A masterpiece by the late Luchino
Visconti returned to cinemas on Monday to mark the 40th
anniversary of the legendary director's death on March 17.
The 1960 film 'Rocco e i suoi fratelli' (Rocco and His
Brothers) has been restored under the supervision of Bologna's
Cineteca.
Separately, Milan city authorities have decided to name the
civic school of cinema in his honour.
Born into a prominent noble family in Milan in 1906,
Visconti spent part of his formative years in Paris where he
worked as an assistant to French director Jean Renoir.
Back in Italy, he directed his first film Ossessione in
1941, ushering in a new style that would go on to be known as
Neorealism.
Visconti joined the Communist Party during the Second World
War and in 1943 he took up arms in the resistance.
After the war he worked briefly in theatre before returning
to cinema with the 1948 film La Terra trema (The Earth
trembles), inspired by I Malavoglia by Giovanni Verga.
His output includes Bellissima (1951), Senso (1954), Le
notti bianche, Il Gattopardo (1961), the German trilogy (La
caduta degli dei, Morte a Venezia, Ludwig), Gruppo di famiglia
in un interno and L'innocente, filmed after he had been confined
to a wheelchair by a stroke.
His stylistic and thematic legacy can been seen in the work
of contemporary directors such as Luca Guadagnino and Giuseppe
Tornatore.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
