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Giuseppe Tornatore

Giuseppe Tornatore

Director, writer and actor, also editor · Born May 27, 1956 (70) · Bagheria, Sicilia, Italia

Giuseppe Tornatore (born 27 May 1956) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. Born in Bagheria near Palermo, Tornatore developed an interest in acting and the theatre from at least the age of 16 and put on works by Luigi Pirandello and Eduardo De Filippo. He worked initially as a freelance photographer. Then, switching to cinema, he made his debut with Le minoranze etniche in Sicilia (The Ethnic Minorities in Sicily), a collaborative documentary film which won a Salerno Festival prize. He then worked for RAI before releasing his first full-length film, Il Camorrista, in 1985. This evoked a positive response from audience and critics alike and Tornatore was awarded the Silver Ribbon for best new director. Tornatore's best known screen work was released in 1988: Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, a film narrating the life of a successful film director who has returned to his native town in Sicily for the funeral of his mentor. This obtained worldwide success and won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Subsequently Tornatore released several other films. In 2007 he won the Silver George for Best Director at the 29th Moscow International Film Festival for The Unknown Woman.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
May 27, 1956 (70)
From
Bagheria, Sicilia, Italia
Works as
Director, writer and actor, also editor
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 38 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 38% in 30 days

What are Giuseppe Tornatore's films like?

Across their 17 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Genres

Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 90th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Documentary5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile
: browse their Documentary movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 94th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
23%
Self
23%
Bonds
19%
Morality
16%
Ideas
8%
Power
6%
Survival
5%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception4 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 17 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 7 · Serious 4 · Dark 6

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 9 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 11 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 10 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 4 · Engaged 11 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 5 · Affecting 4 · Heavy 8

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 12 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Melancholic
11
Warm
10
Contemplative
7
Romantic
5
Tense
4
Other
7

How their films linger

Bittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Giuseppe Tornatore's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Giuseppe Tornatore's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

38 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 26 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Brunello: The Gracious Visionary(2025)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Il camorrista - Una serie di Giuseppe Tornatore (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Show 5 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

  • Steno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    as Sé stesso

  • Ennio(2021)

    Director · Screenplay · Story · as Self

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • All Star - Ritorno al cinema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    as Proiezionista

  • Devotion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Director

  • Correspondence(2016)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • I Don't Know the Men of this City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Actor

  • Mafia Millionaires(2014)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Tutte le storie di Piera (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Actor

  • The Best Offer(2013)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Il Mago di Esselunga (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Director · Writer

  • L'ultimo gattopardo: Ritratto di Goffredo Lombardo(2010)

    Director · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Everybody's Fine(2009)

    Original Film Writer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Baaria(2009)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Franco Cristaldi e il suo cinema Paradiso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Actor

  • Intervista a Riccardo Freda sul suo cinema (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Actor

  • The Unknown Woman(2006)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Sotto falso nome(2004)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Malena(2000)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Prince's Manuscript (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Producer

  • The Legend of 1900(1998)

    Director · Screenplay · Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Bakunin's Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Producer

  • The Star Maker(1995)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Lo schermo a tre punte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Director · Screenplay

  • A Pure Formality(1994)

    Director · Editor · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The King of Ads (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director

  • Especially on Sunday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Director · Adaptation

  • Everybody's Fine(1990)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Cinema Paradiso(1988)

    Director · Screenplay · Story · as Projectionist (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Professor(1986)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • One Hundred Days in Palermo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Screenplay · Second Unit Director

  • Diario di Guttuso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Director

  • Il sognatore indiscreto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • Paradiso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

  • The First Dollar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

  • The Kissing Sequence - Cinema Paradiso (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • With Her Eyes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Writer

Career shape

A full career of 38 titles, 33 of them dated from 1982 to 2025.

Biggest box office

The Legend of 1900 (1998)

$21M worldwide

Highest rated

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Malena (2000)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting8 of 38: 7 only acting, 1 with another roleDirecting24 of 38: 5 only directing, 19 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thWriting22 of 38: 2 only writing, 20 with another role · typical Midcredits score90thProducing2 of 38: 2 only producing, 0 with another roleEditing1 of 38: 0 only editing, 1 with another roleOther crew5 of 38: 2 only other crew, 3 with another role

38 titles, 20 with more than one role — directing and writing overlap on 19 of them.

By decade

1980s4 · 1 acting · 4 crew1990s8 · crew2000s8 · 2 acting · 6 crew2010s7 · 2 acting · 5 crew2020s6 · 2 acting · 4 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Giuseppe Tornatore's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 88th percentile, the median of all 17; across their 17 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 84th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Approval · how many liked their films

91stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Reach · how many have seen their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 17

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up12
  • 50th to 74th2
  • 25th to 49th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 17 titles are Universally Loved.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed1

Most divisive · actor, director, writer

L'ultimo gattopardo: Ritratto di Goffredo Lombardo (2010)

80th percentile spread · 22% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer

Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 76/100 and the pacing 43/100 in their films, across 15 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Giuseppe Tornatore's work okay for kids?

Across up to 8 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore7 titles20–68 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity8 titles17–71 · median 48 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity7 titles23–62 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 29 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense6 titles17–43 · median 27 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Giuseppe Tornatore work with?

People who share at least 2 of Giuseppe Tornatore's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Ennio Morricone shares the most, 11.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers