Ennio
Acclaimed director Giuseppe Tornatore orchestrates a symphonic journey into the life of Ennio Morricone, the tireless and highly influential composer of several hundred film scores, including one for Tornatore’s own Oscar-winning Cinema Paradiso. Tornatore’s cinematic ode unveils the vast tapestry of Morricone’s musical odyssey, from the melodies and bold arrangements of Italian pop to the iconic scores of films like The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Days of Heaven, and The Mission. Through a harmonious blend of interviews with Morricone’s closest collaborators and fellow maestros such as Bernardo Bertolucci, Clint Eastwood, and, Joan Baez, Lina Wertmuller, John Williams, Quincy Jones, and Quentin Tarantino, Ennio becomes a melodic testament to the genius behind many unforgettable soundtracks. The most gratifying element of Ennio is hearing from the expressive and passionate Morricone himself in interviews that Tornatore conducted several years before Morricone’s death at age 91 in 2020. This symphony of storytelling grants Morricone one last encore to share the secrets of his craft and the inspiration that led him to claim two Academy Awards. At this year’s Wisconsin Film Festival, you can hear more Morricone in the vastly different scores for The Burglars and Treasure of the Four Crowns 3-D. (JH)
Presented with support from UW-Madison Department of French & Italian and Jeff Smith