Legend of 1900

Theatrical Release Date: 1999 10 29 (USA)

UPC: 014381144222

Studio: Image Entertainment

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Adult Language]

Summary: On the 1st of January in 1900, Danny Boodmann (Bill Nunn), the mechanic of the transatlantic liner Virginian bound for America, finds an abandoned baby on board and decides to keep him. Nicknamed Novecento (1900), the boy grows up on the ship hidden from everyone. His presence is revealed when Danny dies in an accident. The young '1900' manages to hide again despite threats from the captain. Discovering a passion for music, he teaches himself to play the piano without being able to read the notes, and he soon becomes a virtuoso whose reputation spreads beyond the confines of the ship. Even the famous jazz piano player, Jelly Roll Morton (Clarence Williams III), gets on board for a challenge because he has heard rumors about the greatest piano player in the world living on a ship. The story is told by Max Tooney, Novocento's old trumpeter friend, who reminisces about the incredible pianist who never set foot on land. After two films about cinema, Giuseppe Tornatore comes up with the story of a highly imaginative artist who lives only for and through his art. Tornatore was inspired by a theatre monologue written in 1994 by Alessandro Baricco, and the film was shot partly in Odessa, on a sixty-year-old Russian freighter, and partly in the Cinecitta studios in Rome. Tim Roth's performance as the talented but reserved Novocento is remarkable, and the music of Ennio Morricone plays a vital role in the film. La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano, which was retitled The Legend of 1900 for US distribution after forty-five minutes have been cut, was originally two hours and forty minutes when it was shown to great success in Italy in autumn of 1998. The US version had its world premiere at the 1999 Locarno International Film Festival. ~ G?n?l D?nmez-Colin, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Director – Italian Film Academy Best Cinematography – Italian Film Academy Best Art Direction – Italian Film Academy Best Music – Italian Film Academy Best Costume Design – Italian Film Academy Best Cinematography – European Film Academy Best Original Score – null Best Original Score – Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Features: [None specified]

Legend of 1900

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 06/04/2002

Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Cinemascope

Audio: DTS Digital Theater Systems, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 125 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Side #1 --
1. Main Title [6:31]
2. My Secret [4:07]
3. 1900 [3:53]
4. Belly of the Virginian [3:17]
5. The Accident [3:20]
6. Mysterious Record [3:57]
7. A Cure for Your Misery [7:59]
8. 1900 Regales [7:11]
9. The Voice of the Sea [8:45]
10. Where Does Music Come From? [3:21]
11. The Fish With the 20-Dollar Name [4:30]
12. The Duel [15:18]
13. Recorded With Love [6:53]
14. Infatuation [1:45]
15. I'm Getting Off! [5:52]
16. Starting Over [10:09]
17. Goodbye, 1900! [14:46]
18. End Credits [6:33]

Cast and Crew: Cory Buck  Actor 
Harry Ditson  Actor 
Heathcote Williams  Actor 
Ennio Morricone  Composer (Music Score) 
Giuseppe Tornatore  Director 
Giuseppe Tornatore  Screenwriter 
Laura Fattori  Producer 
Alessandro Baricco  Screenwriter 
Tim Roth  Actor 
Pruitt Taylor Vince  Actor 
Clarence Williams III  Actor 
Mélanie Thierry  Actor 
Bill Nunn  Actor 
Peter Vaughan  Actor 
Niall O'Brien  Actor 
Gabriele Lavia  Actor 
Alberto Vasquez  Actor 

Country: Italy