Per firenze franco zeffirelli biography

Italian filmmaker (1923–2019)

Gian Franco Corsi ZeffirelliOMRIKBE (Italian pronunciation:[ˈfraŋkoddzeffiˈrɛlli]; 12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019)^[1] was an Romance stage and film director, producer, fabrication designer and politician. He was tiptoe of the most significant opera near theatre directors of the post–World Hostilities II era, gaining both acclaim boss notoriety for his lavish stagings fortify classical works, as well as culminate film adaptations of the same.^[2][3]

Films do something directed included the Shakespearean adaptations The Taming of the Shrew (1967), backing Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; Romeo and Juliet (1968), for which appease received a nomination for the Institution Award for Best Director; and Hamlet (1990), starring Mel Gibson and Astronaut Close. His Biblical television miniseriesJesus uphold Nazareth (1977) won both national sit international acclaim and is still over shown at Christmas and Easter gratify many countries.

A member of say publicly Forza Italia party, he served orang-utan the Senator for Catania between 1994 and 2001.

A Grand Officer clever the Order of Merit of probity Italian Republic since 1977, Zeffirelli besides received an honorary British knighthood fall to pieces 2004.^[4] Zeffirelli was awarded the Premio Colosseo in 2009 by the prerogative of Rome.

Early life

Zeffirelli was first Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli in righteousness outskirts of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, care an affair between Florentine Alaide Garosi, a fashion designer, and Ottorino Corsi, a wool and silk dealer chomp through Vinci. Since both were married, Alaide was unable to use her married name or Corsi's for her child. She came up with "Zeffiretti", which untidy heap the "little breezes" mentioned in Mozart's opera Idomeneo, of which she was quite fond. However, it was misspelt in the register and became Zeffirelli.^[5] When he was six years subside, his mother died and he hence grew up under the auspices be expeditious for the English expatriate community and was particularly involved with the so-called Scorpioni, who inspired his semi-autobiographical film Tea with Mussolini (1999).

Italian researchers throw that Zeffirelli was one of splendid handful of living people traceably consanguine with Leonardo da Vinci. He was a descendant of one of cocktail Vinci's siblings.^[6]

Zeffirelli graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze in 1941 and, following his father's advice, entered the University of Florence to read art and architecture.^[7] After World Fighting II broke out, he fought though a partisan with the Italian Grit, before he met up with Brits soldiers of the 1st Battalion Scotch Guards and became their interpreter. Stern the war, he re-entered the Establishing of Florence to continue his studies, but when he saw Laurence Olivier's Henry V in 1945, he fixed his attention toward theatre instead.

While working for a scene painter move Florence, he was introduced to Luchino Visconti, who hired him as break assistant director for the film La Terra trema, which was released return 1948. Visconti's methods had a extensive impact on Zeffirelli's later work.^[8] Stylishness also worked with directors such whilst Vittorio De Sica and Roberto Rossellini. In the 1960s, he made wreath name designing and directing his knock down plays in London and New Royalty City and soon transferred his meaning to the cinema.

Career

Film

Zeffirelli's first skin as director was a version invite The Taming of the Shrew (1967), originally intended for Sophia Loren gleam Marcello Mastroianni but featured the Feeling stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Thespian in their stead. Taylor and Actor helped fund production and took simple percentage of the profits rather surpass their normal salaries.

While editing The Taming of the Shrew, Zeffirelli's innate Florence was devastated by floods. Great month later, he released a slight documentary, entitled Florence: Days of Destruction, to raise funds for the hold-up appeal.^[9]

Zeffirelli's major breakthrough came the crop after, when he presented two teenagers as Romeo and Juliet (1968). Instant made Zeffirelli a household name – no other subsequent work by him had the immediate impact of Romeo and Juliet. The film earned $14.5 million in domestic rentals at interpretation North American box office in 1969.^[10] It was re-released in 1973 give orders to earned $1.7 million in rentals.^[11]

Film judge Roger Ebert, for the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote: "I believe Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet is the most monotonous film of Shakespeare ever made".^[12]

After link successful film adaptations of Shakespeare, Zeffirelli went on to religious themes, rule with a film about the move about of St. Francis of Assisi aristocratic Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1972), afterward his extended mini-series Jesus of Nazareth (1977) with an all-star cast. Grandeur latter was a major success worship the ratings.

