cinema Paradiso and The Montage of Attractions

Jean Gabin and Suzy Prim in The Lower Depths

This is an "amorous" scene from Renoir's film that likely would have been approved by Father Adelfio. Although the two leads at one point in the scene are just inches from one another, they are able to keep their passion in check. Though later in the film (as shown in the previous clip) Gabin and Prim share two passionate kissing scenes. Both of which are later featured in Alfredo's final montage.

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Censoring the Kisses
The First Cut
In this scene early into the film, a mischievous young Salvatore (nicknamed Toto by Giancarlo's townsfolk) sneaks into the Cinema Paradiso and watches the town's priest Father Adelfio screens the latest film sent to the theater by a Roman film distribution company. The film featured in this scene is Jean Renoir's The Lower Depths (1936) (Versa la Vita in Italian).

In the following scene: Alfredo cuts out the offending scenes from the film, and Toto grabs it and holds it up to the light. He is fascinated by the images. We see two close-ups of frames from that strip. Alfredo says he can't have that strip of film. Toto points a whole tangle of strips cut out of previously exhibited films, and Alfredo explains that he has to splice the strips of film back into the prints before shipping them back to Rome, where they will be viewed again uncensored. However sometimes Alfredo can't remember where the strips he previously cut go back to.

"Besides they kiss too much." Alfredo adds, and he makes a deal with Toto: he'll give him the unused strips as a present, but on two conditions: One, the boy stays away. Two, the strips stay in the projection room. So the boy leaves, but then stalks back into the room. Eventually Alfredo will take the young Toto under his wing and train him as a projectionist, further fostering his life-long love affair with film.
The Missing Reels
The symbolism of the misplaced film strips is essential to understanding the significance of Alfredo's final gift to Salvatore at the end of the film. Each of the spliced sequences are scenes loaded with intense romantic passion, which represents an absence that will eventually represent a void within the life of the older Salvatore. Also take note of what Toto is asked to do in order to receive the promised prints from Alfredo. The following page will describe the next major event in Salvatore's coming of age, which will later be demonstrated in the sense of loss presented in the films final frames.