Actress Claudia Cardinale, one of the icons of Italian cinema, passed away this evening in Paris at the age of 87. Breaking the news is her agent via Agence France Presse. She had been ill for some time. Born in Tunis on April 15, 1938, with the name Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinale, she was the daughter of parents of Sicilian descent. Growing up in Tunisia, Claudia learned French, Tunisian Arabic and the Sicilian dialect as a child; she began to master Italian later, partly because the school she attended did not make daily use of it. His first encounter with the world of cinema took place in his teens. He participated in a short film entitled Les Anneaux d’or directed by René Vautier, with classmates. It was screened at the Berlin Film Festival, marking for her her first steps outside the school setting.
In the course of her youth she suffered violence in Tunis, when she was still a teenager, by a man whose identity she never wanted to reveal; from that affair her son Patrick was born, whom she raised for a time as if he were her brother to avoid scandal, given the era in which it happened. This background would also propel her to civic engagement on the issue of violence against women. In 1957, in Tunisia, at the age of nineteen, she won a contest proclaiming her “most beautiful Italian in Tunisia”: as a prize she got a trip to Venice to participate in the Film Festival. This was the opportunity that opened the door for her to enter the Italian film circuit. Her debut in major productions came immediately: in 1958 she starred in Mario Monicelli’s I soliti ignoti , a film that was a success with both critics and audiences. In the film she was dubbed because her Italian was not yet fluent. In the early 1960s Cardinale starred in numerous films, working with directors such as Mauro Bolognini, Valerio Zurlini, and Citto Maselli. It was a period in which she began to emerge not only for her beauty, but also as an actress capable of dramatic roles, moving from lighter parts to characters requiring greater introspection. Her first important role was in 1959, in the film Un maledetto imbroglio by Pietro Germi.
1963 is the year that many consider decisive: in that year Cardinale worked with Federico Fellini in Otto e mezzo and with Luchino Visconti in Il Gattopardo. Two directors with very different styles, but both recognized in her a stage presence capable of embodying both mystery and charm. With Il Gattopardo she enters the collective imagination as “Angelica,” a role that will contribute significantly to her international fame. At the same time, opportunities in non-Italian productions began, emphasizing her linguistic versatility and ability to switch from one type of cinema to another.
In the second half of the 1960s Cardinale worked in various genres: from westerns to historical films, from comedy to drama. It was in Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) that she played Jill McBain, a role that gave her further international exposure. Producer Franco Cristaldi played an important role in her professional life, as mentor and producer: it was thanks to the production company he directed (Vides) that Cardinale obtained important roles, and it was with Cristaldi that she also experienced a very intense personal relationship.
In the 1970s his artistic path continued with alternations. She bonded affectively and professionally with director Pasquale Squitieri, with whom she had a daughter, whom they called Claudia. In those years her career undergoes phases of stagnation also due to tensions with Cristaldi, who allegedly hindered some of her choices. But Cardinale manages to resume with appreciated roles in European and television productions as well. And as time went on he also expanded his work to films in multiple languages, always showing care in selecting roles and maintaining his artistic integrity.
In recent decades Cardinale has maintained an active presence in show business, albeit less frequently than in her golden years. She accepted parts that allowed her to express mature nuances of inner depth. Alongside cinema, she had commitments in television productions, theater and cultural projects. She also promoted initiatives for young artists and participated in activities related to social and cultural issues.
Throughout his life he has received numerous awards, including career awards, for his contribution to Italian and international cinema. She won two David di Donatello as best actress (in 1968 for Il giorno della civetta and in 1972 for Bello, onesto, emigrato Australia sposerebbe compaesana illibata), two Nastri d’Argento as best leading actress (in 1965 for La ragazza di Bube and in 1985 for Claretta) and one as best supporting actress (in 1982 for La pelle). In 1993 she won the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival: in 1984 she had already won the Pasinetti Award for Claretta and in 2000 she would win the Bianchi Award. She was also awarded a Golden Leopard for Lifetime Achievement, a Golden Bear for Lifetime Achievement, and a Golden Globe for Lifetime Achievement. Her honors were also diverse: in 1995 she was made a Commendatore, in 2002 a Grand Officer of the Order of Merit and in 2018 a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, and in 1999 she was awarded the Legion of Honor (later earning, in 2019, the honor of Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor).
Her work has been appreciated by audiences and critics alike, thanks to her ability to cross decades with different roles, reflecting not only changing tastes and fashions, but also a personal evolution of her own. Claudia Cardinale remains a reference figure for those who study the history of Italian cinema and for those who look at the way actresses have had to deal with industrial structures, public expectations and personal challenges. Her path shows how talent, character and determination can offer a career that, despite difficulties, insistent visibility and cultural changes, has been able to maintain an artistic and personal coherence.
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| Farewell to Claudia Cardinale, the iconic actress of Italian cinema has passed away. |
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