Franco Zeffirelli

Gian Franco Corsi ZeffirelliOMRIKBE(Italian pronunciation:[ˈfraŋkoddzeffiˈrɛlli]; 12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019)was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II era, gaining both acclaim and notoriety for his lavish stagings of classical works, as well as his film adaptations of the same.
Films he directed included the Shakespearean adaptationsThe Taming of the Shrew(1967), starringElizabeth TaylorandRichard Burton;Romeo and Juliet(1968), for which he received a nomination for theAcademy Award for Best Director; andHamlet(1990), starringMel GibsonandGlenn Close. His Biblicaltelevision miniseriesJesus of Nazareth(1977) won both national and international acclaim and is still frequently shown at Christmas and Easter in many countries.
A member of theForza Italiaparty, he served as theSenatorforCataniabetween 1994 and 2001.
A Grand Officer of theOrder of Merit of the Italian Republicsince 1977, Zeffirelli also received anhonorary British knighthoodin 2004.Zeffirelli was awarded thePremio Colosseoin 2009 by the city of Rome.
Zeffirelli was born Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli in the outskirts ofFlorence,Tuscany, Italy, after an affair between Florentine Alaide Garosi, a fashion designer, and Ottorino Corsi, a wool and silk dealer fromVinci. Since both were married, Alaide was unable to use her surname or Corsi's for her child. She came up with "Zeffiretti", which are the "little breezes" mentioned inMozart'soperaIdomeneo, of which she was quite fond. However, it was misspelt in the register and became Zeffirelli.When he was six years old, his mother died and he subsequently grew up under the auspices of the English expatriate community and was particularly involved with the so-calledScorpioni, who inspired his semi-autobiographicalfilmTea with Mussolini(1999).
Italian researchers found that Zeffirelli was one of a handful of living people traceably consanguineous withLeonardo da Vinci. He was a descendant of one of da Vinci's siblings.
Zeffirelli graduated from theAccademia di Belle Arti Firenzein 1941 and, following his father's advice, entered theUniversity of Florenceto study art and architecture.AfterWorld War IIbroke out, he fought as a partisan with theItalian Resistance, before he met up with British soldiers of the 1st BattalionScots Guardsand became their interpreter. After the war, he re-entered theUniversity of Florenceto continue his studies, but when he sawLaurence Olivier'sHenry Vin 1945, he directed his attention toward theatre instead.
While working for a scene painter in Florence, he was introduced toLuchino Visconti, who hired him as an assistant director for the filmLa Terra trema, which was released in 1948. Visconti's methods had a deep impact on Zeffirelli's later work.He also worked with directors such asVittorio De SicaandRoberto Rossellini. In the 1960s, he made his name designing and directing his own plays in London and New York City and soon transferred his ideas to the cinema.
Zeffirelli's first film as director was a version ofThe Taming of the Shrew(1967), originally intended forSophia LorenandMarcello Mastroiannibut featuring the Hollywood starsElizabeth TaylorandRichard Burtonin their stead. Taylor and Burton helped fund production and took a percentage of the profits rather than their normal salaries.
While editingThe Taming of the Shrew, Zeffirelli's native Florence wasdevastated by floods. A month later, he released a short documentary, entitledFlorence: Days of Destruction, to raise funds for the disaster appeal.
Zeffirelli's major breakthrough came the year after, when he presented two teenagers asRomeo and Juliet(1968). It made Zeffirelli a household name – no other subsequent work by him had the immediate impact ofRomeo and Juliet. The film earned $14.5 million in domestic rentals at the North American box office in 1969.It was re-released in 1973 and earned $1.7 million in rentals.
Film criticRoger Ebert, for theChicago Sun-Times, wrote: "I believe Franco Zeffirelli'sRomeo and Julietis the most exciting film ofShakespeareever made".
After two successful film adaptations of Shakespeare, Zeffirelli went on to religious themes, first with a film about the life ofSt. Francis of AssisititledBrother Sun, Sister Moon(1972), then his extended mini-seriesJesus of Nazareth(1977) with an all-star cast. The latter was a major success in the ratings.
He moved on to contemporary themes with a remake of the boxing pictureThe Champ(1979) and the critically pannedEndless Love(1981). In the 1980s, he made a series of successful films adapting opera to the screen, with such stars asPlácido Domingo,Teresa Stratas,Juan PonsandKatia Ricciarelli. He returned to Shakespeare withHamlet(1990), castingMel Gibsonin the lead role. His adaptation of theCharlotte BrontënovelJane Eyre(1996) was a critical success.
Zeffirelli frequently cast unknown actors in major roles:Leonard Whiting(Romeo inRomeo and Juliet),Graham Faulkner(St. Francis inBrother Sun, Sister Moon) andMartin Hewitt(David Axelrod inEndless Love).
Zeffirelli was a major director of opera productions from the 1950s in Italy and elsewhere in Europe as well as the United States. He began his career in the theatre as assistant to Luchino Visconti. Then he tried his hand at scenography. His first work as a director wasbuffo operasbyGioachino Rossini. He became a friend ofMaria Callasand they worked together on aLa traviatainDallas, Texas, in 1958. Of particular note is his 1964Royal Opera Houseproduction ofToscawith Maria Callas andTito Gobbi. In the same year, he created Callas' lastNormaat the Paris Opera. He also staged at theVienna State Opera:Don Giovanni(1972),La Bohème(1963), andCarmenwithElena ObraztsovaandPlácido Domingoin 1978.Zeffirelli also collaborated withJoan Sutherland, designing and directing her performances ofGaetano Donizetti'sLucia di Lammermoorin 1959. Over the years he created several productions for theMetropolitan Operain New York, includingLa bohème,Tosca,TurandotandDon Giovanni. When the newMetropolitan Operaopened at Lincoln Center, he directed its first production,Samuel Barber'sAntony and Cleopatra, starring Leontyne Price.
In 1996, he was awarded an honorary degree for services to the arts by theUniversity of Kentat a graduation ceremony held inCanterbury Cathedral. In 1999, he received theCrystal Globeaward for outstanding artistic contribution to world cinema at theKarlovy Vary International Film Festival. In November 2004, he was awarded anhonorary knighthoodby the United Kingdom.
Zeffirelli received criticism from religious groups for what they call theblasphemousrepresentation of biblical figures in his films.He also roused accusations ofantisemitismfor describingMartin Scorsese'sThe Last Temptation of Christas a product of "that Jewish cultural scum of Los Angeles which is always spoiling for a chance to attack the Christian world."
Zeffirelli was a highly conservative Catholic,and served two terms in theItalian senateas a member ofSilvio Berlusconi's centre-rightForza Italiaparty.He was criticized by members of the gay community for upholding theCatholic Church's position on homosexualityand by others for support ofthe Church's position on abortion,which extended to calling forcapital punishmentfor women who had terminated a pregnancy.
He roused controversy again when he told a newspaper in 2006 that he had not suffered any harm fromsexual abuse by a priestas a child.
In 1996, Zeffirellicame outas gay, but thereafter preferred to be discreet about his personal life.Zeffirelli said that he considered himself "homosexual" rather than gay, as he felt the term "gay" was less elegant.Zeffirelli adopted two adult sons, men with whom he had lived and who worked for him for years, managing his affairs.
DirectorBruce Robinsonclaimed to have been the target of unwanted amorous attention from Zeffirelli during the filming ofRomeo and Juliet, in which Robinson playedBenvolio. Robinson says that he based the lecherous character of Uncle Monty in the filmWithnail and Ion Zeffirelli.
In 2018, the American actorJohnathon Schaechalleged that Zeffirelli sexually assaulted him during the filming ofSparrow(Storia di una capinera, 1993).Zeffirelli's son Giuseppe "Pippo", adopted by the filmmaker as an adult, issued a statement at the time denying the allegation.
Zeffirelli died at his home in Rome on 15 June 2019, aged 96.