Francesco Rosi (; 15 November 1922 – 10 January 2015) was an Italian

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

. His film ''

The Mattei Affair ''The Mattei Affair'' ( it, Il Caso Mattei) is a 1972 film directed by Francesco Rosi. It depicts the life and mysterious death of Enrico Mattei, an Italian businessman who in the aftermath of World War II managed to avoid the sale of the nascent ...

'' won the

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

at the 1972 Cannes Film Festival. Rosi's films, especially those of the 1960s and 1970s, often appeared to have political messages. While the topics for his later films became less politically oriented and more angled toward literature, he continued to direct until 1997, his last film being the adaptation of

Primo Levi Primo Michele Levi (; 31 July 1919 – 11 April 1987) was an Italian chemist, partisan, writer, and Jewish Holocaust survivor. He was the author of several books, collections of short stories, essays, poems and one novel. His best-known works ...

's book, ''

The Truce ''The Truce'' ( it, La tregua), titled ''The Reawakening'' in the US, is a book by the Italian author Primo Levi. It is the sequel to '' If This Is a Man'' and describes the author's experiences from the liberation of Auschwitz ( Monowitz), whi ...

''. At the 2008

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

13 of his films were screened, in a section reserved for film-makers of outstanding quality and achievement. He received the

Honorary Golden Bear The Honorary Golden Bear (german: Goldener Ehrenbar) is the Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international fil ...

for Lifetime Achievement, accompanied by the screening of his 1962 film '' Salvatore Giuliano''. In 2012 the

Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...

awarded Rosi the

Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguishe ...

for Lifetime Achievement.

Biography

Origins and early career

Rosi was born in

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

in 1922. His father worked in the shipping industry, but was also a cartoonist and had, at one time, been reprimanded for his satirical drawings of

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

and King Vittorio Emmanuel III. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

Rosi went to college alongside

Giorgio Napolitano Giorgio Napolitano (; born 29 June 1925) is an Italian politician who served as president of Italy from 2006 to 2015, the first Italian president to be re-elected to the presidency. Due to his dominant position in Italian politics, some critics ...

who was to become

Italian President The president of Italy, officially denoted as president of the Italian Republic ( it, Presidente della Repubblica Italiana) is the head of state of Italy. In that role, the president represents national unity, and guarantees that Italian poli ...

. He studied law and then embarked on a career as an illustrator of children's books. At the same time he began working as a reporter for . There he became friendly with

Raffaele La Capria Raffaele La Capria (3 October 1922 – 26 June 2022) was an Italian novelist and screenwriter. His second novel, '' The Mortal Wound'' (''Ferito a morte''), won Italy's most prestigious award, the Strega Prize, and is today considered a classi ...

, Aldo Giuffrè and

Giuseppe Patroni Griffi Giuseppe Patroni Griffi (26 February 1921 – 15 December 2005) was an Italian playwright, screenwriter, director, and author. He was born in Naples in an aristocratic family and moved to Rome immediately after the end of World War II and spent ...

, with each of whom he would later often collaborate. His show business career began in 1946 as an assistant to

Ettore Giannini Ettore Giannini (15 December 1912 – 15 November 1990) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He wrote for eight films between 1940 and 1967. Filmography * '' The White Angel'' (1943, director) * ''Crossroads of Passion'' (1948, ...

for the stage production of a work by

Salvatore Di Giacomo Salvatore Di Giacomo (12 March 1860 – 5 April 1934) was an Italian poet, songwriter, playwright and fascist, one of the signatories to the Manifesto of the Fascist Intellectuals. Di Giacomo is credited as being one of those responsible for ...

. He then entered the film industry and worked as an assistant to

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the fat ...

on '' La Terra Trema'' ("The Earth Trembles", 1948) and '' Senso'' ("Sense", 1954). He wrote several screenplays, including '' Bellissima'' ("Beautiful", 1951) and ''

The City Stands Trial ''The City Stands Trial'' ( it, Processo alla città) is a 1952 Italian drama film directed by Luigi Zampa and starring Amedeo Nazzari, is based on a revisiting of the Cuocolo murders and the struggle for control of Naples by the Camorra in th ...

'' ("Processo alla città", 1952), and shot a few scenes of the film '' Red Shirts'' ("Camicie rosse", 1952) by

Goffredo Alessandrini Goffredo Alessandrini (20 November 1904, in Cairo – 16 May 1978, in Rome) was an Italian scriptwriter and film director. He also acted, edited, and produced some films. He practiced athletics in his youth, and won a title of Italian champion ...

. In 1956 he co-directed, with

Vittorio Gassman Vittorio Gassman (; born Gassmann; 1 September 1922 – 29 June 2000), popularly known as , was an Italian actor, director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the greatest Italian actors, whose career includes both important productions ...

