The legend of 1900 (1998)

Country: Italy / USA

Language: English

Actors: Tim Roth, Puritt Taylor Vince & Peter Vaughan

Director: Giuseppe Tornatore

Music: Ennio Morricone, Amedeo Tommasi

Tornatore’s first English movie, a story told as a series of flashbacks. This technique of using a series of flashbacks is called “Medias in ras” (Latin) or “In the middle of things”. This film is an adaptation of Alessandro Baricco’s theatre monologue Novecento.

This movie is about a musician Danny Boodman T D Lemon 1900 or 1900, a piano prodigy who has never set foot on land. 1900 is abandoned as infant in the ship SS Virginian to be found and taken care of by a coalman. 1900 keeps travelling back and forth the Atlantic and becomes the pianist in the ship’s orchestra.

The movie is the recollection of Max Rooney, a trumpet player and 1900’s friend & band mate. He talks about the exploits of 1900. Needless to say, because the protagonist is a piano player we get to hear some fantastic music. As any other Tornatore movie, this one too is a visual treat.

Tom Roth as 1900 does really well. Another important player in this movie is Puritt Taylor Vince who plays Max Rooney, the guy who tells us the story of 1900. But the hero of the movie is definitely Lajos Koltai’s cinematography and Ennio Morricone’s music.

Like Max Rooney says, “A good story is worth more than an old trumpet”. This one is surely worth much more, highly recommended.