Skip to main content

Anna Magnani- Unconventional Cinema Royalty

Updated April 17, 2016

It's recently been announced that the Film Society of Lincoln Center along with Istituto Luce Cinecittà will honor the distinguished career of Italian cinema icon Anna Magnani. "La Magnani", an all-celluloid retrospective will feature 24 works shown entirely on 35mm and 16mm film. The series will take place at Lincoln Center in New York City, May 18 – June 1 leading right up to the much anticipated "Open Roads: New Italian Cinema". Click here for more information and to buy tickets.

She is one of the most revered actresses in the history of cinema and her memory lives on in some of the most influential films of all time. 

Born in Rome in 1908, Anna Magnani became a highly respected Academy Award winning actress, but her beginnings were anything but glamorous. Magnani grew up in poverty. She was raised by her grandmother after her mother left at a young age, and she never knew her father. It was clear before long that Magnani was a natural born performer. She worked her way through Rome's Academy of Dramatic Art by singing in local clubs around Rome and its countryside. Her first role was in a 1920's silent film, but Vittorio De Sica's 1941 film, "Teresa Venerdì"  was the first to earn her critical acclaim. Four years later came her breakout role in Roberto Rossellini's 1945 classic, "Rome, Open City". The movie broke new ground, being the first work of the neorealistic era of filmmaking and put Anna Magnani on international radar, paving the way for a prolific career in film that would last right up until the end of her life in 1973.

Magnani won an Academy Award in 1955 for her role as Serafina Delle Rose played opposite Burt Lancaster in Tennessee Williams' screen version of "The Rose Tattoo".  Magnani was known for her realistic portraits of salt of the earth characters who faced hard economic and social times in a post-war world. She gave strong, passionate personalities to each character that she portrayed and made each one come alive and light up the screen through her vast talent and empathy. Although she is considered cinema royalty, she was never one to embrace the lifestyle of a movie star. She is quoted as saying, "I hate respectability. Give me the life of the streets, of common people."  There is no doubt, however, that she was indeed respected not only by her fans and critics, but by her peers as well. Magnani worked with some of the most talented filmmakers of her time including Marlon Brando, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Alberto Lattuada, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, Eduardo De Filippo, Luchino Visconti and Vittorio De Sica, all of whom are now considered legends in cinema. 

She gave so many incredible performances but if I had to pick my favorite, it would be her role in "Mamma Roma". This 1962 masterpiece by Pier Paolo Pasolini is by far my favorite Anna Magnani film, and is filled with exquisite beauty and tragic sadness. It's the story of a mother trapped in a world of prostitution as she tries to support her son and give him the things she never had. Magnani owns every scene, all of which are set against the social economic landscape of the early 60's. You cannot help but pull for her as she tries so desperately to escape the world that she just can't leave behind. Her beloved son gets mixed up with the wrong crowd and reaches out to her only to find that it's too late. The outstanding performances by Anna Magnani and Ettore Garofolo, who plays her son, will make you laugh one minute and cry the next.

Because of her international success and the success of the filmmakers with whom she collaborated, many of her films are easily attainable today giving new generations the opportunity to enjoy her timeless and enormous talent.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

New faces of Italian cinema

Angelo Iannelli With the 2012 film festivals just about wrapped up, we saw a big emphasis this year on newly emerging and independent filmmakers. This was most notable in the Venice Film Festival's Horizon's program, which gave these filmmakers an unprecedented amount of visibility as the program reached out to people all over the world via the internet.  To mark this current trend, I recently caught up with two independent filmmakers in Rome: Angelo Iannelli and Vito Napolitano. Each filmmaker has experience on both sides of the camera. Their origins are based in the south of Italy but they are now living in Rome. Angelo Iannelli was born in Benevento in the region of Campania, while Vito Napolitano is from Lecce in Puglia. What I enjoyed the most about our conversation is the passion with which the two young filmmakers speak about cinema. They are so enthusiastic and about their craft, they reel you right into their dreams. The three of us recently met up at the Li

A Conversation with Actor Mirko Frezza of David di Donatello Winner "Il più grande sogno"

The 2017 David di Donatello award show, which took place on Monday, was an exciting event that celebrated many great contemporary talents of Italian cinema.  I was fortunate to have seen most of the nominees.  Among my personal favorites  is Michele Vannucci's  Il più grande sogno  simply because it is based on one of the most inspiring, beautiful stories I've ever  heard, and the person behind that story is as authentic and down-to-earth as they come. The film won the 3 Future Award, which is determined by the public. With Director Michele Vannucci and Actor Mirko Frezza I first saw  Il più grande sogno last September when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. I didn't make it to Venice, but thanks to a great online platform called Festival Scope , which offers a handful of premieres to be screened on the web, I felt like I was there. The film itself blew me away, and then when I realized it was based on a true story, I knew that I would have to find out mor

Review: Francesco Rosi's 1967 'More Than a Miracle' starring Sophia Loren and Omar Sharif

Sophia Loren and Omar Sharif give extraordinary performances during the prime of their careers in Francesco Rosi’s “C’era una volta” (“More than a Miracle”). A delightful, whimsical film that transports you to another time, this enchanting 1967 period piece tells the tale of Rodrigo (Sharif), a Spanish prince initially opposed to marriage, and Isabella (Loren), the beautiful, defiant peasant girl who wins his heart. The film opens with Rodrigo attempting to tame a wild horse as his mother chides him for not taming a wife instead. When she relays orders from the king of Spain for him to marry, he mounts his unruly steed and gallops away, proudly displaying his independent spirit. Horse and supposed master run free through the countryside for a stretch, but the equally rebellious animal throws Rodrigo and abandons in a field, leaving him to fend for himself.  While searching for help, he finds himself in a remote monastery where he meets a flying monk (Yes, the monk actually flies.) who

Ornella Muti: Four 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 the political climate, the breathtaking seaside as well as the styles and cars of that time.  Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and succeeds in capturing 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 , which was directed by John Landis and featured Don Ameche, Chaz Palminteri, and Sylvester Stallone

Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni.. What cinema dreams are made of

The Toronto International Film Festival is wrapping up its retrospective of the cinematic collaboration of husband and wife team, Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni. Over the last few days, the couple have participated in discussions, Q & A sessions and have introduced several of their films. Today, I attended a screening of "La voce della luna" (The voice of the moon). It was  Federico Fellini's last film and is a wonderful tribute to the director's signature poetic madness. The film gave Benigni the opportunity to team up with fellow beloved comic, Paolo Villaggio, and the two created a truly unforgettable adventure. Today's screening began with an introduction by Benigni. The moments leading up to his introduction were noticeably serious and somewhat tense. Benigni's publicist and TIFF security staunchly guarded his privacy. There was no interaction and no photos were allowed. Guided by his entourage, he walked quickly from the Green Room to th