, the film ''Kean – Genio e sregolatezza'' ("Kean – Genius and recklessness"), about the Shakespearean actor

Edmund Kean Edmund Kean (4 November 178715 May 1833) was a celebrated British Shakespearean stage actor born in England, who performed, among other places, in London, Belfast, New York, Quebec, and Paris. He was known for his short stature, tumultuo ...

. His emergence as a director is considered to be his 1958 film ''

La sfida ''La sfida'' ("the challenge") is a 1958 Italian film by Francesco Rosi. It stars José Suárez as a gang leader who challenges a local Camorra boss for supremacy. It won the Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. The film is based on the real-l ...

'' (''The Challenge''), based on the story of

Camorra The Camorra (; ) is an Italian Mafia-typeMafia and Mafia-type orga ...

boss Pasquale Simonetti, known as ''Pasquale 'e Nola'', and Pupetta Maresca. The realist nature of this film caused a stir in alluding to mafia control of the government. Of the film, Rosi himself said, "A director makes his first film with passion and without regard for what has gone before". But David Shipman comments "... but this is in fact a reworking of ''La Terra Trema'', with the

Visconti Visconti is a surname which may refer to: Italian noble families * Visconti of Milan, ruled Milan from 1277 to 1447 ** Visconti di Modrone, collateral branch of the Visconti of Milan * Visconti of Pisa and Sardinia, ruled Gallura in Sardinia from ...

arias replaced by Zavattini's naturalism." The following year he directed ''

The Magliari ''I magliari'' (internationally released as ''The Magliari'') is a 1959 Italian drama film directed by Francesco Rosi. The film won the silver ribbon for best cinematography. In 2008 it was selected to enter the list of the 100 Italian films to be ...

'' ("I magliari"), in which the main character, an Italian immigrant in Germany, travels between Hamburg and Hanover and clashes with a Neapalitan mafioso boss over control of the fabric market. Shipman writes:

''I magliari'' (1959) also concerns racketeers, and they are rival con-men (
Alberto Sordi Alberto Sordi (15 June 1920 – 24 February 2003) was an Italian actor, voice actor, singer, comedian, director and screenwriter. Early life Born in Rome to a schoolteacher and a musician and the last of five children, Sordi was named in hon ...
,
Renato Salvatori Renato Salvatori (20 March 1933 – 27 March 1988) was an Italian actor. Born in Seravezza, Province of Lucca, Salvatori began his career in his teens playing juvenile, romantic roles. After working with directors such as Luchino Visconti, Rob ...
) preying on their compatriots, immigrant workers in Germany. Sordi, like the protagonist in ''La sfida'', manages to antagonise his colleagues more than his rivals – and this was to be a continuing theme in Rosi's films. For the moment it means that both films end dispiritedly, and they are further weakened by an uncertain grasp of narrative – though that is partly hidden in the vigorous handling of individual scenes and the photography of
Gianni Di Venanzo Gianni Di Venanzo (18 December 1920, Teramo, Abruzzo – 3 February 1966, Rome), was an Italian cinematographer. Di Venanzo was one of the leading Italian post-war cinematographers with the unique distinction to be part of the neo-realist, po ...
.

1960s

Rosi was one of the central figures of the politicised post- neorealist 1960s and 1970s of Italian cinema, along with

Gillo Pontecorvo Gilberto Pontecorvo (; 19 November 1919 – 12 October 2006) was an Italian filmmaker associated with the political cinema movement of the 1960s and 1970s. He is best known for directing the landmark war docudrama ''The Battle of Algiers'' (19 ...

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

, the

Taviani brothers Paolo Taviani (; born 8 November 1931) and Vittorio Taviani (; 20 September 1929 – 15 April 2018), collectively referred to as the Taviani brothers, were Italian film directors and screenwriters who collaborated on film productions. At the C ...

Ettore Scola Ettore Scola (; 10 May 1931 – 19 January 2016) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film ''A Special Day'' and over the course of his film career was nominated for fiv ...

and

Valerio Zurlini Valerio Zurlini (19 March 1926 – 26 October 1982) was an Italian film director, stage director and screenwriter. Biography During his law studies in Rome, he started working in the theatre. In 1943, he joined the Italian resistance. Zurlin ...

. Dealing with a corrupt postwar Italy, Rosi's movies take on controversial issues, such as '' Salvatore Giuliano'', a film that won the

Silver Bear for Best Director The Silver Bear for Best Director (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Regie) is an award presented annually at the Berlin International Film Festival since 1956. It is given for the best achievement in directing and is chosen by the International Jury ...

at the 12th Berlin International Film Festival in 1962. The film examined the life of the Sicilian gangster

Giuliano People with the Italian given name or surname Giuliano () have included: In arts and entertainment Surname * Geoffrey Giuliano, American author * Maurizio Giuliano, writer and Guinness-record-holding traveler Given name * Giuliano Gemma, actor ...

, using the technique of a long series of flashbacks, one that became very popular thereafter. Shipman suggests that the film, with a "superb unity of the landscape and people of Sicily" ... "made Rosi's international reputation." In 1963 he directed

Rod Steiger Rodney Stephen Steiger (; April 14, 1925July 9, 2002, aged 77) was an American actor, noted for his portrayal of offbeat, often volatile and crazed characters. Cited as "one of Hollywood's most charismatic and dynamic stars," he is closely assoc ...

in the film ''

Hands over the City ''Hands over the City'' ( it, Le mani sulla città) is a 1963 drama film directed by Francesco Rosi. It is a story of political corruption in post-World War II Italy. Plot A ruthless Neapolitan land developer and elected city councilman, Edoar ...

'' ("Le mani sulla città"), in which he courageously denounced the collusion between the various government departments and the crooked urban reconstruction programmes in Naples. The film was awarded the

at the

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

. The film, together with ''Salvatore Giuliano'', is generally considered the first of his films concerning political issues, later to be expressed in the flexible and spontaneous acting of

Gian Maria Volonté Gian Maria Volonté (9 April 1933 – 6 December 1994) was an Italian actor, including roles in four Spaghetti Western films: Ramón Rojo in Sergio Leone's ''A Fistful of Dollars'' (1964) and El Indio in Leone's '' For a Few Dollars More'' ( ...

. Rosi himself explained the film's purpose: "What interests me passionately is how a character behaves in the relation to the collectivity of society. I'm not making a study of character but of society. To understand what a man is like in his private drama you must begin to understand him in his public life". In '' The Moment of Truth'' ("Il momento della verità", 1965), Rosi changed what was planned as a documentary about Spain in to a film about bullfighter Miguel Marco Miguelin. Shipman comments: "The wide screen and colour footage of the corrida were incomparably superior to those seen outside Spain hitherto." After this Rosi moved into the unfamiliar world of the movie fable with '' More Than a Miracle'' (also titled ''Cinderella Italian Style'' and ''Happily Ever After'', Italian: "C'era una volta" – "Once Upon a Time ..."). The film starred

Sophia Loren Sofia Costanza Brigida Villani Scicolone (; born 20 September 1934), known professionally as Sophia Loren ( , ), is an Italian actress. She was named by the American Film Institute as one of the greatest female stars of Classical Hollywood ci ...

and

Omar Sharif Omar Sharif ( ar, عمر الشريف ; born Michel Yusef Dimitri Chalhoub , 10 April 193210 July 2015) was an Egyptian actor, generally regarded as one of his country's greatest male film stars. He began his career in his native country in the ...

, fresh from the success of the 1965 film ''

Doctor Zhivago ''Doctor Zhivago'' is the title of a novel by Boris Pasternak and its various adaptations. Description The story, in all of its forms, describes the life of the fictional Russian physician and poet Yuri Zhivago Yuri Andreievich Zhivago is the ...

'', although Rosi had initially asked for the part to be played by

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

1970s

His 1970 film ''

Many Wars Ago ''Many Wars Ago'' ( it, Uomini contro, lit=Men Against) is a 1970 anti-war film set on the Alpine Front of the First World War. Directed, produced, and co-written by Francesco Rosi, the film is based on Emilio Lussu's memoir ''Un anno sull'altip ...

'' ("Uomini contro") dealt with the absurdity of war in the context of the Trentino Front of 1916–17 during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, where Italian army officers demanded far too much of their men. It was based on the novel ''Un anno sull'altopiano'' by

Emilio Lussu Emilio Lussu (4 December 1890 – 5 March 1975) was an Italian soldier, politician, anti-fascist and writer. Biography The soldier Lussu was born in Armungia, province of Cagliari (Sardinia) and graduated with a degree in law in 1914. Lussu ma ...

. The lead is played by

Mark Frechette Mark Frechette (December 4, 1947 – September 27, 1975) was an American-Canadian film actor. He is best known for playing the lead role in the 1970 film ''Zabriskie Point'', directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, in which he was cast despite his l ...

and the cost of the film was such that Rosi needed to secure Yugoslavian collaboration. Shipman writes: "The Alpine battlefield has been imaginatively and bloodily re-created, and photographed in steely colours by

Pasqualino De Santis Pasquale "Pasqualino" De Santis (24 April 1927 – 23 June 1996) was an Italian cinematographer. Biography Born in Fondi, he was the brother of film director Giuseppe De Santis. They worked together in ''Non c'è pace tra gli ulivi'', ''Uomini ...

, but Rosi's urge to say something important – doubtless intense after the last two films – resulted only in cliché: that military men are fanatics and war is hell." The years 1972 to 1976 cemented Rosi's reputation internationally as a director who dealt with controversial subjects such as the mysterious death of oil magnate

Enrico Mattei Enrico Mattei (; 29 April 1906 – 27 October 1962) was an Italian public administrator. After World War II he was given the task of dismantling the Italian petroleum agency Agip, a state enterprise established by the Fascist regime. ...

(''

'', 1972, which won the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

); the political machinations around gangster

Lucky Luciano Charles "Lucky" Luciano (, ; born Salvatore Lucania ; November 24, 1897 – January 26, 1962) was an Italian-born gangster who operated mainly in the United States. Luciano started his criminal career in the Five Points gang and was instrumenta ...

(''

'', 1974), and corruption in the judiciary, ''

Illustrious Corpses ''Illustrious Corpses'' ( it, Cadaveri eccellenti) is a 1976 Italian-French thriller film directed by Francesco Rosi and starring Lino Ventura, based on the novel ''Equal Danger'' by Leonardo Sciascia (1971). The film was screened at the 1976 ...

'' ("Cadaveri Eccellenti", 1976).John Patterso
"Made in Italy"
''The Guardian'', 14 February 2009 During the preparation of ''The Mattei Affair'' Rosi was in contact with

Mauro De Mauro Mauro De Mauro (; 6 September 1921 – disappeared 16 September 1970) was an Italian investigative journalist. Originally a supporter of Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime, De Mauro eventually became a journalist with the left-leaning newspap ...

, the Sicilian journalist murdered in mysterious circumstances for reasons which, it is suspected, included an investigation on behalf of Rosi, into the death of the president of the Italian state-owned oil and gas conglomerate Eni. ''

'' (1973) starred Gian Maria Volonté with Steiger in a sub-plot about another dubious Italo-American.

Edmond O'Brien Eamon Joseph O'Brien (September 10, 1915 – May 9, 1985) was an American actor and film director. His career spanned almost 40 years, and he won one Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. O'Brien w ...

featured as a UN man.

Norman Mailer Nachem Malech Mailer (January 31, 1923 – November 10, 2007), known by his pen name Norman Kingsley Mailer, was an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor. In a career spanning over six decades, Mailer ...

described the film as "the most careful, the most thoughtful, the truest, and the most sensitive to the paradoxes to a society of crime". In 1976 came the remarkable success ''Illustrious Corpses'' ("Cadaveri eccellenti"), based on the novel '' Equal Danger'' by

Leonardo Sciascia Leonardo Sciascia (; 8 January 1921 – 20 November 1989) was an Italian writer, novelist, essayist, playwright, and politician. Some of his works have been made into films, including '' Porte Aperte'' (1990; ''Open Doors''), ''Cadaveri Eccellent ...

, with Lino Ventura. The film is praised highly by Shipman, who describes it as: "a film so rich, so powerful and so absorbing that it leaves the spectator breathless. ... This is a film, rare in the history of cinema, in which location – as opposed to decor – is a character in its own right, commenting on the action." Writing in ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

'',

Russell Davies Robert Russell Davies (born 5 April 1946) is a British journalist and broadcaster. Davies was born in Barmouth, North Wales. He attended Manchester Grammar School, according to his own statement on a November 2010 ''Brain of Britain'' programme ...

said, "Few directors select their shots with such flamboyant intelligence as this". In 1979 Rosi directed ''

Christ Stopped at Eboli ''Christ Stopped at Eboli'' ( it, Cristo si è fermato a Eboli) is a memoir by Carlo Levi, published in 1945, giving an account of his exile from 1935-1936 to Grassano and Aliano, remote towns in southern Italy, in the region of Lucania which is ...

'', based on the memoir of the same name by

Carlo Levi Carlo Levi () (29 November 1902 – 4 January 1975) was an Italian painter, writer, activist, communist, and doctor. He is best known for his book '' Cristo si è fermato a Eboli'' (''Christ Stopped at Eboli''), published in 1945, a memoir of h ...

, again with Volonté as the protagonist. It won the Golden Prize at the

11th Moscow International Film Festival The 11th Moscow International Film Festival was held from 14 to 28 August 1979. The Golden Prizes were awarded to the Italian-French film '' Christ Stopped at Eboli'' directed by Francesco Rosi, the Spanish film '' Siete días de enero'' directed ...

and was to win

BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Language Film The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language is given annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and presented at the British Academy Film Awards. The award was first given at the 36th British Academy Film Awards, rec ...

in 1983. Rosi had been invited by the state-owned television service

RAI RAI – Radiotelevisione italiana (; commercially styled as Rai since 2000; known until 1954 as Radio Audizioni Italiane) is the national public broadcasting company of Italy, owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. RAI operates many ter ...

to select a subject for filming, and the four-part television programme was cut into a 141-minute feature film which he described as "a journey through my own conscience". Shipman writes, "the film retains all the mystery of Rosi's best work – an enquiry where at least half the answers are withheld. In this enquiry there is a respect for the historical process, but the usual magisterial blend of art and dialectic is softened by a sympathy much deeper than that of '' Il Momento Della Verità''. The occasional self-conscious shot that we associate with peasantry cannot mar it."

1980s and 1990s

After another successful film '' Three Brothers'' ("Tre fratelli", 1981), with

Philippe Noiret Philippe Noiret (; 1 October 1930 – 23 November 2006) was a French film actor. Life and career Noiret was born in Lille, France, the son of Lucy (Heirman) and Pierre Noiret, a clothing company representative. He was an indifferent student and ...

Michele Placido Michele Placido (; born 19 May 1946) is an Italian actor, film director, and screenwriter. He began his career on stage, and first gained mainstream attention through a series of roles in films directed by the likes of Mario Monicelli and Marco ...

and

Vittorio Mezzogiorno Vittorio Mezzogiorno (16 December 1941 – 7 January 1994) was an Italian actor. Biography Mezzogiorno was born in Cercola, the youngest of seven children. His older brother Vincenzo, who wanted to become a director, introduced him to the thea ...

, Rosi wanted bring the novel ''

'' by

, to the big screen, but the suicide of the writer in April 1987 forced him to give the project up. The film was finally made only in 1997. He directed a film adaptation of ''

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the Carmen (novella), novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first perfo ...

'' (1984) with

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

and subsequently he worked on ''

Chronicle of a Death Foretold ''Chronicle of a Death Foretold'' ( es, Crónica de una muerte anunciada) is a novella by Gabriel García Márquez, published in 1981. It tells, in the form of a pseudo-journalistic reconstruction, the story of the murder of Santiago Nasar by th ...

'' (1987), adapted from the novel by

Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one ...

, which brought together a great cast including Gian Maria Volonté,

Ornella Muti Ornella Muti (born Francesca Romana Rivelli; 9 March 1955) is an Italian actress. She made her film debut as Francesca Cimarosa in the 1970 film ''La moglie più bella.'' Early life Muti was born in Rome to a Neapolitan journalist father and I ...

Rupert Everett Rupert James Hector Everett (; born 29 May 1959) is an English actor, director and producer. Everett first came to public attention in 1981 when he was cast in Julian Mitchell's play and subsequent film '' Another Country'' (1984) as a gay pupil ...

, Anthony Delon and

Lucia Bosè Lucia Bosè (28 January 1931 – 23 March 2020) was an Italian actress. Life and career Lucia Bosè was born in Milan to Francesca Borloni and Domenico Bosè. After a number of years working in a bakery, Pasticceria Galli, in her native city, ...

. The film was shot in Mompox,

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

. In 1990 he directed ''

The Palermo Connection ''Dimenticare Palermo'' (''Forgetting Palermo'') is a 1989 Italian political thriller film starring James Belushi, directed by Francesco Rosi and co-written by Gore Vidal. The film was released under the title ''The Palermo Connection'' in North ...

'' ("Dimenticare Palermo") with

Jim Belushi James Adam Belushi (; born June 15, 1954) is an American actor. He is best known for the role of Jim on the sitcom ''According to Jim'' (2001–2009). His other television roles include ''Saturday Night Live'' (1983–1985), '' Total Security'' ...

Mimi Rogers Miriam Rogers (née Spickler; born January 27, 1956) is an American actress. Her notable film roles are ''Gung Ho'' (1986), '' Someone to Watch Over Me'' (1987), ''Desperate Hours'' (1990), and '' Full Body Massage'' (1995). She garnered the grea ...

, Philippe Noiret and

Giancarlo Giannini Giancarlo Giannini (born 1 August 1942) is an Italian actor and voice actor. He won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in ''Love and Anarchy'' (1973) and received an Academy Award nomination for ''Seven Beauties' ...

. He then returned to the theatre direction with the comedies of

Eduardo De Filippo Eduardo De Filippo (; 24 May 1900 – 31 October 1984), also known simply as ''Eduardo'', was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and playwright, best known for his Neapolitan works ''Filumena Marturano'' and '' Napoli Milionaria''. Consid ...

: ''Napoli milionaria!'', ''Le voci di dentro'' and ''

Filumena Marturano ''Filumena Marturano'' (, ), sometime performed in English as ''The Best House in Naples'', is a play written in 1946 by Italian playwright, actor and poet Eduardo De Filippo. It is the basis for the 1950 Spanish language Argentine musical film ...

'', all performed by Luca De Filippo. His last film as director was 1997's ''

'', based on

holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

survivor Levi’s memoir, and starring

John Turturro John Michael Turturro (; born February 28, 1957) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known for his contributions to the independent film movement. He has appeared in over sixty feature films and has worked frequently with the Coen brothers, ...

. Rosi described the film in a 2008 interview with ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' as being about "the return to life."

Recognition, later life and death

In 2005, for the film ''

'', he was awarded an

Honorary Degree An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

in "Urban and Environmental Planning" by the

Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria Mediterranea University of Reggio Calabria ( it, Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria), also referred to as Mediterranea University or University of Reggio Calabria, or simply UNIRC, is an Italian public research university, loc ...

. The 58th edition of the

in 2008 played tribute to Rosi by screening 13 films in its ''Homage'' section, a feature being reserved for film-makers of outstanding quality and achievement. He received the

for Lifetime Achievement on 14 February 2008, accompanied by the screening of ''Salvatore Giuliano''. In 2009 he was awarded the Cavaliere della Legion d'Onore, in 2010 the "Golden Halberd" at the

Trieste Film Festival The Trieste Film Festival is an international film festival founded in 1989. Held annually on the third week of January in Trieste, it has become the leading festival of Central and Eastern Europe cinema in Italy. References External linksOffi ...

and in May 2012 the Board of the

unanimously approved the proposal of its director Alberto Barber, to award Rosi the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at its 69th show. Barber praised Rosi for his "absolute rigor in historic reconstruction, never making any compromises on a political or ethical level, combined with engaging storytelling and splendid visuals." On 27 October 2010 he became an honorary citizen of

Matelica Matelica is a (municipality) of the Province of Macerata in the Italian region of Marche. Located about southwest of Ancona and west of Macerata, it extends over an area of . Geography Matelica lies in an ample valley where the Braccano cre ...

, the birthplace of

, while in 2013, in the presence of the Italian Minister of Cultural Heritage Massimo Bra, he was given the honorary citizenship of

Matera Matera (, ; Materano: ) is a city in the region of Basilicata, in Southern Italy. As the capital of the province of Matera, its original settlement lies in two canyons carved by the Gravina River. This area, the Sassi di Matera, is a comple ...

, where he had shot three of his films. In 2014 he took part in the film ''Born in the USE'', co-produced by Renzo Rossellini and directed by Michele Dioma. In the last part of his life he lived on the Via Gregoriana in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

near the

Spanish Steps The Spanish Steps ( it, Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti) in Rome, Italy, climb a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church, at the top. The monumental stairway ...

. In April 2010 his wife Giancarla Mandelli, died at the Hospital Sant Eugenio, as a result of burns caused by her dress catching fire from a cigarette. Rosi died, on 10 January 2015, at the age of 92, whilst at home, as a result of complications from

bronchitis Bronchitis is inflammation of the bronchi (large and medium-sized airways) in the lungs that causes coughing. Bronchitis usually begins as an infection in the nose, ears, throat, or sinuses. The infection then makes its way down to the bronchi. ...

. A memorial service was held in Rome on 10 January, with a day-long viewing of the body at the Casa del Cinema. Fellow director

Giuseppe Tornatore Giuseppe Tornatore (born 27 May 1956) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the directors who brought critical acclaim back to Italian cinema.Katz, Ephraim, "Italy," ''The Film Encyclopedia'' (New York: HarperRes ...

was among many acclaimed Italian film-makers who attended. Italian President

, Rosi's friend and former classmate, sent white roses. Italian director

Giuseppe Piccioni Giuseppe Piccioni (born 2 July 1953) is an Italian film director and screenwriter. He has directed nine films since 1987. His 2004 film ''The Life That I Want'' was entered into the 27th Moscow International Film Festival. Selected filmography ...

said Rosi's work gave Italy "identity and dignity" continuing, "Rosi was one of those artists who lived his work like a mission." Director

Paolo Sorrentino Paolo Sorrentino (; born 31 May 1970) is an Italian film director, screenwriter, and writer. His 2013 film ''The Great Beauty'' won the Academy Awards, Academy Award, the Golden Globe Awards, Golden Globe, and the British Academy of Film and Te ...

dedicates his 2015 movie ''

Youth Youth is the time of life when one is young. The word, youth, can also mean the time between childhood and adulthood ( maturity), but it can also refer to one's peak, in terms of health or the period of life known as being a young adult. You ...

'' with a simple end credit "For Francesco Rosi".

Impact and legacy

Rosi's films, especially those of the 1960s and 1970s, often appear to have political messages. As he matured as a director his film topics became less politically oriented and more angled toward literature. Despite the more traditional slant of his later work, Rosi continued to direct until 1997. The '' Variety Movie Guide'' says of Rosi: "Most films by Francesco Rossi probe well under the surface of people and events to establish a constant link between the legal and the illegal exercise of power." Writing Rosi's obituary in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'',

David Robinson David Maurice Robinson (born August 6, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player who played for the San Antonio Spurs in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1989 to 2003, and minority owner of the Spurs. Nicknamed ...

and John Francis Lane said:

In his best films, the director Francesco Rosi ... was essentially a crusading, investigative journalist concerned with the corruption and inequalities of the economically depressed Italian south. He believed that “the audience should not be just passive spectators”: he wanted to make people think and question.

The

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

, recognising that Rosi had made historical films, war pictures and family dramas, in a directorial career that spanned almost four decades, said "he will be remembered above all as the master of the ‘cine-investigation’ and an influence on several generations of artists, including the likes of

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominatio ...

Francis Ford Coppola Francis Ford Coppola (; ; born April 7, 1939) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is considered one of the major figures of the New Hollywood filmmaking movement of the 1960s and 1970s. Coppola is the recipient of five A ...

Roberto Saviano Roberto Saviano (; born 22 September 1979) is an Italian writer, essayist, journalist, and screenwriter. In his writings, including articles and his book '' Gomorrah'', he uses literature and investigative reporting to tell of the economic reali ...

and

. Interviewed by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' after Rosi's death, actor

who played Primo Levi in Rosi's last film ''

'', called Rosi "something of a mentor". He said, "I would never have read all of Primo Levi’s work if not for him. There are a lot of films I never would have otherwise seen... He was a wonderful actor. He helped you physically as an actor. If he had trouble explaining something, he could act it out, and all the actors understood."

Awards

BAFTA

Awarded by

British Academy of Film and Television Arts British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

: *1983 :

– ''Christ Stopped at Eboli'' *1986 : nominated for Best Foreign Language Film – ''Carmen''

Cannes Film Festival

Awarded at the

: *1972 :

– ''The Mattei Affair''

Venice Biennale

*1963 :

– ''Hands over the City'' *2012 : Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement

David di Donatello Award

*1965 :

Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...

– ''The Moment of Truth'' *1976 : Best Director – ''Illustrious Corpses'' *1976 :

Best Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

– ''Illustrious Corpses'' *1979 : Best Director – ''Christ Stopped at Eboli'' *1979 : Best Film – ''Christ Stopped at Eboli'' *1981 : Best Director – ''Three Brothers'' *1981 : Best Screenplay – ''Three Brothers'' *1985 : Best Director – ''Carmen'' *1981 : Best Film – ''Carmen'' *1985 : Best Cinematography – ''Carmen'' *1997 : Best Film – ''The Truce'' *1997 : Best Director – ''The Truce''

Moscow International Film Festival

*1979 :

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

– ''Christ Stopped at Eboli''

Silver Ribbon

The

Nastro d'Argento The Nastro d'Argento, also known by its translated name Silver Ribbon, is an Italian film award awarded each year since 1946 by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Italian: ''Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani ...

, awarded by the Sindacato Nazionale Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani: *1959: Best Original Film – ''The Challenge'' *1963: Best Director – ''Salvatore Giuliano'' *1981: Best Director – ''Three Brothers'' *2014:

Lifetime Achievement Award Lifetime achievement awards are awarded by various organizations, to recognize contributions over the whole of a career, rather than or in addition to single contributions. Such awards, and organizations presenting them, include: A * A.C. ...

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

*1981 : nomination for

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...

– ''Three Brothers''

Berlin Film Festival

Awarded at the

: *1962 :

– ''Salvatore Giuliano'' *2008 :

BIF (Bari International Film Festival)

*2010 : "Premio

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most i ...

" for artistic excellence

Honours

* * 1995: Cavaliere di gran croce dell'Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana * * 1987: Grande ufficiale dell'Ordine al merito della Repubblica Italiana * * 2009:

Officier de la Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

Filmography

Director

Rosi directed 20 films, starting with some scenes in

's ''Red Shirts''. His last film was ''The Truce'' in 1997. * 1952 – '' Red Shirts'' (Camicie rosse) * 1956 – ''

Kean Kean may refer to: * Kean (name) * Kean (play), ''Kean'' (play), 1838 play by Alexandre Dumas père based on the life of the actor Edmund Kean, and its adaptations: ** Kean (1921 film), ''Kean'' (1921 film), a German silent historical film ** Kean ...

