Most underrated film I can think of...

You made a brilliant unintentional spelling mistake when you said that this film goes straight to the "hearth" (instead of "heart"). "Hearth" is much more appropriate. This film should in fact be thrown in the fire.

I don't think I can agree that it's an "intellectual" movie, but I guess that depends on how much credit you are prepared to give to its director. I’m not sure if one can subscribe a definitive “meaning” to any film, given that what we take from one depends to a great extent on what we bring to it. Like all art, film offers an opportunity for reflection: to engage in a dialogue with the filmmaker and ourselves. If we accept that subtext and metaphor are active and vital elements in cinema, we will read the information provided by stories and characters as a way of discovering the essential intent (or meaning) in the work, bearing in mind that the interpretation of any work of art says as much (if not more) about the spectator as the work itself.

Few of the comments posted about THE LEGEND OF 1900 have considered the logic and/or meaning of the film, but if one looks just below the surface, one can read it as a metaphor for the lost glory of cinema. Whether this was Tornatore’s intention or not is hard to say, but given that he is the director of that other over-blown paean to the movies, CINEMA PARADISO, it's reasonable to assume that cinema could be one of his thematic preoccupations. Behind the narrative of THE LEGEND OF 1900 lies evidence of a resigned nostalgia that suggests that the greatness of film has passed. Like a big old rusted ship consumed by an indifferent ocean, the brilliance and splendour of cinema has vanished, and movies can now only aspire to repetitious cycles of dead-in-the-water entertainments: one lumbering TITANIC after another. Given the year of production, one can see it as a comment on the first 100 years of the medium.

There is a pivotal scene near the end of the film where Max (Pruitt Taylor Vince) searches for the character known as 1900 (Tim Roth) within the rusted bowels of the abandoned ship (the wreckage of cinema?). 1900 (the embodiment of the "true" artistic nature?) has never been on dry land (mainstream crowd-pleasing movies?), and as the ship creaks and groans beneath them, Max (the embodiment of commercial expedience?) hopes to convince him to leave the ship before it is destroyed. He describes land as a place of infinite choice, but 1900 replies that he can't abandon the ship (his artistic calling?). In his heart Max knows that 1900 could never accept the "sea of anonymity" (mediocrity?) that life on "dry land" promises. Having no place within this world (a world dominated by Hollywood, the epitomy of American commercial opportunity?), 1900 goes down with the ship (the discarded, irrelevant notion of cinematic art?).

So the question is, did Tornatore intend THE LEGEND OF 1900 as a denunciation of big-budget commercial Euro-puddings, cleverly made in the vacuous style of its worst excesses (criticising the likes of TITANIC by emulating it!), or did he simply make a vacuous film? I suspect the latter. As one character says, "You're never really done-for as long as you have a good story, and someone to tell it to". That should have been, "someone to SELL it to"!

They showed the movie at 3 AM because it IS a crappy B-movie. It was a horrible movie. The reason it did not win awards or oscars is because the story was idiotic, the acting mediocre..example: A kid with no piano training and no experience outside the ship can play better than Jelly Roll Morton? *beep* Playing an instrument well comes from experience in life. Morton grew up in a hard way, in a whorehouse, playing in juke joints, getting in fights, drinking, whoring around. When he plays, he plays form life experience. 1900 was a stupid, virgin, non-experienced "idiot savant" who merely copied Morton note for note, and at the end merely played faster to "win".

I was NOT suprised the movie is Italian, as it sucked. You call it an "intelligent" movie? You, sir, are na idiot. You can't even spell "intelligent".

He could have gotten off the boat if he wanted to, he was a coward, that's all. He was an idiot loser. How is that touching?

The scene with the piano rolling around on the ballroom floor (despite the bench not being attached) was the gayest thing I've seen.

The little kid goes up and without ever having even seen a piano, sits and plays it like a master? You call that "intellectual"?

The guy sneaks into the women's dorm and finds the girl he likes, then kisses her while she is sleeping? That was waaaay creepy... You call that "intellectual"?

This was on of the stupidest, poorly written movies I've seen in a long time. They were trying to cash in on the Titanic popularity, that's all.
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"I'm verklempt, talk amongst yourselves..."

I agree that this film is really underrated !
Well, I can guess some of the reasons. As my mother said - it has very sad ending. Other reason is that it has some non understandable phrases and situations for some people. This film is not intellectual or actionstyle - this is feeling story, that make us tears, with great fulfill piano playing... piano is the same like Harp - instrument of feelings.
I only can regret that not so much people can understand other person, their fears and dreams, can feel the same like other do...
p.s. Sorry for my English, it's not my native language
IMHO - this is the best film that I've ever seen. Even when i think that 2nd place is Matrix trilogy, and 3rd one places LOTR trilogy. Cause other film stories are not based on such different feelings, beautiful music and unique story.

Absolutely.

This is a lovely film that has a heart. It is sentimental without question but is redeemed by the glorious music by Ennio Morricone, beautiful cinematography by Lajos Koltai, and a terrific jazz piano duel between the adult 1900 (Tim Roth) and Jelly Roll Morton played by Clarence Williams III. 1900's world has clearly defined limits and he is fearful of venturing beyond.


A true friend is one soul in two bodies.
- Aristotle.

Agreed. This film is tragic and beautiful, but hardly any adult I talk to knows about it. I was only a toddler when the film came out, but I'm surprised it wasn't more famous at the time.

Exactly, I love this movie so much. While it may not has the same meaningful theme as movies like The Shawshank Redemption, it provides pleasant music that touches your soul. Seeing it only rated 7.9 on Imdb is beyond me. In my heart, this is a perfect 10. The Imdb only reflects the opinion of majority people, apparently I'm excluded from it.

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