Personal Response
I’m so mad at myself for not watching the director’s cut, because I really missed out on what happened to Elena for the rest of the movie. I would have loved to see how she and Toto reconnected, and how their story continued after their youth. I feel like I missed an important emotional part of the film.
Thinking about the theme of doing the right thing, I do believe Alfredo did the right thing. He wanted Toto to succeed and outgrow the small town in a way he himself never could. I think Toto would have been happy either way, but by leaving he got to discover the world and become someone. The movie was very touching to me because of the relationship between Toto and Alfredo.
I love how Toto found a role model in Alfredo and how that made his lack of a father figure almost seamless. Alfredo changed his life. He truly saw himself in Toto, almost like a father would. I think Alfredo did not want Toto to know about his death because if Toto returned home too soon, he might have been tempted to stay permanently, and Alfredo did not want that for him.
As I said before, I still wonder what happened to Elena. Toto was so heartbroken that he never fell in love again, and I think he just became a player after that. I wish they had stayed together, or that Toto had found love again later in life. Maybe he was protecting his heart too much, and he did not allow himself to fall in love again.