THE LEGEND OF 1900 ("La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano", 1998)

Who needs shore leave? We're kicking off the new year with a cruise that never ends! Join us this month as we discuss Giuseppe Tornatore's English-language debut, a musical tale about a talented pianist born and raised in the belly of an ocean liner...

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THE LEGEND OF 1900 ("La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano", 1998)
Dir. by Giuseppe Tornatore
Available to rent on Amazon Prime (Director's Cut - 170 min).
For the shorter American theatrical cut (120 min) - watch here

No one knows how he got there, but one thing's for sure - he's there to stay. Found abandoned as a baby in the empty concert hall of a massive ocean liner, the young orphan christened "1900" (for the new year his birth rings in) grows up amid the coal and soot of the ship's engine room and matures to the melody of ever-undulating waves. Despite never setting foot on dry land, 1900 unexpectedly proves himself a musical prodigy after surprising the staff with his fully-formed piano skills, and the stowaway soon becomes famous among seafarers and landlubbers alike for his dazzling playing. Now a young adult with a reputation as an entertainer that precedes him, 1900 often finds himself wondering what more there is to the world beyond the waves. But after 27 years knowing no home but the open sea, is it worth disembarking to find out what might await him in the cities he's only seen from past the guard rails?

A larger-than-life tale of passion, innocence, and the yearning for something greater, The Legend of 1900 brings great heart to its oddball premise with a sweeping score by Ennio Morricone and a painfully endearing central performance by Tim Roth. Let's talk about it!

*As always, this is a movie discussion group—we invite you to watch the film on your own ahead of time, and come ready to discuss.*