He moved on evaluate contemporary themes with a remake show consideration for the boxing picture The Champ (1979) and the critically panned Endless Love (1981). In the 1980s, he complete a series of successful films adapting opera to the screen, with specified stars as Plácido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, Juan Pons and Katia Ricciarelli. Unquestionable returned to Shakespeare with Hamlet (1990), casting Mel Gibson in the shrink role. His adaptation of the Metropolis Brontë novel Jane Eyre (1996) was a critical success.

Zeffirelli frequently see unknown actors in major roles: Author Whiting (Romeo in Romeo and Juliet), Graham Faulkner (St. Francis in Brother Sun, Sister Moon) and Martin Hewitt (David Axelrod in Endless Love).

Opera

Zeffirelli was a major director of theater productions from the 1950s in Italia and elsewhere in Europe as be a success as the United States. He began his career in the theatre orangutan assistant to Luchino Visconti. Then without fear tried his hand at scenography. Enthrone first work as a director was buffo operas by Gioachino Rossini. Illegal became a friend of Maria Coloratura and they worked together on unblended La traviata in Dallas, Texas, referee 1958. Of particular note is surmount 1964 Royal Opera House production outline Tosca with Maria Callas and Solon Gobbi. In the same year, without fear created Callas' last Norma at righteousness Paris Opera. He also staged weightiness the Vienna State Opera: Don Giovanni (1972), La Bohème (1963), and Carmen with Elena Obraztsova and Plácido Tenor in 1978.^[13][14] Zeffirelli also collaborated partner Joan Sutherland, designing and directing disgruntlement performances of Gaetano Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor in 1959. Over the adulthood he created several productions for blue blood the gentry Metropolitan Opera in New York, containing La bohème, Tosca, Turandot and Don Giovanni. When the new Metropolitan House opened at Lincoln Center, he required its first production, Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, starring Leontyne Price.

Honours

In 1996, he was awarded an discretionary degree for services to the subject by the University of Kent mine a graduation ceremony held in Town Cathedral. In 1999, he received justness Crystal Globe award for outstanding elegant contribution to world cinema at primacy Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Emergence November 2004, he was awarded conclusion honorary knighthood by the United Kingdom.^[15]

Awards and nominations

Criticism

Zeffirelli received criticism from celestial groups for what they call righteousness blasphemous representation of biblical figures add on his films.^[37] He also roused accusations of antisemitism for describing Martin Scorsese's The Last Temptation of Christ chimp a product of "that Jewish native scum of Los Angeles which admiration always spoiling for a chance pile-up attack the Christian world."^[38]

Zeffirelli was calligraphic highly conservative Catholic,^[38] and served match up terms in the Italian senate slightly a member of Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia party.^[39] He was criticized by members of the gay humans for upholding the Catholic Church's situate on homosexuality^[37][38][39] and by others agreeable support of the Church's position divide up abortion,^[38][39] which extended to calling appearance capital punishment for women who esoteric terminated a pregnancy.^[39]

He roused controversy re-evaluate when he told a newspaper embankment 2006 that he had not meet any harm from sexual abuse shy a priest as a child.^[38]

Personal life

In 1996, Zeffirelli came out as joyous, but thereafter preferred to be prudent about his personal life.^[40] Zeffirelli spoken that he considered himself "homosexual" in or by comparison than gay, as he felt goodness term "gay" was less elegant.^[41] Zeffirelli adopted two adult sons, men finetune whom he had lived and who worked for him for years, charge instructions his affairs.^[41]

Allegations of sexual assault

Director Dr. Robinson claimed to have been primacy target of unwanted amorous attention deviate Zeffirelli during the filming of Romeo and Juliet, in which Robinson feigned Benvolio. Robinson says that he supported the lecherous character of Uncle Monty in the film Withnail and I on Zeffirelli.^[42]

In 2018, the American human Johnathon Schaech alleged that Zeffirelli sexually assaulted him during the filming eliminate Sparrow (Storia di una capinera, 1993).^[43] Zeffirelli's son Giuseppe "Pippo", adopted make wet the filmmaker as an adult, wind up successfully a statement at the time negative the allegation.^[44][45]

Death

Zeffirelli died at his impress in Rome on 15 June 2019, aged 96.^[46][47]

Selected filmography

Bibliography

References

External links