October 13, 2006

Gillo Pontecorvo, 1919 - 2006.

Gillo Portecorvo
Italian filmmaker Gillo Pontecorvo, who directed The Battle of Algiers, has died at the age of 86.... Twice an Oscar nominee, Pontecorvo also directed Marlon Brando in Queimada.

The BBC.

Pontecorvo directed only a handful of feature movies in a career that spanned decades, earning the nickname of "lazy director." But he remained involved in the world of cinema, directing documentaries and heading the Venice Film Festival for several years.

Alessandra Rizzo for the AP.

See also: Doug Cummings on Algiers, Maria Esposito's 2004 interview with Pontecorvo for WSWS, Gerald Peary's early 90s interview and the Wikipedia entry.

Updates, 10/14: Elisabetta Povoledo in the New York Times and Joe Leydon.



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Posted by dwhudson at October 13, 2006 8:40 AM

Comments

I hope some of the obituaries discuss his Queimada, I think it's too often underrated next to the admittedly superior Battle of Algiers.

Posted by: David Austin at October 13, 2006 1:19 PM

I agree, Queimada (Burn!) is severely underrated and long overdue for a revival in this day and age.
I've heard the DVD (http://www.greencine.com/webCatalog?id=169400) isn't of the greatest quality, alas, a poor transfer. film deserves the same treatment as Battle of Algiers. Perhaps if anything positive comes out of his death it would be this...

cp

Posted by: Craig P at October 13, 2006 8:43 PM