Biography of Claudia Cardinale
Mediterranean film emblems
April 15, 1938Note to the warm beauty of a Mediterranean sort of Brigitte Bardot, the cardinal has always had a particular impact on the public. And not only that: it is enough to remember that Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini, for their respective masterpieces shot simultaneously ("the Leopard" and "Otto e mezzo"), not wanting to give her up, if you have a agreement would compete for coming week apiece, and thus forcing her to change her hair all the time because a film had to have a canopy corvina , another blonde. His was a career that despite the beauty no one would have predicted.
The unique timbre of his voice hoarse and low, slightly drawling, young Claudia looked just a flaw, instead became one of the most recognized his prints. However the insecurity towards their media induced him to abandon the experimental center of cinematography, determined to devote himself to teaching career. Born in Tunis on April 15, 1938 to parents of Sicilian origin, Claudia Cardinale took his first steps into the world of cinema right in Tunisia, participating in a short film at low cost. In 1958 he moved with his family to Italy and no great expectations decides to attend the experimental center of cinematography. You do not feel comfortable, environment disappoints and mostly can't control how would his diction, which suffers from a strong French accent.
The 1958 was the year of "I soliti ignoti", Mario Monicelli's masterpiece that opens the doors of the cinema to a group of actors then little known, including Vittorio Gassman, Marcello Mastroianni, Saviors and our young Claudia Cardinale, whose photos appeared on a weekly had been noticed by producer Franco Cristaldi, head of Vides (later to become her husband) that he took care to put it under contract. The film by Monicelli, needless to recall, was a resounding boom, immediately establishing itself as one of the masterpieces of Italian cinema. The Cardinal with this title would have been inscribed ex officio in the history of cinema. Fortunately arriving guest appearances including "Un maledetto imbroglio" by Pietro Germi and "dolphins" by Francesco Maselli, where the Cardinal goes gradually building his acting shedding clichés of the simple Mediterranean beauty.
He soon realizes her Luchino Visconti in 1960, which convenes on the set of "Rocco and his brothers", another masterpiece of historical caliber. It is the prelude for entry into that other jewel of historical reconstruction that is the film adaptation of "Il Gattopardo", in which the beauty of the Tunisian actress stands out in all its aristocratic shyness. During this period, the actress gives birth to an illegitimate later adopted by Charles, and faces with great dignity and courage the scandal and gossip that the affair causes in the mindset still stiff in those years. These were years of great popularity for the Cardinal who also plays "Otto e mezzo" (1963), Federico Fellini and takes part in several Hollywood productions such as "the Pink Panther" (1963, Blake Edwards, with Peter Sellers), "the circus and his great adventure" (1964) next to John Wayne and "professionals" (1966) by Richard Brooks. In 1968 thanks to Sergio Leone gets another big hit with "once upon a time in the West" (with Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson), in which he plays the role of the female lead.
That same year she starred in "the day of the OWL" by Damiano Damiani and cala with great professionalism as a commoner Sicily, offering here one of his best interpretations. Concluded the marriage with the actress joins Crystals in the ' 70 with Director Pasquale Squittirei who runs in the film "Il prefetto di ferro", "the weapon" and "Corleone". Are the only appearances of the decade with new motherhood actress decided to devote himself mainly to his private life. In the years ' 80 back on stage again, intact in its charm that seems to get excited over the years, and is actress for Werner Herzog in "Fitzcarraldo", "skin" and Liliana Cavani to Marco Bellocchio in "Henry IV". In 1991 returns to work with Blake Edwards alongside Roberto Benigni in "son of the Pink Panther". Acclaimed at the Berlin International Film Festival 2002, receives a well-deserved Golden bear for lifetime achievement.
Article contributed by the team of collaborators.