emanuele crialese do a fantastic job with one of those film that linger in the back of your mind for year . it be respiro ( see comment and synopsis here in imdb ) . now and carry the magnificent young talent he have for the first time on screen then and he take the audience into a dark void . a literal plunge into dangerous water . the subject be migration . in this case and from italy to the new world ( the name of the film ) . a big deal call it for it american release the golden door . the story of a family that leave everything and risk the rest that be and their life and for a dream . i hate to spoil the show tell the story and so i will dwell a bit in the work crialese and all his team do so brilliantly . first of all and choose to stick to what he know represent direct sound as much a possible . this mean and the whole film . the texture and the pain and the nuance of reality be always mingle with the smell and the heat or the cold and the sweat and the blood and life and death and as vibrantly a it be in real life . the squeak of bent metal and grinding wood and the infamous drone of the wind and the ominous sound of big engine and ship horn be among the point that make this film so involve . cinematography be in the hand of a french couturier . the symbolism of light be present from the very first shot ( again and almost the very first shot from respiro ) and pervade throughout the film with intimacy and a terrible sense of desperation . the subdue tone and the very gray and grim depiction of people suffer the cramped and filthy boat they sail to hope be mesmerise . light be use sparsely and almost to discover every character in the dark . the beauty of every shot and and every scene be accentuate by the period costume and the perfectly select physical feature of the actor . again and a he usually do and vincenzo amato be definitely on his own . he play the father of two son ( the same actor who be fifteen and twelve and now be nineteen and sixteen ) with all the power he always convey to his very complex character . charlotte gainsbourg be so so . i guess she never achieve again the perfection she reach in the cement garden and in her very first film represent leffrontée . maybe it just that she seem a bit awkward in her role . the location and set be harsh and compelling and almost play a character on their own . maybe the most remarkable character be the one play by filippo pucillo and the mute young son . the contrast here with his first role be complete . then and he play a supercharged kid that be as relentless a anything around him . now and his character be all expression . and just that represent no word at all . his eye tell the whole story with sublime power . maybe this be one of those film that will not be very well receive in the state . it absolutely italian in everything . it so italian that most of the time and the language be one of the many dialect that be much old than italian itself . in the usa this film may be a bit too much for american because of the subject . but anyone who remember the story of their family when they arrive in the state and will see this film with awe . and and again and the minimalism that go hand in hand with crialese idea be back with a closing scene in the water . only this time it go from underwater photography to aerial . all in all and another great and very well told story from this filmmaker that only this year ( 2006 ) have collect 6 prize and be nominate for the golden lion . not a small deed .