"Ennio" — Portrait of a Genius

Though he wasn't a filmmaker, his name is inextricably bound with Italian cinema and some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. Known for his longtime collaborations with directors Giuseppe Tornatore, Sergio Leone, and Quentin Tarantino, Ennio Morricone created the soundtracks for Italian classics like "Cinema Paradiso" and "Malena" and American films like "The Hateful Eight," for which he won an Oscar, and "The Untouchables."

Now, we have a deeply moving documentary that immerses us in the life and music of this modest genius. Written and directed by Tornatore, "Ennio" traces Morricone's path to becoming a renowned composer, focusing on his work on numerous films. It features archival and original footage, poignant interviews with Morricone conducted between 2015 and 2016, and heartfelt conversations with his peers and collaborators. The film spans Morricone's 80+ years in music, from trumpet lessons at six years old to his death at 91 in 2020.

We learn that Morricone aspired as a child to be a doctor, but his father, a professional musician, enrolled him in trumpet lessons and set him on a different path. The documentary features a wonderful clip of Morricone as a boy playing the trumpet. "I was very weak at solfège," Morricone explains, referring to the sol-fa-la syllables of the musical scale. "My father became very strict. During the holidays, I wasn't allowed to play any bingo or card games, and then I improved."

When his father became ill, a young Morricone used his talent to help his family scrape by, but it wasn't a positive experience. "Playing the trumpet to earn enough to eat was a terrible humiliation," he said, "so I stopped loving the trumpet."

Morricone began composing music, studying it formally at an elite conservatory in Rome. There, he met composer Goffredo Petrassi, a teacher whose tough love and sage guidance had a huge impact on Morricone's life and career.

Morricone was perhaps best known for his longtime collaboration with Sergio Leone, the legendary Italian director who launched the Spaghetti-Western genre. The first time they worked together was on Leone's "A Fistful of Dollars," a western set in Mexico. The film was shot in Spain and starred a relatively unknown television actor named Clint Eastwood. When Leone suggested that he might use music by another composer for the final duel in the film, Morricone threatened to walk away. He then created a piece inspired by one of his previous compositions that turned out to be perfect for the dramatic scene while complimenting the film's introductory score.

"Ennio" creates a strong sense of nostalgia, transporting us to black-and-white variety shows of decades gone by and including interviews with peers who have passed away in recent years. It also features contemporary artists who speak to the multi-generational appeal of Morricone's work. One of these artists is Carlo Verdone, who collaborated with Morricone when he was young and is now in the twilight of his own career.

The film highlights how Morricone was truly ahead of his time, taking the world a while to appreciate his immense talent. New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis reminded readers that most American film critics panned "A Fistful of Dollars" when it opened in the United States in 1967. New York Times critic Bosley Crowther was infuriated by its violence and lack of morals and criticized Morricone's music for employing "tricks and themes that sound derivative."

Despite the rough start, Morricone achieved legendary status with his mesmerizing compositions, intense passion for writing, and down-to-earth demeanor. "I feel like I've known him and loved him forever," Quincy Jones commented in the documentary. That sentiment was mirrored by the many people of all ages and backgrounds who were interviewed for the film. Tornatore not only succeeded in creating a portrait of a genius but also captured Morricone's humanity and humble nature, which undoubtedly played a role in his successful collaborations and iconic compositions.

Click here to stream "Ennio" on Amazon Prime Video.

- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for Fra Noi Magazin. Click here to subscribe.

Comments

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 ...

Ornella Muti: Five decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with “La Moglie più bella” (The Most Beautiful Wife). Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, “Sole nella pelle” (Sun on the Skin), in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies, with its political climate, breathtaking seaside, and the styles and cars of that time. Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and captures the innocence and beauty of first love. Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with "Flash Gordon." She played the role of Princess Aura. She’s appeared in two other American films, including “Oscar,” directed by John Landis and starring Don Ameche, Chazz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone. In 1992, she w...

The Sweetness and Genius of Giulietta Masina

Fellini and Masina on the set of "La Strada" As open-hearted and sunny as Federico Fellini was dark and complex, they were perfect counterpoints during a half-century of marriage and professional collaboration. Nicknamed a “female Chaplin” and described by Chaplin himself as the actress who moved him most, Giulietta Masina confronted the tragedy of her characters with an eternal innocence and enthusiasm that gave Italians hope in the most challenging of times. Born in 1921 in San Giorgio di Piano, a commune north of Bologna, Masina was the oldest of four children born to a father who was a music professor and violinist and a mother who was a grade-school teacher. Her parents sent her as a child to live in Rome with her widowed aunt while she attended school there. As Masina took an early interest in gymnastics, her aunt saw in her a passion for performing and encouraged her to pursue acting. So after high school, Masina attended Rome’s La...

Model/Actress Anna Falchi

Anna Falchi was born Anna Kristiina Palomaki, on April 22, 1972, in Tampere, Finland. Her mother, Kaarina Palomaki Sisko, is Finnish, while her father, Benito "Tito" Falchi, is from Romagna, Italy. Growing up in Italy, Anna was a tomboy, and had a fervent imagination. She is known mostly for her prolific career in modelling. However, she tried her hand at acting and landed a role in one of my favorite Italian comedies, Nessun messaggio in segreteria . I consider it my one of my favorites because it brought together so many amazing, talented filmmakers during a time when they were all just starting out. Those filmmakers, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valerio Mastandrea, Luca Miniero and Paolo Genovese are now huge names in contemporary Italian cinema, so it's great to look back and see their work in a low-profile film completely different from the bigger-budget stardom they now know. Watch the trailer . Anna Falchi started her career as a...

A Conversation with Documentary Filmmaker Luigi Di Gianni

His documentary films have given voice to a people who would have otherwise been forgotten while preserving rituals and traditions no longer practiced. Visually stunning and emotionally moving, they reflect an Italy we’re not used to seeing in cinema. Born in Naples in 1926, Luigi Di Gianni captured a dimension of Italy that people outside the South didn’t even know existed. He began his career working in the region of Basilicata, which back then was referred to as Lucania. He first visited the region with his parents when he was a boy. His father, being from the Lucanian village of Pescopagano, wanted to show his son his homeland. That trip made an impression on the 9-year-old and created a deep affection that would one day inspire him to return. “I always remained very emotional about returning to this part of my homeland of Lucania,” he says. “It seemed like a different planet compared to Rome, where I lived. The tiring journey, the unpaved roads, the difficulti...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog