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Post by pacinoyes on Nov 16, 2021 19:22:54 GMT
Senso, Eyes Without A Face, The Third Man etc.........worked with Visconti, Antonioni, Chabrol, Pasolini, Bertolucci..........later in her career she has a cool weird giallo and horror filmography where she pops up in - Suspiria, Inferno, Lisa and The Devil among others ..........and a video nasty too ( Killer Nun !) Any fans of her work - any sleeper performances of hers you'd recommend? I just re-watched her in Walk Softly, Stranger where she cooly delivers the line "He was just telling me how he was in love with me" .........in a way that she must have said it a lot in real life.......
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2021 20:29:01 GMT
One of my Top 5 favourite Italian actresses ever. Apart from her appearance in The Third Man, I don't feel she's remembered/rated as highly as she deserves but hopefully it's just due to her films not being widely available. I have always found the contrast between her performances before and after 1954 to be very fascinating: the influence of her stage work in her acting style began to show in Senso and, from that moment onwards, she brought a certain authority, a 'strength' and a neurotic edge to her roles that were previously missing. A few years ago I read an interview she gave in the late 1980s where she mentioned that she didn't think much of her Fascist-era films and performances, as if she only became a 'serious' actress after her stage experiences and the Visconti film. I feel she was being unfair when she said that because, even though her stage work clearly made her a more rounded and refined performer, her talent was there from the start and I personally enjoy her earlier and later performances in equal measure. Then again, she always came across as a rather self-critical woman and she would even frequently downplay her own beauty, claiming that she was never a stunning-looking girl but that she merely photographed well . Normally I would roll my eyes when actors brag about how normal they are but in her case I do believe that she felt that way: even as a middle-aged lady, she never made an effort to look younger than her age and was not afraid to tackle unpleasant roles or to look unattractive either on or off-screen. For those interested, a very interesting and affecting documentary about her called Alida Valli: In Her Own Words, which gives some insight into her life and career, was released earlier this year. Worth checking out despite the sleep-inducing narration from Giovanna Mezzogiorno. Some of my favourite films/performances from her in chronological order: Schoolgirl Diary (1941) -- a very charismatic turn as the feisty and rebellious teenager coming of age in an all-girl school. I actually found the film as a whole and the cast extremely charming and it's a shame it was never even released on DVD. On a sidenote, I only recently found out that she filmed this while grieving for her boyfriend's death which gave me an even bigger appreciation for her as an actress. The Paradine Case (1947) -- as the mysterious widow, she gives an incredibly mature performance for her age and the scene where she testifies is outstanding. We, the Women (1953) -- in an average (at best) anthology film, her episode is the only one with any substance and she is surprisingly moving as the famous movie star longing for a simpler and less fancy lifestyle. Senso (1954) -- one of her most famous performances and deservedly so. She carries the film entirely on her shoulders as the conflicted Countess caught up in an ill-fated love affair. Indian Summer (1972) -- only one scene but she makes the most of it. As the domineering mother who will stop at nothing to get what she wants, she perfectly conveys her character's menacing nature and gives one of the most intimidating performances of her career.
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Post by hugobolso on Nov 19, 2021 17:45:49 GMT
Not seen enough to be a fan, specially her latter roles were from supportng to cameos.-
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