Roma Film Festival Honors Composer Ennio Morricone

Update 29 February 2016
Since Ennio Morricone won the Oscar last night for Best Original Score, there's been a lot of talk about his past work. Here is a link on Amazon to check out some of his materpieces..

In addition to Morricone's Oscar nomination, Paolo Sorrentino's "Youth" is also on the ballot tonight for Best Original Song by David Lang.. "Simple Song #3"
Check it out here.

And Ennio Morricone takes home the Oscar.... Check out some of his work..
Ennio Morricone on Amazon

Update 10 January 2016
Ennio Morricone wins Golden Globe for Best Original Score for Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight".

The 20th edition of the Roma Film Festival will pay tribute to the prolific career of renowned composer Ennio Morricone.

Born in Rome in 1928, Morricone has written the music for hundreds of films and television shows. His most recognizable titles include "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly", "Once Upon a Time in the West", "The Exorcist II", the comedy trilogy "La Cage aux Folles", "The Mission", "Once Upon a Time in America", "The Untouchables", "Bugsy", "Cinema Paradiso", "Hamlet" and most recently, Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight".

Morricone began his career in music rearranging previously composed work for RCA. His career took off when he began composing the music for films in the 1960's and then well into the 70's. It was during those years that he collaborated with directors like Sergio Leone, Duccio Tessari, Sergio Sollima and Sergio Corbucci on the epic Spaghetti Westerns. (Read Quentin Tarantin's list of his favorite Spaghetti Westerns) During those busy years, he also collaborated with several other Italian directors such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Dario Argento, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Elio Petri. After the 70's, Morricone reached beyond the borders of Italy for Hollywood and began composing for some of the biggest names in the film industry such as Brian De Palma, Barry Levinson, Mike Nichols and Oliver Stone. My favorite Morricone film composition is his 1988 collaboration with Giuseppe Tornatore on "Cinema Paradiso". The melody is unique and beautiful beyond words and still gives me the chills. I'll never forget the ending scene when Toto takes the film reel made by his childhood mentor back to Rome and watches those beautiful clips. It remains my favorite scene in the history of cinema.

Adriano Pintaldi and Ennio Morricone

My compliments to Adriano Pintaldi and everyone at Cineteca Nazionale and the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia for choosing such a worthy filmmaker to honor. I only wish that I was in Rome to attend this festival.

The Roma Film Festival will take place from 15-20 December at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia film school across from the Cinecittà Studios on Via Tuscolana. Admission is free of charge. If you are taking the Metro, take the A line in the direction of Anagnina and exit at Cinecittà.

Program

15 December
5:00pm - "I Basilischi" by Lina Wertmüller (1963)

7:00pm - "Per un pugno di dollari" by Sergio Leone (1964)

9:00pm - "La battaglia di Algeri" by Gillo Pontecorvo (1966)

16 December

5:00pm - "Diabolik" by Mario Bava (1968)

7:00pm - Q&A with Ennio Morricone moderated by Adriano Pintaldi with his documentary "Il fascino discreto di un genio" on the life and distinguished career of the maestro to follow

9:00pm - "L’uccello dalle piume di cristallo" by Dario Argento (1970)

17 December

4:30pm - "Sacco e Vanzetti by Giuliano Montaldo (1971)
6:45pm - "La Luna" by Bernardo Bertolucci (1979)

9:15pm - "Un sacco bello" by Carlo Verdone (1980)

18 December

5:00pm - "C'era una volta in America" by Sergio Leone (1984)

9:00pm - "Mission" by Roland Joffe (1986)

19 December

5:00pm - "The Untouchables" by Brian De Palma (1987)

7:00pm - "Legami!" by Pedro Almodovar (1990)

9:00pm - "Nuovo Cinema Paradiso" by Giuseppe Tornatore (1988)

20 December

5:00pm - "Dimenticare Palermo" by Francesco Rosi (1990)

7:00pm - "Wolf" by Mike Nichols (1994)

9:15pm - "Sostiene Pereira" by Roberto Faenza (1995)

Comments

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′ - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...

Luminous Legacies: Yoichi Ohira’s Murano Glass at Magazzino Italian Art

A new exhibition in Cold Spring, New York, is bringing the luminous legacy of Murano glassmaking into focus through the work of Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira. “Yoichi Ohira: Japan in Murano” is on view at Magazzino Italian Art until February 2027. The exhibit showcases the work of Ohira, who became a leading figure in the design of Venetian glassworks on the island of Murano. The exhibition features works that highlight the uniqueness of Ohira’s art across the decades of his career. Ohira’s earliest Murano works blend Venetian glass techniques with his own style. These pieces show balanced shapes, clear surfaces, and striking color combinations. His Venezia e l’Oriente (Venice and the Orient) decanters reflect Venice’s ties to the East, creating vases inspired by Marco Polo’s tales with a modern twist. The exhibition shows Ohira’s respect for Murano’s glass masters, displaying objects alongside preparatory drawings that map ideas to the final works of art. It also explores ho...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

In Conversation with Talia Shire

She has immortalized two of the most memorable characters in American cinema and now she’s promoting her new film that mirrors issues facing the working class. Talia Shire became a household name in the 1970s with her role as Connie Corleone in "The Godfather" and Adrian Balboa in "Rocky"– two characters that went on to experience tremendous growth in the sequels of both films. Shire and her brother, collaborator and director Francis Ford Coppola grew up in a family that embraced the arts. Their father Carmine Coppola was a renowned flutist and composer. He often took his children on the road when he performed. So there was always that creative energy and sense of adventure present in their childhood and adolescent years. “What you have to understand is that Francis is probably the greatest writer. He and Mario (Puzo) did Shakespeare and the Greeks. So people who love "The Godfather" are really listening to literature. He went on and did what ...

Isabella Ferrari- the Damsel and the Thinker

Isabella Ferrari is a versatile actress whose trademark pouty lips and intense, melancholy eyes have been gracing Italian screens for more than three decades. Born in Piacenza on March 31, 1964, Ferrari has perfected the art of playing contrasting roles like the damsel in distress and the complicated, intellectual. Influenced by Italian auteur cinema, which encompasses the neo-realistic approach to filmmaking, she delivers powerful performances with each role she tackles. Ferrari's small screen debut goes back to 1981 in Gianni Boncompagni's television program, "Under the Stars." Two years later, she made her big screen debut in the summer comedy, "Il ras del quartiere." Diego Abatantuono, the star of the Oscar winning film, "Mediterraneo," co-wrote and starred in the film, which put Isabella Ferrari on the map and she hasn't stopped working since. Open Roads 2005: Isabella Ferrari, Antonio Monda and Renato De Maria With doz...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog