An exhibition at the Estorick Collection of film stills and other photographs by Strizzi (1931-2004). He captured, amongst others, Monica Vitti and Marcello Mastroianni in their Antontonioni/Fellini days. And how beautiful Alain Delon was!
Various things came to mind as I browsed. How Italy personified modernity, beauty and style in the 1960s (Vitti looking sultry at the top of the Torre Galfa in Milan). The “male gaze” thing we’d been talking about in the film session. (Spaghetti straps for her, smart suit for him.) An astonishing photograph from 1954 of Sophia Loren signing autographs for fans (nearly all of them male) that made me think of the scene in “L’Avventura” when the American actress is besieged by men or Anita Ekberg in “La Dolce Vita”. Those scenes have always seemed akin to human sacrifice to me, but perhaps they weren’t overdone at all.
And now I want to watch all these films again!
Old Shoe Box 