Claudia Cardinale, one of the last great dives of the twentieth century, was a real queen of European and international cinema. The actress, who left us at the age of 87, sick for a long time, died in her house in Nemours, near Paris, surrounded by the affection of her children. Symbol of elegance and female emancipation, it leaves us in legacy extraordinary interpretations in the most famous films of Visconti, Fellini and Leone.
His career, lasting over sixty years, has crossed genres and continents, consecrating it as one of the most beloved and recognized figures of international cinema. With over 150 films behind him, he was able to impose himself thanks to talent, magnetic beauty and a scenic presence that made it unique.
Claude Joséphine Rose Cardinal was born in Tunis on April 15, 1938 by Sicilian parents. Grown between two languages and two cultures, it brought with it an exotic charm that distinguished it from the other actresses of the time.
In the 1960s, while Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida dominated the international scene, Cardinal imposed himself with a different style: refined, modern, capable of interpreting strong and independent women, far from female clichés.
His adventure in the cinema began in the middle of the Fifties, but the real springboard was Mario Monicelli’s usual unknown. From there he began an extraordinary career that would lead her to work with the greatest masters of seventh art.
1963 was a crucial year for Claudia Cardinale. In a few months he recorded two films destined to enter the history of cinema: The Gattopardo of Luchino Visconti, where he dressed Angelica Sedara alongside Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon, and 81⁄2 of Federico Fellini, in which he gave body and voice to a powerful and symbolic female figure.
Later, other iconic roles came, like Jill’s, the mysterious protagonist of C’era once the West of Sergio Leone.
Parallelly he played memorable films such as The Beautiful Anthony by Mauro Bolognini, The Girl with the suitcase of Valerio Zurlini, The Girl of Bube by Luigi Comencini and The Skin by Liliana Cavani.
The Cardinal did not stop at national borders. In a short time he also won Hollywood and international sets, acting alongside legends such as John Wayne, Sean Connery, Henry Fonda, Burt Lancaster, Orson Welles and Anthony Quinn.
Among the directors who directed it are Blake Edwards, Werner Herzog, Abel Gance and Manoel de Oliveira.
Her versatility allowed her to move between comedies, dramas, historical kolossal and western, always keeping her elegance and expressive strength intact.
During his career, Claudia Cardinale received numerous awards: five David of Donatello, five Silver Ribbons and three Golden Globs, as well as career awards such as the Golden Lion and the Golden Bear. In 2011, the Los Angeles Times included the 50 most beautiful women in film history.
His face and voice told an era of social and cultural changes, embodying the dream of female emancipation and the opening of Italian cinema to the world.
With his disappearance, an unrepeatable chapter of the history of cinema is closed. Claudia Cardinale leaves an artistic and human legacy that will continue to inspire generations of spectators and actors.
L’articolo Icone del cinema italiano: il memoria di Claudia Cardinale proviene da IlNewyorkese.
