 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Golden Door
- Review Date: January 7, 2008
- PG-13
- Genre: Drama
- 2007
Common Sense Media says
Punishing but eye-opening immigrant tale.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that even though this subtitled period drama is rated PG-13, it's actually quite tame in terms of language and nudity (a communal shower scene at Ellis Island shows everything except genitalia, but it's not at all sexual), so there's little to worry about there if older tweens and young teens are interested. That said, the story is an unvarnished look at immigration, and some scenes can be disturbing (passengers get crushed during very rough seas). Also, some of the immigrants' experiences -- from why they married strangers to the strange questions they had to answer at Ellis Island -- may need explanations.
What's the story?
GOLDEN DOOR, an Italian film with English subtitles, follows Salvatore Mancuso (Vincenzo Amato), a widowed Sicilian who dreams of joining his twin in America. With sons Angelo (Francesco Casisa) and Pietro (Filippo Pucillo), his superstitious mother (Aurora Quattrocchi), and two young women from his village, Salvatore boards a ship headed to the great unknown. Onboard, Salvatore meets Lucy (Charlotte Gainsbourg), an Englishwoman who needs a man to gain entry into America. But their quiet romance takes a back seat to the realities of immigration. Subjected to an endless list of indignities – horrid living quarters, turbulent seas, interrogations and tests by Ellis Island officials – the immigrants are brave, indeed. But the promise of the good life and better opportunities beckons, and most are willing to take a chance.
Is it any good?
Movies about the immigrant experience almost always ground the narrative in the new world, often with much success. The reinventions, the triumphs -- what's not to like? But director Emanuel Crialese doesn't trifle with any of that. For him, the old world -- and the journey from it -- holds much more drama. And he's right.
At first, Salvatore's flights of fancy (visions of money falling from trees like overripe fruit, for example) seem misplaced in a movie that's so straightforward about history. But these moments add levity to the merciless voyage itself. If only the movie could have offered even a glimpse of America. When the men climb a window to peer at the "bell towers" rising high with wooden boxes that transport people to their homes in the sky, can't viewers see what all the fuss is about, too? After all that pain and suffering and heartache, we want the payoff.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how movies and other media usually depict the immigrant experience. Why is the actual journey from the old world to the new so often glossed over? If immigrants had to sacrifice so much, why did they decide to leave their country to start over somewhere else? What did America represent for them? And how did these preconceived notions about the country form? What did you know about the immigrant experience before watching the movie? What did you learn during the film?
There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.
| Studio: | Miramax |
| Director: | Emanuele Crialese |
| Cast: | Aurora Quattrocchi, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vincenzo Amato |
| Genre: | Drama |
| Run time: | 120 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | May 25, 2007 |
| DVD release date: | January 8, 2008 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | brief graphic nudity. |
Review It
Great alternatives handpicked by our editors
Already seen it? What do you think?
More from Common Sense Media
Top advice and articles