'' (Kean – Genio e sregolatezza), co-directed with

. * 1958 – '' The Challenge'' (La sfida) * 1959 – ''

'' (I magliari) * 1962 – '' Salvatore Giuliano'' * 1963 – ''

'' (Le mani sulla città) * 1965 – '' The Moment of Truth'' (Il momento della verità) * 1967 – '' More than a Miracle'' (C'era una volta...) * 1970 – ''

'' (Uomini contro) * 1972 – ''

'' (Il caso Mattei) * 1973 – ''

'' * 1976 – ''

'' (Cadaveri eccellenti) * 1979 – ''

'' (Cristo si è fermato a Eboli) * 1981 – '' Three Brothers'' (Tre fratelli) * 1984 – ''

'' * 1987 – ''

'' (Cronaca di una morte annunciata) * 1989 – '' 12 registi per 12 città'', a collaboration work with 11 other directors. * 1989 – ''

'' (Dimenticare Palermo) * 1992 – ''

Neapolitan Diary Neapolitan means of or pertaining to Naples, a city in Italy; or to: Geography and history * Province of Naples, a province in the Campania region of southern Italy that includes the city * Duchy of Naples, in existence during the Early and Hig ...

'' (Diario napoletano) * 1997 – ''

'' (La tregua)

Writer

* '' Bellissima'' (1951) * ''

'' (1952) * ''

Racconti romani ''Racconti romani'' (''Roman Tales'') is a series of sixty-one short stories written by the Italian author, Alberto Moravia. Written and published initially in the Italian newspaper, '' Il Corriere della Sera'', they were published as a collectio ...

'' (1955) * '' The Bigamist'' (1956)

Director and screenwriter

;Original subjects * ''

'' (1958) * ''

'' (1959) * '' Salvatore Giuliano'' (1962) * ''

'' (1963) * '' The Moment of Truth'' (1964) * '' More Than a Miracle'' (1967) * ''

'' (1971) * ''

'' (1973) * ''Diario napoletano'' (1992) ;Non-original subjects *''Kean – Genio e sregolatezza'' (1956, subject by Dumas and

Sartre Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (, ; ; 21 June 1905 – 15 April 1980) was one of the key figures in the philosophy of existentialism (and phenomenology), a French playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and litera ...

) * ''

'' (1970, subject by

) * ''

'' (1976, from the novel by

) * ''

'' (1979, taken from the eponymous novel by

) * '' Three Brothers'' (1981, based on the story ''The Third Son'' by

Andrei Platonov Andrei Platonov (russian: Андре́й Плато́нов, ; – 5 January 1951) was the pen name of Andrei Platonovich Klimentov (russian: Андре́й Плато́нович Климе́нтов), a Soviet Union, Soviet Russian people, Rus ...

") * ''

'' (1984, taken from the opera by

Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', which has become on ...

) * ''

'' (1987, based on the novel by

) * ''

'' (1990, taken from the eponymous novel of

Edmonde Charles-Roux Edmonde Charles-Roux (17 April 1920 – 20 January 2016) was a French writer. Early life Charles-Roux was born in 1920 at Neuilly-sur-Seine, the daughter of Francois Charles-Roux, the former French ambassador to Czechoslovakia, a member of t ...

) * ''

'' (1997, taken from the eponymous novel by

)

Theatre

Director

*''In Memory of a Lady Friend'' (

, 1963) *''Naples Millionaire'' (

, 2003) *''The Voices Within'' (Eduardo De Filippo, 2006) *''

'' (Eduardo De Filippo, 2008)

References

External links

Q&A with Rosi
from ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

''
Biography of Francesco Rosi
from ''

Senses of Cinema ''Senses of Cinema'' is a quarterly online film magazine founded in 1999 by filmmaker Bill Mousoulis. Based in Melbourne, Australia, ''Senses of Cinema'' publishes work by film critics from all over the world, including critical essays, career ...

'' *
Literature on Francesco RosiFrancesco Rosi, 1922–2015
– obituary at

BFI The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery (United Kingdom), National Lot ...

ROSI, Francesco
at treccani.it Film Encyclopedia (2004) (with Bibliography) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rosi, Francesco 1922 births 2015 deaths Italian film directors David di Donatello Career Award winners David di Donatello winners Directors of Palme d'Or winners Directors of Golden Lion winners Filmmakers who won the Best Foreign Language Film BAFTA Award Honorary Golden Bear recipients Nastro d'Argento winners Silver Bear for Best Director recipients Film people from Naples People of Calabrian descent

Biography

Origins and early career

1960s

1970s

1980s and 1990s

Recognition, later life and death

Impact and legacy

Awards

BAFTA

Cannes Film Festival

Venice Biennale

David di Donatello Award

Moscow International Film Festival

Silver Ribbon

Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

Berlin Film Festival

BIF (Bari International Film Festival)

Honours

Filmography

Director

Writer

Director and screenwriter

Theatre

Director

References

Further reading

External links