Ace Italian cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno, who was instrumental to the making of masterpieces such as Luchino Visconti’s “The Leopard” and Federico Fellini’s “Amarcord,” but also worked in Hollywood and was an Oscar nominee for Bob Fosse’s “All That Jazz,” has died. He was 97.
Rotunno, who was nicknamed Peppino, died on Sunday in his Rome home, his family announced without disclosing the exact cause.
Born in Rome on March 23, 1923, Rotunno started his remarkable six-decade career as a still photographer at the Italian capital’s Cinecittà Studios in 1940 before being recruited in 1942 to serve as a newsreel cameraman with the Italian army where he cut his teeth as a cinematographer.
In 1943 at age 20, with World War II still raging, Rotunno was hired as an assistant Dp by Roberto Rossellini for the 1943 war film “L’Uomo dalla croce” (The Man with a Cross), a drama about a military chaplain.
After the war,...
Rotunno, who was nicknamed Peppino, died on Sunday in his Rome home, his family announced without disclosing the exact cause.
Born in Rome on March 23, 1923, Rotunno started his remarkable six-decade career as a still photographer at the Italian capital’s Cinecittà Studios in 1940 before being recruited in 1942 to serve as a newsreel cameraman with the Italian army where he cut his teeth as a cinematographer.
In 1943 at age 20, with World War II still raging, Rotunno was hired as an assistant Dp by Roberto Rossellini for the 1943 war film “L’Uomo dalla croce” (The Man with a Cross), a drama about a military chaplain.
After the war,...
- 2/8/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Marcello Mastroianni fans and film buffs in general will rejoice at this final gift from one of cinema's greatest stars.
This lengthy documentary, directed by the actor's longtime companion, is a marvelously reflective summing-up of his life and distinguished career, featuring a copious selection of clips from his movies and even stage appearances. Although the film is a bit long for theatrical release, it will be a permanent mainstay on video and television.
This year's New York Film Festival is mounting a salute to the great actor, with its presentation of both this and his final film, "Voyage to the Beginning of the World" (HR 10/8).
Extremely simple in concept, "I Remember" captures Mastroianni as he stares into the camera and offers mature observations and reflections about his life. Shot at various intervals, mostly while he was making what would be his final film, he is seen sitting on a Park Bench, at the beach, on a boat, etc. Interspersed throughout are clips from the films he is discussing, including many examples of his early work that even the most ardent film buff probably hasn't seen. Frustratingly, though, they are unidentified.
The elderly but still supremely handsome actor reveals himself to be a witty and wise commentator, as self-effacing and modest as he is charming and funny. Deriding the image of the "Latin Lover" that has plagued him throughout his career, he declares, "I've always enjoyed being ironic about my appearance," and a series of clips from films in which he submerged his good looks demonstrates the truth of his assertion.
The discussion ranges from his views on television ("that mini-cinema that I hate") to his habit of smoking 50 cigarettes a day ("It's really bad", he smiles as he takes a deep drag). He reveals that one project he failed to get made would have featured him as an elderly Tarzan (a delicious idea).
Among the rare clips on display are a fascinating screen test with Fellini for a film that never got made. and scenes from several of his stage appearances, including a musical called "Ciao Rudy" in which he sings and dances.
Mastroianni says he had always wanted to be an architect, because they "build things that last." He wonders if his work will have any permanence, dismissing it as "just shadows on the screen." Maybe so, but this film, and many of the 170 or so others he made before it, will last a long time indeed.
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI: I REMEMBER
First Look Pictures
Director-editor Anna Maria Tato
Producer Mario Di Biase
Photography Giuseppe Rotunno
Music Armando Trovajoli
Color/stereo
Running time -- 200 minutes
No MPAA rating...
This lengthy documentary, directed by the actor's longtime companion, is a marvelously reflective summing-up of his life and distinguished career, featuring a copious selection of clips from his movies and even stage appearances. Although the film is a bit long for theatrical release, it will be a permanent mainstay on video and television.
This year's New York Film Festival is mounting a salute to the great actor, with its presentation of both this and his final film, "Voyage to the Beginning of the World" (HR 10/8).
Extremely simple in concept, "I Remember" captures Mastroianni as he stares into the camera and offers mature observations and reflections about his life. Shot at various intervals, mostly while he was making what would be his final film, he is seen sitting on a Park Bench, at the beach, on a boat, etc. Interspersed throughout are clips from the films he is discussing, including many examples of his early work that even the most ardent film buff probably hasn't seen. Frustratingly, though, they are unidentified.
The elderly but still supremely handsome actor reveals himself to be a witty and wise commentator, as self-effacing and modest as he is charming and funny. Deriding the image of the "Latin Lover" that has plagued him throughout his career, he declares, "I've always enjoyed being ironic about my appearance," and a series of clips from films in which he submerged his good looks demonstrates the truth of his assertion.
The discussion ranges from his views on television ("that mini-cinema that I hate") to his habit of smoking 50 cigarettes a day ("It's really bad", he smiles as he takes a deep drag). He reveals that one project he failed to get made would have featured him as an elderly Tarzan (a delicious idea).
Among the rare clips on display are a fascinating screen test with Fellini for a film that never got made. and scenes from several of his stage appearances, including a musical called "Ciao Rudy" in which he sings and dances.
Mastroianni says he had always wanted to be an architect, because they "build things that last." He wonders if his work will have any permanence, dismissing it as "just shadows on the screen." Maybe so, but this film, and many of the 170 or so others he made before it, will last a long time indeed.
MARCELLO MASTROIANNI: I REMEMBER
First Look Pictures
Director-editor Anna Maria Tato
Producer Mario Di Biase
Photography Giuseppe Rotunno
Music Armando Trovajoli
Color/stereo
Running time -- 200 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/13/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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