The legend of 1900: a life full of music

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Would you live your life in the same place?
Or to be more specific, would you live 40 and more years on a ship?

Danny Boodman T. D. Lemon 1900 lived his whole life on a boat, an ocean liner. And before you ask me, yes that was his name. Danny Boodman: after the man that found him. T.D. Lemon: by the name of the company on the box he was found in and of course 1900 by the year he was found. And it was the last part of his name that they used to call him : 1900.

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But lets start from the beginning: during a trip, the coal man Danny Boodman (an exquisite Bill Nunn) finds an abandoned baby in a lemon box and decides to adopt him. Danny names him Danny Boodman T. D. Lemon 1900 (such a big name for a small boy) and keeps him close by: in the boiler room. The boy grows up inside the ship. He is curious and learns the insides outs of it. But fate strikes once again, as Boodman is fatally injured and the boy is orphaned once again. 1900 keeps a low profile and never leaves the boat, even when they reach their destination.

But the little boy grows up and has a divine, immense gift for music. He has discovered the piano in the great hall and he is unfolding the talent. He plays in the ship's orchestra and befriends a trumpet player that joins the ship orchestra, Max Tooney (played by Pruitt Taylor Vince), his first real friend. It is their common love for music that keeps them tied up, 1900 who doesn't get off the ship and Max who stays in the ship's orchestra just to be with his friend.

(pss...There is an amazing scene about the time, 1900 and Max met each other, check it out⬇️ ⬇️ )

Music is all around his life. Either 1900 plays for the rich passengers or the ones of the third class, 1900 transpires his soul through the keys of the piano. He uses passengers as his inspiration, catching from them tunes, songs and makes them his own. And then, the famous jazz musician, Jelly Roll Morton, invites him to a musical duel. watch this scene is very special. Especially at the end with the lighting of the cigarette (I won't say anything else, watch it! )

This is the famous scene with the cigarette!

In all these year, 1900 has never thought of leaving the ship. Not until he sees the Girl, a third-class passenger and falls in love with her.

Will he disembark? I won't reveal any more...

But these are my thoughts about the film:

I simply adore Tim Roth as an actor (who hasn't loved him in Reservoir Dogs?). He plays 1900 adding the melancholy and the loneliness that the protagonist feels. He doesn't have to do anything, you can tell it just by his eyes. I believe that's why the director, Juseppe Tornatore, chose him as the lead actor.

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As for the director,Juseppe Tornatore, had become famous in USA with his award winning film "Cinema, The Paradise". He is a European director and has a different aesthetic than Hollywood. This was his first film in the USA. I am not sure that he was totally free to do whatever he wanted in this films. In some scenes, I felt that he wanted to include more.

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But the main protagonist was the music. The legend of film music, Ennio Morricone created a soundtrack, a list of music tunes that mixes both classical music, folk music, jazz music and produces a splendid result.
Ennio Morricone

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Should you watch it? YES!

It 's not an action film, the original plot was based on a monologue and perhaps some of you might find it tiring. But if not for anything else, the music only will mesmerize you.

Psss! I watched the film 3 days ago and I still have the music playing inside my head.

Thanks for reading!!!