Gian Maria Volonté | |
|---|---|
 Volonté inInvestigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) | |
| Born | (1933-04-09)9 April 1933 Milan, Italy |
| Died | 6 December 1994(1994-12-06) (aged 61) Florina, Greece |
| Other names | John Wells Johnny Wels |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1957–1994 |
| Partner(s) | Carla Gravina Armenia Balducci Angelica Ippolito (1977–his death) |
| Children | Giovanna Gravina Mauriel Morejon |
| Relatives | Claudio Camaso (brother) |
| Website | www |
Gian Maria Volonté (9 April 1933 – 6 December 1994) was an Italian actor and activist. He is best known for his roles in fourSpaghetti Western films: Ramón Rojo inSergio Leone'sA Fistful of Dollars (1964), El Indio in Leone'sFor a Few Dollars More (1965), El Chuncho Munoz inDamiano Damiani'sA Bullet for the General (1966) and Professor Brad Fletcher inSergio Sollima'sFace to Face (1967).
He had notable roles in high-profile social dramas depicting the political and social stirrings of Italian and European society in the 1960s and 1970s, including four films directed byElio Petri –We Still Kill the Old Way (1967),Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970),The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1971), andTodo modo (1976). He is also recognized for his performances inJean-Pierre Melville'sLe Cercle Rouge (1970),Giuliano Montaldo'sSacco & Vanzetti (1971) andGiordano Bruno (1973), andFrancesco Rosi'sChrist Stopped at Eboli (1979).[1]
Among other accolades, Volonté won twoDavid di Donatello Awards and threeNastro d'Argento Awards. He won theBest Actor Award at the36th Cannes Film Festival forThe Death of Mario Ricci (1983), and theSilver Bear at the37th Berlin International Film Festival forThe Moro Affair (1986). Director Francisco Rosi said that he "stole the soul of his characters".[2]
Volonté was born inMilan,[3] but grew up inTurin.[4] His father Mario was a fascist officer fromSaronno (province of Varese), who in 1944 was in command of theBrigata Nera ofChivasso, near Turin.[3] His mother, Carolina Bianchi, belonged to a wealthy Milanese industrial family, and his younger brotherClaudio was an actor as well.[3] He went toRome to train for an acting career at theAccademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico, obtaining a degree in 1957.[3][5]
Volonté made his debut in 1960 inUnder Ten Flags, directed byDuilio Coletti.[4] Just four years later, he played "Ramón Rojo" inA Fistful of Dollars (1964),[4] and "El Indio" inFor a Few Dollars More (1965),[4] both for cash reasons as he considered the two films to be generic exploitation entertainment and was more interested in projects with a political message.[6] Both films were directed by the then-unknownSergio Leone, and Volonté's roles in them would bring him his greatest recognition from American audiences.[4] He playedCarlo Levi inChrist Stopped at Eboli (1979),[1] which was based onLevi's autobiographical account of his years in internal exile inAliano,Southern Italy, in the 1930s. Volonté played the memorable role of the Bandito-turned-guerrilla, El Chuncho, inA Bullet for the General (1966).[1]
Volonté's performances as memorable but neurotic characters, or as a gifted leader of brigands or revolutionaries, together with the unexpected, worldwide success of the films, gave him international fame. Volonté had already played comedies, includingOn the Tiger's Back (1961) byLuigi Comencini,[1] and confirmed his versatility inFor Love and Gold (1966).[1] However, he found his main dimension in dramatic roles forBandits in Milan (1968),[1] byCarlo Lizzani,Slap the Monster on Page One (1972) byMarco Bellocchio,[1]The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1972) by his friendElio Petri, andIl sospetto (1975) byFrancesco Maselli.[1]
In 1968, Volonté won a Silver Ribbon as best actor forA ciascuno il suo, also directed byElio Petri. Volonté received the same award for two other performances: Petri'sInvestigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1971, winner of anAcademy Award as best foreign film), considered by many to be his finest; and inThe Abyss (1989).[1]
In 1983 he won the award forBest Actor at the1983 Cannes Film Festival forLa Mort de Mario Ricci. Four years later, at the37th Berlin International Film Festival, he won theSilver Bear for Best Actor forIl caso Moro.[7] In 1988 Volonté starred in the Cannes Film Festival Official Selection,The Abyss, as a physician-alchemist. The film was directed byAndré Delvaux fromMarguerite Yourcenar's famous novel of the same name.[8] In 1990, Volonté was named Best European Actor forPorte aperte. In 1991, at the48th Venice International Film Festival, he won theGolden Lion for career achievement.[4]
Writing forThe New Yorker, criticPauline Kael had much to say about Volonté's various performances. She called him "a chameleon-star, a fiery Italian Olivier, with the suggestion that he might have Olivier's impudent wit, too. Of his performance inSacco and Vanzetti, she said that "when he marched to his death, you really felt it would take a lot of juice to kill him." Of his performance inThe Mattei Affair, she called out his "zingy-lion eyes" and "foxy intensity." InThe French Conspiracy, Kael mentions that he has the commanding presence to play [aMoroccan revolutionary]" noting that Volonté has "a conscious magnetism and the ability to project intelligence."[9]
Volonté was a strong political activist and known for his pro-communist leanings.[10] In 1981, he helpedOreste Scalzone to flee from capture in Italy toDenmark.[11] He was the partner of Italian actress andItalian Communist Party deputyCarla Gravina for almost 10 years after they met when they playedRomeo and Juliet in a theatre production in 1960. The two had a daughter Giovanna, born in the early 1960s.[12] He was the long-time partner of directorArmenia Balducci, who shared his political commitment and collaborated on several of his films.[13] ActressAngelica Ippolito was his companion from the mid 1980s until his death in 1994.[11]
Volonté died from a heart attack[14] at the age of 61 in 1994 atFlorina, Greece, during the filming ofUlysses' Gaze. Volonté's grave is in a small cemetery on theSardinian island ofLa Maddalena, according to his wishes.[14]
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