Giuliano Montaldo

Biography

Early life and career

Montaldo was born in Genoa in 1930. He had his first acting experiences in "mass theatre" productions conducted by the Italian Communist Party. While he was still a young student, Montaldo was recruited by the director Carlo Lizzani for a role in the war drama Attention! Bandits! (1951). Following this experience he began an apprenticeship as an assistant director of Lizzani, Elio Petri, and Gillo Pontecorvo, as well as appearing in Abandoned (1955).

He was Pontecorvo's second unit director for The Battle of Algiers (1966). The director originally wanted him to play the part of Colonel Mathieu, leader of the French Army paratroopers and principal antagonist of the film. Montaldo talked him out of it, believing audiences wouldn't take the film seriously with him in the role.

"I took him aside and said, Gillo, listen: All through the movie you hear about this paratroop leader, Colonel Mathieu. Everybody is afraid of him, everybody is waiting for him, the audience expects to see a fierce fighter coming. Now, imagine a screening on a Saturday afternoon at the Adriano in Rome. Everyone is afraid, waiting for this Mathieu to show up, and when he appears, someone in the theater shouts, ‘It’s that jerk Montaldo, look!’ and the cinema breaks out with laughter. Is that what you want? Eventually he changed his mind."In 1960, he made his debut as a director with Pigeon Shoot, about the partisan resistance, which entered a competition in Venice Film Festival in 1961

=== International breakthrough === In 1965, he wrote and directed The Reckless, a cynical representation of the economic boom of Italy, winning the Special Prize of the Jury at 15th Berlin International Film Festival. He then directed the heist film Grand Slam (1967), which starred an international cast including Edward G. Robinson, Klaus Kinski, and Janet Leigh.

His cinema career continued with Machine Gun McCain, a US-set gangster picture starring John Cassavetes as a convicted bank robber recruited to rob a mob-run Las Vegas casino. The film also starred Peter Falk (in the first of several collaborations with Cassavetes), Britt Ekland and Gena Rowlands. It was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival's Palme d'Or, the first of two times Montaldo would be nominated for the honor.

Montaldo then directed a thematic trilogy about the abuses of the military, judicial and religious power. The first film, The Fifth Day of Peace (1970), was based on the 13 May 1945 German deserter execution. The second, Sacco and Vanzetti (1971), was about the trial, conviction, and executions of two Italian-American anarchists over false charges of murder. The film was a widespread critical success, earning Montaldo his second Palme d'Or nod, and is credited with spreading awareness of the duo's story worldwide. The soundtrack, written by Ennio Morricone and Joan Baez, is also well-regarded. The third film of Montaldo's trilogy was Giordano Bruno (1973), about the Italian philosopher and scientist who was executed by the Catholic Church for heresy.

In 1971, he was a member of the jury at the 7th Moscow International Film Festival.

In 1975, he was a second unit director for the Terence Hill-starring Spaghetti Western A Genius, Two Partners and a Dupe.

In 1978, he directed the thriller Closed Circuit. Originally produced for television, the film was nominated for the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival.

In 1982, he directed the internationally co-produced television miniseries Marco Polo. The series, which aired on NBC in the United States, was the first Western film or television production to be shot on-location in the People's Republic of China, including location shooting in the Forbidden City. The series won Outstanding Limited Series at the 34th Primetime Emmy Awards.

In 1987, he directed Control, an ensemble drama starring Burt Lancaster, Ben Gazzara, Kate Nelligan, Ingrid Thulin and Erland Josephson; and The Gold Rimmed Glasses, which was nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

In 1989, he directed Time to Kill (1989), with Nicolas Cage, based on Ennio Flaiano's novel of the Second Italo-Ethiopian War.

=== Later works and retirement === Between 1999 and 2008, he was the President of RAI's film production subsidiary Rai Cinema.

In 2008, after a nearly 20-year hiatus, he directed the Fyodor Dostoevsky biopic The Demons of St. Petersberg.

In 2011, he directed his final film, The Entrepreneur.

He retired from directing thereafter, but continued to make acting appearances. He won the David di Donatello for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 2017 dramedy Friends by Chance.

== Accademia del Cinema Italiano == Montaldo was elected th 5th President of the Accademia del Cinema Italiano in 2016. He held the office until 2017. He was appointed Honorary President the following year, a position he held until his death in 2023.

== Honours == In 2002, Montaldo was ascended a Cavaliere di gran croce (Knight's Grand Cross) of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.

In 2008, he was awarded honorary citizenship of the city of Narni.

== Personal life == Montaldo was married to Vera Pescarolo, an assistant director and the daughter of actress Vera Vergani. Their daughter, Elisabetta Montaldo, is a costume designer.

In 2020, Fabrizio Corallo made the documentary Vera & Giuliano, about the private and professional life of the couple.

=== Death === Montaldo died on 6 September 2023, at the age of 93.

==Filmography== ===As director=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1961 |Tiro al piccione

Also co-writer
1963
Nudi per vivere
Documentary
-
1964
Extraconiugale

| |- |1965 |The Reckless | |- |1967 |Grand Slam | |- |1969 |Machine Gun McCain | |- |1970

The Fifth Day of Peace
1971
Sacco & Vanzetti
-
1973
Giordano Bruno
-
1976
And Agnes Chose to Die

| |- |1978 |Closed Circuit

TV movie
1979
A Dangerous Toy
Also co-writer
-
Arlecchino
Short film
-
Marco Polo
TV series
-
1984
L'addio a Enrico Berlinguer
Documentary
-
Control
-
The Gold Rimmed Glasses
-
1989
Time to Kill
-
1992
Ci sarà una volta
-
1997
Le stagioni dell'aquila
-
2008
The Demons of St. Petersberg
Also co-writer
-
2009
L'oro di Cuba
Documentary
-
2011
The Entrepreneur
Also co-writer
}

===Acting roles=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" !scope="col"|Year !scope="col"|Title !scope="col"|Role !scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- |1951 |Attention! Bandits! |Inspector Lorenzo | |- |The Blind Woman of Sorrento |The Priest | |- |At the Edge of the City |Don Antonio | |- |Chronicle of Poor Lovers |Alfredo | |- |High School |Religion teacher | |- |1955 |Abandoned |Soldier from Tuscany

Cameo appearance
1956
Kean: Genius or Scoundrel
Audience member
-
The Doll That Took the Town
Journalist
-
The Most Wonderful Moment
Don Grazzini

| |- |1959 |My Wife's Enemy

Table football player
1961
The Assassin
Journalist
-
The Reckless
Trade Union Secretary
Cameo appearance
-
The Dreamer
Party guest
Uncredited
-
1993
The Long Silence
Prosecutor

| |- |1995 |Un eroe borghese |Guido Carli | |- |2006 |The Caiman |Franco Caspio | |- |2012 |The Haunting of Helena |Professor Fabiano | |- |2016 |The Big Score |The General | |- |2017 |Friends by Chance |Giorgio Gherarduci |Final film role |}

== References ==

==External links== * *Il Dizionario online del cinema *

[[Category:1930 births]] [[Category:2023 deaths]] [[Category:Italian film directors]] [[Category:Italian screenwriters]] [[Category:Italian actors]] [[Category:Film people from Genoa]] [[Category:David di Donatello Career Award winners]]

References

1. (2023-09-06). "Giuliano Montaldo, Italian Director of 'Sacco & Vanzetti' and 'Machine Gun McCain,' Dies at 93".
2. (February 21, 1968). "Movie Review". [[The New York Times]].
3. "7th Moscow International Film Festival (1971)". MIFF.
4. "Tempo di Uccidere - Trailer - Cast - Showtimes - New York Times".
5. "Le onorificenze della Repubblica Italiana".
6. Umbria, T. G. R.. (2023-09-06). "L' Umbria di Giuliano Montaldo".
7. (6 September 2023). "Morto Giuliano Montaldo, il regista di 'Sacco e Vanzetti'". [[La Repubblica]].