A Sicilian-American Review
Added 9/9/2009
This is one of the few movies I've seen recorded in the Sicilian dialect that my grandparents spoke. It was a joy for me to see it and I immediately wished to purchase it. Despite some surrealistic scenes, the film accurately depicts the life that the immigrants experienced in rural Sicily and agrees with what my grandparents and relatives told of their life in Sicily. A few night scenes in the film are very dark and are difficult to see. The ordeal at Ellis Island seems a little too severe for what the average immigrant experienced but I guess is accurate if you were marked with an "X" as Fortunata was. Too bad the Statue of Liberty was not in view! I also enjoyed the extra features on the DVD which helped me better understand the film. I recommend it for all people interested in what immigrants (not only Italian) to the USA endured in both their native countries and during the voyage and arrival at Ellis Island.
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Harsh Lives
Added 5/21/2009
"Golden Door" is a movie about a Sicilian family's immigration to America, "the land where milk flows in rivers". It is a look at the hardships they face in leaving their homes and traveling here, and the difficulties of actually being accepted by the authorities: illness and mental retardation, for example, could result in deportation.
The movie is introduced by famed director Martin Scorsese. Of Sicilian descent, Scorsese praises this film for being true to what he remembers of his childhood and his family. It may have been personally moving to him, but this was a boring film. It is so slow moving as to be almost painful to watch. It is filmed in dark and dreary colors (probably to emphasize the hopelessness of the immigrants' lives) but it resulted in a movie that is exceedingly depressing.
There are so many instances where the storyline makes no sense. For example, one main character is an attractive English redhead who captures every man's attention aboard the ship. All kinds of rumors circulate about her: Is she a princess? Is she a prostitute? Was she married to a nobleman? Is there some lover waiting for her? But her background and story are never revealed. All we know is she needs to marry someone, anyone, to get into the country. Even the immigration official tells her that she will be questioned why she, an Englishwoman, is traveling with Italian immigrants--highly unusual. But no questioning ever is shown.
It is not a spoiler to tell you that at the end of the movie when the main character is faced with a harsh decision the movie suddenly ends. We never know what happens, leaving a sense of dissatisfaction among viewers.
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3 stars out of 4
Added 5/6/2009
The Bottom Line:
Coupling the gritty and dirty details of immigration to elaborate and extravagent metaphors, Golden Door is nothing if not ambitious; thankfully for the audience's sake, I can report that most of Crialese's risks pay off--this is an interesting film on immigration that should appeal to history buffs and casual moviewatchers alike.
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Customers Beware - Terrible Movie!
Added 4/8/2009
I had great hopes for this movie, but after watching it I cannot comprehend the positive reviews, unless they come from family members of the cast and director. I would have stopped the movie 1/2 way through and thrown it away had I not already spent the $[...] bucks to purchase it.
If you expected sweeping views of the lands of your ancestors in Sicily and similar views of Ellis Island, you will be extremely disappointed as I was. All the shots are basically close ups of the characters, with maybe two or three different room scenes supposedly inside Ellis Island. Looking forward to any positive upturns in the movie, I hoped to see the view that my ancestors saw as Ellis Island first appeared to them. Sorry, no such luck - how about nothing but white fog??? Was this whole movie shot in a warehouse in Burbank?
And if you didn't read all the product details of this Walt Disney Studio movie (like me) before you bought it, this movie is in Italian with English subtitles! I could have lived with that if not for the fact that the first 3/4 of the movie, consists mainly of 3-word sentences. Really makes for some interesting reading!
So, I would give the story line and scenary a ZERO score and suggest that you purchase a nice bottle of wine instead of wasting it on this movie.
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The Golden Door - A Time Capsule of the Immigrant Experience In The New World
Added 4/3/2009
Golden Door provides a glimpse into what it was like to be an immigrant to the New World. In certain ways, this movie is not designed for casual viewing or for those looking for entertainment value alone. Rather, this movie captures the harsh realities immigrants faced in that period and serves as an education for those who may not be aware of the great obstacles that many European immigrants had to overcome in order to come to the New World. On the other hand, this film provides a subtle character development. There is also tremendous expertise displayed in the amazing sets, impressive wardrobes and beautiful cinematography. Along with an impressive score, those elements add a sense of realism and a beauty to the film that will be appreciated by those who respect the work needed to recreate such a story. So if you don't mind a slow and nuanced period drama, this movie is well worth your time.
Every aspect of the immigrant experience is portrayed: the homelands they are leaving, the trials of their long overseas journey and their experiences at Ellis Island. There are also some dream sequences that highlight the hopes and wishes that the immigrants held for their arrival in the New World. Each portion of the film is compelling in its own way, but the section on Ellis Island is the most poignant in my opinion.
An incredible cast provides depth and atmosphere. There are so many characters, we really get a sense for how vast an undertaking such a journey must have been. It truly feels like we are experiencing the journey along with thousands of other people from all walks of life.
One theme of the movie that I particularly appreciated was the emphasis on relationships between men and women making their way across the Atlantic. Women have very little rights without a male escort. Men are placed in categories based upon their perceived worth, usually based on race and wealth.
Our central characters are a Sicilian widower named Salvatore (Vincenzo Amato) travelling with his mother and two sons in tow, and a young English woman Luce, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg. While Luce has other suitors and the prevailing prejudices of the day to justify keeping her distance from Salvatore, she still takes the time to get to know him and his family. They are drawn to each other despite their vastly different backgrounds. Watching their relationship unfold is touching. It's also a good indication of just how unlikely it was for two such people to even meet during that time period.
The movie displays how some immigrants were viewed as less desirable than others. The standards and requirements that some are held to is noticeably harsher. The board also subjects them to tests that seem to be based more on prejudice and misinformation than on fairness. This aspect of the film, while bleak, provides a critical insight into the immigrant experience for many during that time.
Perhaps unbeknownst to many on the journey, entry in the New World was often conditional upon many factors including marital status. This led to forced marriages and marriages of convenience for many whose only other option was to be repatriated to their home countries. For those who had already spent most or all of their wealth making the journey, that option was unacceptable.
Yet the resolution of the film produces a better outcome for our main characters than for some others. Not all were allowed to enter. And the extended quarantine they were subjected to also had consequences that were even more dire than being denied entry.
This is a wonderful film that should appeal to those who love history and period dramas. The film should also be particularly of interest to those of Italian decent. Finally, I can see teachers of history and other social studies sharing this film with their classes. This film has tremendous value for students and breathes life into a period in a way that textbooks simply cannot. I recommend this movie to everybody who wants to learn more about the immigrant experience.
Enjoy.
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