Ettore Scola 1931-2016

Born in 1931 in the southern region of Campania, Ettore Scola followed in the footsteps of his mentor, friend and colleague, Federico Fellini, getting his start writing for the Rome-based satire newspaper, Marc'Aurelio. He grew up reading the paper to his blind grandfather, with many of those sketches and jokes written by a very young Fellini. Scola joined the staff of the paper after Fellini moved on, but the two met through mutual colleagues and grew to be close friends.

During his career as a writer and director, Scola won six David di Donatello’s (the Italian equivalent to the Oscar) and was nominated four times for an Oscar for Best Foreign Film. He has dozens upon dozens of titles to his credit, but a few of the most popular are the 1974 ensemble masterpiece, "C'eravamo tanto amati" (We all loved each other so much), the 1965 "Lo conoscevo bene" (I Knew Her Well) directed by Antonio Pietrangeli, starring Stefania Sandrelli and the 1977 Academy Award-nominated "Una giornata particolare" (A Special Day) starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. I recently saw his very latest work to reach American shores, the 2013 documentary, "How Strange to Be Named Federico" about his dear friend and colleague.

Scola on the set of "How Strange to be named Federico"

“Fellini loved driving and he treated his insomnia by taking his friends out in turns for midnight drives: true and tried kidnappings. He’d pick up drunks, compulsive liars, dethroned princes, even a few streetwalkers.. out of curiosity, out of an uncontrollable love for life. And with him, that car became a confessional booth. Life was a party, he loved to say, so why not live each moment as one?” Scola recalls many aspects of Fellini’s personality and idiosyncrasies. Many of the scenes take place in a car driving around Rome. Through the windows, we see the landmarks, the fountains, the piazzas and of course, the Romans. Rome was to Italy’s Fellini what New York City is to America’s Woody Allen- a metropolitan muse. I use Allen as an example because Fellini has been a huge influence on his work. In fact, Scola says in his documentary that Fellini’s plotline in "The White Sheik" inspired Allen’s "To Rome With Love."

In "How Strange to Be Named Federico," Scola speaks to the strong presence of the muse in Fellini’s work, which in his case was more than one. It’s safe to say there were four: actor Marcello Mastroianni, Giulietta Masina, his wife of 50 years, the city of Rome and the Romans. It is noted in Scola’s documentary that “Fellini adopted Mastroianni as an ideal alter-ego in his main films."

I recently saw Ettore Scola in person at Rome's Festa del Cinema, where he attended the premiere of his daughters' documentary about him- "Ridendo e Scherzando," featuring Pif. Scola was just what you'd expect from a filmmaker from the Golden Age of Italian cinema- a distinguished, elegant man with a gentle manner. One thing I really admire about the young Italian filmmakers is the great amount of respect they have for their predecessors. They adored the filmmakers we've lost, and continue to pay homage to the greats that are still with us.

Comments

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 t...

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...

Film at Lincoln Center honors Monica Vitti with retrospective featuring restored classics

Photo Courtesy of Archivio Luce-Cinecitt à A retrospective dedicated to the films of Italian cinema icon Monica Vitti will be held from June 6 to June 19 at Lincoln Center in New York City. The 14-film series, titled "Monica Vitti: La Modernista," is presented by Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà and marks the first North American retrospective celebrating Vitti's 35-year career. "We are pleased to partner with Cinecittà to celebrate one of Italy's most revered actresses," said Film at Lincoln Center Vice President of Programming Florence Almozini. "It is a privilege to present decades' worth of films from Monica Vitti's illustrious and prolific career, especially with many restored versions of her legendary works." Monica Vitti, a key figure in film history, began her career in the mid-1950s and quickly became a captivating presence on screen. Her collaboration with director Michelangelo Antonioni produced memorable films in the 196...

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...

Director Gianni Di Gregorio explores relationships in later life with 'Never Too Late for Love'

In “Astolfo” (“Never Too Late for Love”), director Gianni Di Gregorio delivers a coming-of-age film for the golden years of life about a retired professor who leaves Rome to return to a tiny mountain village in Abruzzo. The film opens with the title character, played by Di Gregorio, walking through the streets of his Roman neighborhood, groceries in hand, only to find his landlord waiting for him when he arrives home. She is there to announce that he will have to vacate his humble residence to make way for her daughter, who is getting married soon. After some contemplation, he calls his ex-wife to ask her about an old family castle he split with her in their divorce. When she confirms that a portion of the castle is his for the taking, he gleefully returns to his spacious new home only to discover it has been occupied by a squatter, who turns out to be an acquaintance from his childhood who is also down on his luck. Without hesitation, Astolfo adopts the man as his roommate. ...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog