Monica Vitti

(Rome, 1931)

After attending the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome and gaining her diploma as an actress in 1953, Monica Vitti initially worked in the theatre and later in television. She made her cinema debut in 1955, although it was not until “Le dritte” (1958) by Mario Amendola that she was given her first important role. The real turning point in her career came when she met Michelangelo Antonioni, who first directed her on the stage and subsequently chose her as the lead actress in some of the finest of all Italian films, characterised by the poetry of incommunicability that was to become the great director’s hallmark. “The adventure (L’avventura)” (1960), “The night (La notte)” (1960), “The eclipse (L’eclisse)” (1962), “Red desert (Deserto rosso)” (1964) brought her fame and success but only partly exploited her abilities. It was probably for this reason that in the mid 1970s she decided to switch genre, returning to the light comedy that was clearly her forte. After a few uncertain performances, she gained enormous public recognition with “Girl with a pistol (La ragazza con la pistola)” (1968) by Mario Monicelli, in which she plays the unlikely role of a Sicilian woman seeking revenge in London. She achieved ever greater success in “Help me my love (Amore mio, aiutami)” (1969) by Sordi, on the theme of marital infidelity; “The drama of jealousy (Dramma della gelosia)” (1970) by Ettore Scola, which sees her at the centre of a working-class love triangle; “La supertestimone” (1971) and “Gli ordini sono ordini” (1972), by the eminent film director from Trieste Franco Giraldi; “Stardust (Polvere di stelle)” (1973), an emotional recreation of the world of variety directed and played by Alberto Sordi; “Duck in Orange Sauce (L’anatra all’arancia)” (1975) by Luciano Salce, an adaptation of the eponymous comedy by Home and Sauvajon. After this, she found herself being offered fewer and fewer roles. In 1990, she made a directing debut with “Secret scandal (Scandalo segreto)”, but with little success. Original and versatile, Monica Vitti made a strong mark on the Italian comedy genre, the only woman in a world dominated by male figures. —http://www.italica.rai.it/eng/cinema/biographies/vitti.htm