The world of cinema says its last goodbye to the actress of Italian classics such as ‘L’Avventura’ and ‘The Eclipse’.
Monica Vitti, known for films like ‘L’Avventura’, has died at the age of 90. The Italian actress achieved international fame thanks to her performances in the films of Michelangelo Antonioni, with whom she formed a legendary professional and personal partnership. “Goodbye Monica Vitti, goodbye to the queen of Italian cinema.
Monica Vitti – the artistic name of Maria Luisa Ceciarelli – turned 90 last November and had been away from public life for two decades, diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.
Today is a really sad day, we have lost a great artist and a great Italian,” Italian Culture Minister Dario Franceschini said in a statement. The former mayor of Rome, Walter Veltroni, has broken the news on Twitter with the permission of Vitti’s husband, Roberto Russo:
Real name Maria Luisa Ceciarelli, the actress was born in Rome on November 3, 1931, and discovered her passion for acting during World War II. In post-war Italy in society and neorealism in cinema, Vitti graduated from the National Academy of Dramatic Art in the Italian capital in 1953 and began her dream profession in the theater. However, her personal and professional life would turn around when she met Antonioni, who, in 1957, saw her in a Feydeau farce and invited her to dub the voice of reporter Dorian Gray in her film ‘The Scream ‘. “I was lucky to start my career with such a talented man,” she said in an interview on Italian television in 1982 (via France24 ).
But that small role was only the beginning of a beautiful friendship. In 1960, Vitti starred in ‘L’Avventura’, the film that would lead them both to international fame and admiration. The film won the Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and has since been considered one of the best Italian films ever made. In addition, Vitti was nominated for a BAFTA award for her performance, the first of many that would receive critical and public acclaim. Together with Antonioni, she also participated in ‘La noche’ in 1961, ‘El eclipse’ in 1962, and ‘El desert rojo’ in 1964. Without a doubt, some of the best movies in the history of cinema.
Vitti also appeared in various international productions such as Joseph Losey’s Modesty Blaise, a female James Bond alongside Terence Stamp and Dirk Bogarde, and also the comedy The Chastity Belt with Tony Curtis. Back in Italy, the actress also found success as a sidekick to comedian Alberto Sordi in the ’70s and ’80s, with films like ‘That Blonde Is Mine’ and ‘I Know You Know I Know’. Throughout her career, Monica Vitti won five David di Donatello Awards (the Italian film awards) for Best Actress, as well as a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 1995 Venice Film Festival.
Amelia Warner
Amelia Warner writes all the Latest Articles. She mostly covers Entertainment topics, but at times loves to write about movie reviews as well.
