The age of innocence showcase. Tribute to Claudia Cardinale

Following the success of the showcases offered by the Mario Gromo Library/Mediatheque over the past months, in March it is the turn of a tribute to one of the most representative and beloved Italian actresses: Claudia Cardinale.

Focusing on the time span between 1959 and 1961, during which the actress shot a good 15 films, The age of innocence. Tribute to Claudia Cardinale is proposing a significant selection of titles which illustrate this thespian’s maturity well and her sensitive capability for offering intensely dramatic introspective characters. Fragility and determination, naiveté and innocence, awareness and disenchantment are the emotional and-personality traits that young Cardinale – provided with charm, allure and a natural, luminous beauty – expresses in this first phase of her long and fortunate career. Extraordinarily photogenic, the actress imposed herself at the beginning of the Sixties as a new female diva model in Italian cinema, working with some of the most important authors of that period, who found a degree of expressiveness that was both sunny and enigmatic in her person, capable of expressing the establishment of a new, signally modern type of woman.

The showcase will be inaugurated by the screening of Vento del sud, the only film by Enzo Provenzale (a trusted collaborator of Francesco Rosi), in which Cardinale plays the role of an aristocratic and unhappy Sicilian scion.

All screenings are admission free until full seating capacity is reached, subject to free membership registration to the Library/Mediatheque and presenting an identity document.

Screenings calendar

Vento del sud

(Enzo Provenzale, Italy, 1959, 98’, b/w)

Sicily. Antonio works in the salt-flats of Trapani. He has been given the task of killing baron Macrì, as a vendetta. Albeit unwillingly, the youth finds himself obliged to accept the commission, as he fears for his own life. However, when he meets the baron and his two daughters, he starts being tormented by remorse, and having fallen in love with Grazia, the younger of the Macrì sister, he decides to elope with her to Palermo, determined to rebuild his life. But the mafia does not forgive his betrayal and Grazia will pay for it.

With Claudia Cardinale, Renato Salvatori, Annibale Ninchi, Ivo Garrani

05 March, 3.30 p.m.

I delfini

(Francesco Maselli, Italy, 1960, 110’, b/w)

In a city in the province in central Italy, the “dauphins” are upper middle-class youngsters, who spend their days in idleness and in lukewarm relationships. Everything in their life revolves around appearances and the ostentation of social status. Young Fedora watches this group, which she is excluded from, in admiration, as she is the daughter of a room-renter. During a party she meets rich, cynical Alberto de Matteis, who finds it easy work to seduce her. Forced to marry a man who really despises her, Fedora soon understands that the rich, elegant world she dreamt about is made of hypocrisy and inhumanity.

Claudia Cardinale, Gérard Blain, Tomas Milian, Anna Maria Ferrero

12 March, 3.30 p.m.

La ragazza con la valigia

(Valerio Zurlini, 1961, 121’, b/w)

Aida arrives in Parma searching for Marcello, who initially seduced her and then deluded her with vain promises. But the man makes himself scarce and gets his younger brother, Lorenzo, to receive her. The latter soon falls in love with Aida and tries to keep her in town in order to see her again, even when he discovers the girl is the mother of a child. Meanwhile, after discovering that Lorenzo is Marcello’s brother, Aida leaves Parma and goes to Rimini, where she hopes to find a job. But Lorenzo decides to follow her, although his sentiments towards the young woman are confused.

Claudia Cardinale, Jacques Perrin, Riccardo Garrone, Corrado Pani

19 March, 3.30 p.m.

La viaccia

(Mauro Bolognini, 1961, 100’, b/w)

Stefano Monti sends his son Amerigo to Florence, as a factotum at his uncle Nando’s shop. Finally free from the hard duties of country life at the “Viaccia” estate, Amerigo begins to patronise a brothel. He meets Bianca there, he falls in love with her and steals money from his uncle in order to keep seeing her. The latter notices, and sends him away and the youth returns to the “Viaccia”. Incapable of staying away from Bianca, Amerigo decides to return to Florence, where he starts to approach anarchist groups. During the Carnival festivities, Amerigo gets hurt in the clash with one of Bianca’s protectors. Mortally wounded, he returns to the “Viaccia” for the last time.

With Claudia Cardinale, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Pietro Germi, Paul Frankeur

26 March, 3.30 p.m.