The Golden Door attempts to play out with authenticity and old world charm as we watch an early 20th century Italian family brave the rough waters to America. With decent production value and some fine cinematography we are led on a brief-but-extended, pseudo-epic journey which may please older emigrated families, but rarely will please film buffs craving some of the restrained vision this film pretends to have.
For one it just seems the film's creator, Emanuele Crialese, is a bit young to be relaying this tale in such a detailed scope, and at times it really shows. Contrasting his often contrived and over-extended scenes with some inventive imagery might have been more successful had the surrealism been implemented a bit more maturely, but here the direction mostly comes across as silly or distracting.
For one it just seems the film's creator, Emanuele Crialese, is a bit young to be relaying this tale in such a detailed scope, and at times it really shows. Contrasting his often contrived and over-extended scenes with some inventive imagery might have been more successful had the surrealism been implemented a bit more maturely, but here the direction mostly comes across as silly or distracting.