How about a little Italian? More so known for its legendary actresses than actors, Italy has produced a stunning array of talented and beautiful women. Though Sophia Loren is the most well known, there are many others that have graced the screen throughout the Italian cinema's rich history. So, I present Sophia Loren and the five Italian actresses you should know.
1.
Sophia Loren
Probably the most recognized and well known of any actress to come out of Indian. Loren made a name for herself by working her ass off. Foreign actresses sometimes shy away from trying their mettle in America but not Loren. She would appear in films with such diverse characters as Frank Sinatra, Cary Grant and, of course, Marcello Mastrioanni. Loren would win the Academy Award for best actress in Vittorio de Sica's 1961 film Two Women.
In his book The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, author David Thompson would say this about Loren, "One of the modern cinema's great beauties, humourous, sympathetic and an especially good listener, Sophia Loren has been wasted badly."
2.
Anna Magnani
Anna Magnani was the quintessential goddess for the Neo-Realist era of Italian cinema. The whole was much better than the sum of its parts. By strict definition, Magnani was not beautiful but was much admired in Italy by the opposite sex. Temptuous, loud, her own woman, she answered to no male no matter who he was. She was Sophia Loren before Sophia Loren.
From his dictionary, David Thompson noted, "Her face was so ecstatically wounded, so sure of men's frailty, yet so driven to try again, it was hard to believe Magnani had ever been young or demure."
3.
Laura Antonelli
Though she would now technically be considered Croatian, Laura Antonelli was born in a disputed area in the north of Italy that has since been given back to Croatia. Antonelli would bring sex to cinema and become an icon as a result. Her popularity stretched from the late 1960s into the late 1980s. 1970s film in Italy cannot be talked about without mentioning Laura Antonelli's name.
4.
Edwige Fenech
The Italians invented the slasher film. All its hallmarks and set pieces were developed and honed in Italy. The Italians took film noir, added color and some unclothed women and called it a genre. Although it sounds a tad tawdry, the films were always beautifully shot and - oh the music!
The Queen of giallo was, no doubt, Edwige Fenech. Born in Africa, Fenech had no Italian blood in her. She helped to shape a genre of cinema that contonues to be popular today. Ask Quentin Tarantino
5.
Claudia Cardinale
Claudia Cardinale was kind of Sophia Loren-lite. Producers who couldn't get Loren probably went and got Cardinale. Still, be that as it may, Cardinale has had herself quite a career.
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