Synopsis

Abandoned as a baby aboard the ocean liner Virginian, 1900 grows up among the crew and becomes a brilliant pianist who never sets foot on land. Through passengers and music, he experiences the wider world while remaining tied to the ship. When friendship, love, and the possibility of a new life onshore challenge his isolation, 1900 must decide where he belongs.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is based on Alessandro Baricco's 1994 theatrical monologue Novecento, which was originally written for performance rather than as a conventional screenplay or novel.

• The Legend of 1900 was Giuseppe Tornatore's first English-language production.

• Tim Roth did not previously play piano and trained for approximately six months to convincingly perform the character's pieces on screen.

• The exterior design of the Virginian was inspired by the real ocean liners RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauretania. The ballroom set also incorporated details resembling the Mauretania's period interiors.

• Ennio Morricone composed the score, including the central piano themes that contrast 1900's intimate musical world with the scale of the ocean liner and its passengers.

• The film circulated in different versions. The original cut ran approximately 165 minutes, while the U.S. release was shortened to about 125 minutes.

• A 4K restoration was later created from the original 35mm picture negative and 5.1-channel sound materials.