The Legend of 1900

Tim Roth stars in the film by director Giuseppe Tornatore. It’s a fantastical, historical fable about a gifted pianist born and raised on a cruise ship.

Told in flashback, it’s the story of Danny Boodmann TD Lemon 1900 (Roth), so-named because he was found as an infant in 1900, lodged in a crate of lemons aboard a luxury cruise liner. Growing up at sea, it swiftly becomes apparent that 1900 is a gifted – possibly even genius – pianist. His legend spreads and jazz giant Jelly Roll Morton (Williams) even comes aboard to hear him play. Years later and narrator/former band member Max Tooney (Vince) is pawning the trumpet he blew alongside 1900 when he hears the ship is to be sunk. Could it be that 1900 is still somewhere on board, mooning over a mysterious beauty known only as ‘The Girl’ (Thierry) while working up a lonely rag?

Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore’s Oscar-winning Cinema Paradiso was one of the surprise hits of the 80s, and here he presents his first English language film, a lavish and unashamedly sentimental fable based on a monologue by Italian writer Alessandro Baricco.

By turns compelling, confounding, and occasionally just downright odd, Tornatore’s ocean-going epic contains much to admire. True, there are moments when it threatens to sink beneath a tide of sentiment, but an understated performance by Tim Roth and the music which forms the film’s heart make this an unusual but worthwhile venture.