The Golden Door Reviews

2006

Rated:
50
from 3442 members

At the start of the 20th-century, Salvatore (Vincenzo Amato), a poor Sicilian farmer, emigrates to US. En route, he meets Lucy (Charlotte Gainsbourg), a shady character in need of a spouse to help her get through Ellis Island and into the promised land. Read more

Starring	Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vincenzo Amato, Aurora Quattrocchi, Francesco Casisa
Director	Emanuele Crialese
Genres	Drama, World Cinema

Sign up The Golden Door DVD

Buy From: £7.93

Critics' reviews of The Golden Door
View all
The poster for this moving and poetic Italian film about Sicilian immigrants coming to America at the turn of the... read more on Time Out
- Dave Calhoun,
- Time Out
- Posted 04 Nov 2008
Most helpful members' reviews (3) of The Golden Door
View all
73 out of 79 people found this review helpful

how did anyone make it to america?

This is a beautiful, whimsical film which follows the seemingly interminable journey of a family of sicilian peasants from the wild hillsides of their homeland to the gates of Ellis island, and the american dream in all its sordid reality. 'Who do you think you are?' protests la nonna - an old healer woman and grandmother 'do you think you are god, to decide whether we are good enough or not to come into this new world of yours?'

While their dreams of giant vegetables, animals and fruit come crashing down around them, the would-be immigrants maintain a quiet dignity, to reach a world where things might just be better than what they left behind.

The photography is stunning, the soundtrack impeccable, and the gentle love story which runs lightly through is quite magical.

See it and be moved.
- - valkyrie from kent england
  - Posted 19 Sep 2007 23:48
38 out of 49 people found this review helpful

This is subtitled!

Big disappointed - i didn't notice this was in Italian - entirely my fault, but don't make my mistake :o)
- - A customer from Hampshire
  - Posted 25 Nov 2007 09:08
27 out of 32 people found this review helpful

Rubbish

They need to find a life!!!
- - A customer from England
  - Posted 15 Jan 2008 15:29
Most recent members' reviews (2) of The Golden Door
View all
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful

Good idea, badly executed.

This film tries too hard to be quirky - it is just odd, when not awkward.
- - A customer from London
  - Posted 26 Nov 2007 17:38
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful

unusual

This film was unusual to say the least but nevertheless it is enjoyable.
- - A customer from scotland
  - Posted 02 Feb 2008 11:01

73 out of 79 people found this review helpful

how did anyone make it to america?

This is a beautiful, whimsical film which follows the seemingly interminable journey of a family of sicilian peasants from the wild hillsides of their homeland to the gates of Ellis island, and the american dream in all its sordid reality. 'Who do you think you are?' protests la nonna - an old healer woman and grandmother 'do you think you are god, to decide whether we are good enough or not to come into this new world of yours?'

While their dreams of giant vegetables, animals and fruit come crashing down around them, the would-be immigrants maintain a quiet dignity, to reach a world where things might just be better than what they left behind.

The photography is stunning, the soundtrack impeccable, and the gentle love story which runs lightly through is quite magical.

See it and be moved.
- - valkyrie from kent england
  - Posted 19 Sep 2007 23:48
38 out of 49 people found this review helpful

This is subtitled!

Big disappointed - i didn't notice this was in Italian - entirely my fault, but don't make my mistake :o)
- - A customer from Hampshire
  - Posted 25 Nov 2007 09:08
27 out of 32 people found this review helpful

Rubbish

They need to find a life!!!
- - A customer from England
  - Posted 15 Jan 2008 15:29
17 out of 17 people found this review helpful

Brilliant

Brilliant, subtle script. Doesn't feel like it's pushing buttons or patronising the viewer. Could be a stage play in its tightness. Spends some time developing wonderfully three-dimensional characters, not a maverick cop or weary FBI guy in sight!

Few sets, few characters and short timeframe, so not what I'd call an epic (I just mention as someone below seemed disappointed this 'epic' didn't have a crecendo!).

Also, yes it has subtitles. If you're one of those people who 'just doesn't like subtitles' then to be honest you might not like this film even if it were dubbed.
- - A customer from Edinburgh
  - Posted 27 Nov 2007 23:03
11 out of 13 people found this review helpful

Hmm

Only watched the first 10 minutes & switched off. Hadn't realised it was subtitled and couldn't get into the film at all.
- - A customer from Essex
  - Posted 11 Feb 2008 13:28
11 out of 18 people found this review helpful

the golden door

did not even bother to watch it as it is un foreign
- - ivy from Boston
  - Posted 14 Apr 2008 16:51
8 out of 9 people found this review helpful

not very good

watched about 10 mins of this movie and after realising the whole thing was in italian with english subtitles and the movie was very slow, could not bare any more. Rubbish!!
- - A customer from Ireland
  - Posted 18 Mar 2008 14:42
7 out of 7 people found this review helpful

boring

this is a sllloooowwww film. i must have missed something cause i found it very boring.
- - kobil from London
  - Posted 29 Mar 2008 14:16
7 out of 9 people found this review helpful

golden door

Really boring !. just could not get into it. dont bother watching.
- - A customer from Dunstable
  - Posted 11 Dec 2007 12:49
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful

[Highly rated reviewer]

quite boring

this really was quite slow, and fairly dull as a result
- - alexh from Camerton
  - Posted 18 Aug 2008 09:36

< Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
Next >

Critics' reviews
The poster for this moving and poetic Italian film about Sicilian immigrants coming to America at the turn of the... read more on Time Out
- Dave Calhoun,
- Time Out
- Posted 04 Nov 2008