Nuovomondo
Encyclopedia
Nuovomondo literally, new world
(The Golden Door) is a 2006
drama
based around a family's migration from Italy
to New York
during the beginning of the 20th Century. The film is set in both Italy
and The United States. The film is written and directed by Emanuele Crialese
. Vincent Schiavelli
, whose character was originally planned to play a major part, died during the filming, forcing his role to become a supporting character.
The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival
on September 8, 2006 to critical praise and seven nominations (with six wins) at the Festival
. Many praised the director's focus on sound and visual composition. Others focused on the lack of typical iconography of the time (such as the Statue of Liberty
).
Martin Scorsese
was featured in the marketing for the film. He will also introduce the film at the Tribeca Film Festival
.
, Italy
, emigrates to the United States. They dream of the land of opportunity, where giant vegetables are grown, people swim in milk, and coins fall from the sky. Salvatore takes his family, as well as his old mother, Fortunata (Aurora Quattrocchi). While on the ship to America
, many men find the British Lucy (Charlotte Gainsbourg
) attractive. For administrative reasons, Lucy wants to marry Salvatore on arrival on Ellis Island
. He agrees; he understands that she is not in love with him yet, but expects that will come.
At Ellis Island, the families undergo extensive and humiliating physical and psychological examinations and questioning. Pietro (Filippo Pucillo) is about to be sent back for being mute, and Salvatore's mother may be sent back for insufficient intelligence.
reported that 72% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 74 reviews. Metacritic
reported the film had an average score of 74 out of 100, based on 22 reviews.
Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post
and Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe
named it the 7th best film of 2007.
, including two awards for Best Film (the CinemAvvenire and Pasinetti Awards), along with the FEDIC, SIGNIS, Silver Lion, and UNICEF awards. It was also nominated for a Golden Lion award.
The film was also nominated for a European Film Award, for the Film of the Year.
The film was Italy
's submission for the 79th Academy Awards
, but was ultimately passed over in final nominations.
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
(The Golden Door) is a 2006
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
based around a family's migration from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
during the beginning of the 20th Century. The film is set in both Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and The United States. The film is written and directed by Emanuele Crialese
Emanuele Crialese
Emanuele Crialese is an Italian screenwriter and film director. He is a native of Rome. He studied filmmaking in New York City...
. Vincent Schiavelli
Vincent Schiavelli
Vincent Andrew Schiavelli was an American character actor noted for his work on stage, screen, and television often described as "the man with the sad eyes." He was notable for his numerous and often critically acclaimed cameo appearances.-Early life:Schiavelli was born in Brooklyn, New York, to a...
, whose character was originally planned to play a major part, died during the filming, forcing his role to become a supporting character.
The movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
on September 8, 2006 to critical praise and seven nominations (with six wins) at the Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
. Many praised the director's focus on sound and visual composition. Others focused on the lack of typical iconography of the time (such as the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
).
Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
was featured in the marketing for the film. He will also introduce the film at the Tribeca Film Festival
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Film Festival is a film festival founded in 2002 by Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro and Craig Hatkoff in a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the consequent loss of vitality in the TriBeCa neighborhood in Lower Manhattan.The mission of the festival...
.
Plot
During the turn of the 20th Century, the poor Mancuso family (headed by the widowed Salvatore, Vincenzo Amato), from SicilySicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, emigrates to the United States. They dream of the land of opportunity, where giant vegetables are grown, people swim in milk, and coins fall from the sky. Salvatore takes his family, as well as his old mother, Fortunata (Aurora Quattrocchi). While on the ship to America
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, many men find the British Lucy (Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg is an Anglo-French actress and singer. After releasing an album with her father at the age of fifteen, more than twenty years passed before she released two albums as an adult to commercial and critical success...
) attractive. For administrative reasons, Lucy wants to marry Salvatore on arrival on Ellis Island
Ellis Island
Ellis Island in New York Harbor was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States. It was the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with landfill between 1892 and 1934. Before that, the much smaller original island was the...
. He agrees; he understands that she is not in love with him yet, but expects that will come.
At Ellis Island, the families undergo extensive and humiliating physical and psychological examinations and questioning. Pietro (Filippo Pucillo) is about to be sent back for being mute, and Salvatore's mother may be sent back for insufficient intelligence.
Critical response
The film received generally favorable reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 72% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 74 reviews. Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
reported the film had an average score of 74 out of 100, based on 22 reviews.
Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
and Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
named it the 7th best film of 2007.
Awards
The film won six awards at the Venice Film FestivalVenice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
, including two awards for Best Film (the CinemAvvenire and Pasinetti Awards), along with the FEDIC, SIGNIS, Silver Lion, and UNICEF awards. It was also nominated for a Golden Lion award.
The film was also nominated for a European Film Award, for the Film of the Year.
The film was Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
's submission for the 79th Academy Awards
79th Academy Awards
The 79th Academy Awards ceremony , honored the best films of 2006 and took place on February 25, 2007 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on ABC. Ellen DeGeneres hosted the ceremony for the first time. The producer was Laura Ziskin. The announcers were Don LaFontaine and Gina Tuttle.The nominees were...
, but was ultimately passed over in final nominations.