Fitzcarraldo (1982)

 

The story of Brian Sweeney Fitzgerald, an extremely determined man who intends to build an opera house in the middle of a jungle.

From memory: Werner Herzog's magnum opus is a massive and powerful film, it's story of a Gargantuan and nearly mad project clearly references to the making of this work itself, captured in breathtaking pictures and set pieces, and with Klaus Kinski in a role that is obviously the culmination (and summation) of his career.

Halliwell****: "A strange and brilliant film centring on the hero's successful attempt to drag his massive boat from one river to another."

Maltin****: "Vivid, fascinating portrait...Astonishing and captivating movie, in spite of its length; admittedly not to everyone's taste."

 

Il gattopardo (1963)

Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon at the premiere of Il Gattopardo at the Cannes Film Festival

C'era una volta il West (1968)

 

 

A mysterious stranger with a harmonica joins forces with a notorious desperado to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.

 

A masterpiece Western that elevates the genre onto a level of pure myth; it is immaculately composed like an opera with leitmotifs for each main protagonist, beautifully photographed in John Ford territory and full of memorable scenes, both humorous and vicious - and Henry Fonda's first appearance in the movie is a genuine shock.

Halliwell***: "Immensely long and convoluted epic Western marking its director's collaboration with an American studio and his desire to make serious statements about something or other. Beautifully made and very violent."

 

Maltin***1/2: "Sergio Leone's follow-up to his "Dollars" trilogy is languid, operatic masterpiece...Fonda (brilliantly cast as one of the coldest villains in screen history). Exciting, funny, and reverent, with now-classic score by Ennio Morricone; not to be missed."

 

Claudia Cardinale

Claudia Cardinale & Dean Martin

La viaccia (1961)

Claudia Cardinale

Bio:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudia_Cardinale

La viaccia (1961)

On the set: Claudia Cardinale

Il gattopardo (1963)

Cannes 1963: Luchino Visconti, Claudia Cardinale and Burt Lancaster presenting..."The Leopard"