Monica Vitti -- One of Cinema's Great Beauties

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http://www.trovacinema.capital.it/gallerie/vitti/02.jpg

Search/Destroy. She is unquestionably classic. But she's so damn beautiful I couldn't imagine not enjoying anything in which she appears. Her presence in Antonioni's L'Avventura was one of the most stunning series of images ever captured on film. And did I mention she's a looker?

― Polo Pony, Thursday, 9 January 2003 06:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I initially read it as 'great Beatles,' so I was thinking it's about time we figure what actresses should play the Beatles in a new movie.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 9 January 2003 06:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I wanted to revive this thread because I cannot find out much about her from other internet communites and I figured that there has to be a cinephile or two around here.

Even though she is an old woman now, and I could magically be given the choice to make love all night long with her or Estella Warren, I think I would still choose Monica Vitti.

Maybe that comment could get some kind of response.

― Polo Pony, Monday, 20 January 2003 06:54 (twenty-two years ago)

A group of women stands near a buffet table eating and listening to Alvy's mother and her sister, Tessie, and a young girl, as the three friends watch.

ALVY'S MOTHER
I was always the sister with good common sense. But Tessie was always the one with personality. When she was younger,
they all wanted to marry Tessie.

She touches Tessie's shoulder. Tessie starts to laugh.

ADULT ALVY
(Pointing, to Rob)
Do you believe that, Max? Tessie Moskowitz had the personality. She's the life of the ghetto, no doubt.

ALVY'S MOTHER
(To the young girl)
She was once a great beauty.

Tessie nods her head "yes."

ROB
Tessie, they say you were the sister with personality.

TESSIE
(Addressing the young girl)
I was a great beauty.

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Monday, 20 January 2003 07:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Can't believe I missed this thread....

Antonioni is my favorite director, yet for some reason when I first discovered his films I was never hugely attracted to Vitti. Maybe it was overkill or something, since she was in all four of his important films. It's strange too, as I'm half-Italian myself and usually hopelessly stricken by Italian women. Later on though, as I rewatched them, I came to appreciate her beauty. Actually, now that I think about it, it may be because I saw Deserto Rosso first and her character, while sympathetic, is troubled and weak.

L'eclisse is quite possibly my favorite movie of all and I love her performance in it. There she is strong-willed, independent. Of course, she is really sexy in La Notte, with that black hair and black dress .... wow.

DId you ever see Bunuel's Phantom of Liberty? First time I saw it, not knowing its formal structure, I was all excited when she appeared on the screen. Then subsequently disappointed when I realized her part was over...

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Saturday, 25 January 2003 09:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Did you see her in "An Almost Perfect Affair"? Don't bother.

― Sean (Sean), Saturday, 25 January 2003 17:10 (twenty-two years ago)

I quite liked Modesty Blaise.

― Ben Mott (Ben Mott), Saturday, 25 January 2003 18:04 (twenty-two years ago)

That's a pretty manky picture of her.

― N. (nickdastoor), Saturday, 25 January 2003 18:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Manky? Hell no.
Ripe with age. I like that photo. The wrinkles on her cheeks, the feathered hair, and the vapid expression strangely work for me.

In her younger years,
http://www.trovacinema.capital.it/gallerie/vitti/09.jpg

Not manky at all.

― Polo Pony, Sunday, 26 January 2003 07:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, dude, I'm with N. You picked a really terrible picture of her to start the thread with! It's not the age, it's just the whole thing. She looks like a couple of my friends who are all torn up by drug abuse and hard living in that picture, I think it's just a not so great photo...

But anyway, she's very pretty but in a strange way. She's not incredibly beautiful, but she's interesting...

― Ally (mlescaut), Sunday, 26 January 2003 09:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Jesus, I'm gonna have to find a way to scan this still from la Notte that I have in a book. Shit, I need to buy a scanner one of these days..

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Sunday, 26 January 2003 09:45 (twenty-two years ago)

The younger photo you picked of her is bad in the same way We must like different sides of her - give me a still of the Vetti of l'Avventura any day.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 26 January 2003 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

two years pass...

Mmm...Vini Vidi Vitti!

― Quit glaring at Ian Riese-Moraine! He's mentally fraught! (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 19 March 2005 17:00 (twenty years ago)

Or rather, Vidi Vitti Vini!

― Quit glaring at Ian Riese-Moraine! He's mentally fraught! (Eastern Mantra), Saturday, 19 March 2005 17:01 (twenty years ago)

i spent my first summer as a video store clerk watching everything she's in. i love her in all the films mentioned, but if you can get past the story, she's super hot in modesty blaise since she does the whole "alias" schtick.

as far as antonioni's stuff goes - l'avventura for b/w, red desert for color.

― blackmail.is.my.life (blackmail.is.my.life), Saturday, 19 March 2005 17:03 (twenty years ago)

l'eclisse, dude.

http://www.realtimearts.net/rt61/ford_antonioni.jpg

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 19 March 2005 17:05 (twenty years ago)

i like l'eclisse and argue that it features the two hottest actors of the '60's, but i prefer her look in l'avventura - and that's she's so unattainable, and even then bored.

― blackmail.is.my.life (blackmail.is.my.life), Saturday, 19 March 2005 17:29 (twenty years ago)

l'eclisse always leaves me exhausted, because it's so carnal and yet nothing is consummated.

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 19 March 2005 17:31 (twenty years ago)

i love love love those antonioni movies, but for some reason i never can see what others see in Vitti. she's kinda pretty i guess but come on!

― ryan (ryan), Saturday, 19 March 2005 17:55 (twenty years ago)

if it makes sense she was antonioni's scarlett johannson - he understood her limitations as an actress and cast her to play performances that exemplified his sense of bourgeois ennui. she's a great vessel, but meanwhile she found great chemistry with her costars, which is something johannson might hope to achieve in her future career.

― blackmail.is.my.life (blackmail.is.my.life), Saturday, 19 March 2005 18:11 (twenty years ago)

johansson does not have that k-rowr steak in her hair, though

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 19 March 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

hehe i mean STREAK not steak

dan perry time...

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 19 March 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

who is the other actor in that photo?

― youn, Saturday, 19 March 2005 19:12 (twenty years ago)

alain delon

more mv:

http://www.musicman.com/may5/eclips.jpg

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Saturday, 19 March 2005 19:13 (twenty years ago)

what a weird poster!

― jones (actual), Saturday, 19 March 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

i know, i want it on my wall

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 20 March 2005 06:14 (twenty years ago)

just bought a copy of l'eclisse - again the extras on this and l'avventura aren't amazing...unfortunately; just o.k.

― blackmail.is.my.life (blackmail.is.my.life), Sunday, 20 March 2005 22:51 (twenty years ago)

who cares about the extras??

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Monday, 21 March 2005 04:18 (twenty years ago)

i remember thinking that the commentary on l'avventura was pretty good. i dont think the same guy did l'eclisse.

― ryan (ryan), Monday, 21 March 2005 05:13 (twenty years ago)

She looks amazing in the 58-minute documentary on the bonus disc of L'Avventura when she's discussing the waterspout. Mmm!

I want that poster, too, although I've yet to see Eclipse. I must rent Modesty Blaise, too, as corny as I know it will be.

― Ian Riese-Moraine. Sweeter than a lorry load of white Toblerones. (Eastern Mantr, Monday, 21 March 2005 16:20 (twenty years ago)

'modesty blaise' is great fun, dirk bogarde hamming it up n ting. it isn't corny, it's v. knowing.

― N_RQ, Monday, 21 March 2005 16:22 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

classic!
http://www.kinoart.net/layout/data/5991.jpg

― gershy, Tuesday, 18 September 2007 07:03 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews8/lanotte/4.JPG

― C. Grisso/McCain, Tuesday, 18 September 2007 14:21 (eighteen years ago)

The dubbing/synch problems on "Modesty Blaise" give it an extra psychedelic edge, that movie has that "fun to look at, painful to watch" thing in spades

― Drew Daniel, Tuesday, 18 September 2007 14:27 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.independentcritics.com/images/lavventura%20SPLASH.jpg

― Jeb, Tuesday, 18 September 2007 14:28 (eighteen years ago)

Incredible looking woman

― Tom D., Tuesday, 18 September 2007 14:30 (eighteen years ago)

two years pass...

Oh man, I caught Scola's Drama of Jealousy from '70 last night in rep. Vitti as a sexy boho Florist caught between bricklayer Marcello Mastroianni and pizza chef Giancarlo Giannini. Black comedy worthy of early Woody Allen.

― The Wild Shirtless Lyrics of Mark Farner (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 19 September 2009 17:46 (sixteen years ago)

http://www.italica.rai.it/cinema/film/gelosia/dx1.jpg

http://cinestills.com/image/1/s/scoladramejalousie.jpg

― The Wild Shirtless Lyrics of Mark Farner (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 19 September 2009 17:50 (sixteen years ago)

Better pic:

http://www.cinemathequeontario.ca/images/filmimages/PIZZATRIANGLE_Large.jpg

― The Wild Shirtless Lyrics of Mark Farner (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 19 September 2009 17:52 (sixteen years ago)

dont know that movie but most beautiful woman ever yes

― rent, Saturday, 19 September 2009 17:57 (sixteen years ago)

http://www.willyrizzo.com/userfiles/image/diaporama/Photo/Portraits/MonicaVittiRome1960.jpg

― velko, Saturday, 19 September 2009 18:14 (sixteen years ago)

ten years pass...

she's so damn beautiful I couldn't imagine not enjoying anything in which she appears.

What even "The Girl With A Pistol", which was on Talking Pictures last night? Apart from Monica, the interesting thing about this film are the locations it was shot in, which include Sheffield, Brighton, Bath, Bristol, Newhaven... and Edinburgh, this is Waverley Station...

https://c8.alamy.com/comp/PNH5EG/original-film-title-la-ragazza-con-la-pistola-english-title-the-girl-with-a-pistol-year-1968-director-mario-monicelli-stars-monica-vitti-credit-documento-films-album-PNH5EG.jpg

... seems to have been shot in August 1967.

― Rapsputin (Tom D.), Friday, 19 June 2020 10:27 (five years ago)

Girl With a Pistol seems to come round quite often on TPTV - no good? It was apparently nominated for a Best Foreign Film Oscar, not that that's a sign of quality.

― Ward Fowler, Friday, 19 June 2020 10:31 (five years ago)

... some of it was also shot in Rotherham apparently. Monica Vitti in Rotherham is a quite a thing.

Film is pretty rubbish btw but... she goes to a rugby match in Sheffield to cheer on Anthony Booth! She goes to a gay bar with Stanley Baker to find Corin Redgrave's boyfriend! She goes on an anti-Vietnam march!

― Rapsputin (Tom D.), Friday, 19 June 2020 10:38 (five years ago)

Apart from Monica and the locations, I found it entertaining because I kept being reminded of an Italian woman I work with.

― Rapsputin (Tom D.), Friday, 19 June 2020 10:42 (five years ago)

that movie has that "fun to look at, painful to watch" thing in spades

... that movie being "Modesty Blaise". Very OTM.

― Rapsputin (Tom D.), Friday, 19 June 2020 12:02 (five years ago)

I liked Girl With A Pistol plenty - it's a commedia all'italiana, so quite distinct from the art movie stuff Vitti is more known for, but in addition to the documentary value Tom pointed out I think it's pretty interesting to see a foreign protagonist viewing British society as absurdly liberated and sexual (TPTV sneakily followed one showing up with No Sex Please, We're British). But in terms of comedia all'italiana focusing on the Sicilian custom of women being kidnapped and then married off to their kidnapper, I think Seduced & Abandoned is a more powerful work, one of the most upsetting "comedies" I've ever seen.

― Daniel_Rf, Friday, 19 June 2020 13:15 (five years ago)

I did wonder what Sicilians would think of how they're portrayed in this film!

― Rapsputin (Tom D.), Friday, 19 June 2020 13:19 (five years ago)

But, yes, she's all wide-eyed at a couple kissing in the street and some passing hippies in (Presbyterian) Edinburgh of all places.

― Rapsputin (Tom D.), Friday, 19 June 2020 13:22 (five years ago)

one year passes...

Didn't want to post names of people who aren't dead on the obituary thread, but with Monica Vitti gone, how many iconic actresses of the 60s "foreign art cinema" are left? Liv Ullmann, and...?

― Halfway there but for you, Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:29 (three years ago)

Claudia Cardinale
Stefania Sandrelli
Harriet Andersson

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:42 (three years ago)

Catherine Deneuve

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:43 (three years ago)

Sophia Loren who I love almost as much as Monica Vitti.

― AlXTC from Paris, Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:45 (three years ago)

Sandra Milo
Marina Vlady
Brigette Bardot

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:47 (three years ago)

Jane Fonda (if she counts)

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:51 (three years ago)

Corinne Marchand

― Josefa, Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:55 (three years ago)

Does Geneviève Bujold count? A lot of French-Canadian films, also King of Hearts.

― clemenza, Wednesday, 2 February 2022 15:57 (three years ago)

Françoise Fabian

― Josefa, Wednesday, 2 February 2022 16:00 (three years ago)

Catherine Spaak
Jane Birkin

― SQUIRREL MEAT!! (Capitaine Jay Vee), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 16:05 (three years ago)

Macha Meril

― Someone left a space telescope out in the rain (Tom D.), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 16:10 (three years ago)

WOW at Fabien, who-among other things-is the 60+ years gone Jacques Becker's widow.

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 16:13 (three years ago)

Smoking furiously keeps Deneuve alive, I suspect.

― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 16:27 (three years ago)

bulle ogier just about, l'amor fou was '69

― devvvine, Wednesday, 2 February 2022 16:41 (three years ago)

Claire Mauier

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 16:43 (three years ago)

Maurier, that is

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 16:43 (three years ago)

Anouk Aimée

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 2 February 2022 18:34 (three years ago)

Chantal Goya is still around

― Andy the Grasshopper, Wednesday, 2 February 2022 18:39 (three years ago)

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