Sophia Loren's comeback in Holocaust survivor role is a Netflix hit
The 86-year-old Sophia Loren delivers star performance in her first feature film in a decade: "The Life Ahead," directed by Loren's son Edoardo Ponti, has shot to the top 10 on Netflix.
Sophia Loren and Ibrahima Gueye in 'The Life Ahead'
After a decade-long hiatus, Sophia Loren is back in a performance that's bowling over critics and Netflix subscribers alike: In nearly 40 countries, The Life Ahead has shot to the top 10 in its first week.
The script and direction of the Italian filmwere the work of Sophia Loren's youngest son, Edoardo Ponti.
Edoardo's father, film director Carlo Ponti, discovered Sophia in Rome in 1950 and, recognizing Loren's talent, pushed her to do acting classes.
Loren became a screen icon with sex appeal and went on to make over 100 films with the greatest Hollywood stars. Loren and Ponti married when she returned from Hollywood in 1957 and were together until Ponti died in 2007.
Carlo Ponti and Sophia Loren were together for 50 years
A family business and a special relationship
It's been 10 years since the screen diva last made a film, and even longer since her last leading role. Her last Oscar nomination was in 1964.
By the 1960s, Sophia Loren had become an international symbol of glamour
It's not as if she had a shortage of screenplays to choose from. She says she was just waiting for the right role to come along. Her son Edoardo talked her into the role, and the film was shot in the late summer of 2019, in the southern harbor city of Bari.
It's the third film they've made together, and in an interview with CBS News, Ponti said he loves every day he can work with his mother.
"Every day. Every take. Every moment. And it's beautiful, because she still approaches it with the same anxiety, the same spontaneity, the same passion as if was her first film."
"Yes, yes, yes, I know myself he's right, he knows me," Loren replied, laughing.
She joked when asked who was the boss on set, and admitted it was always her son. But she spoke of a special communication between the two in their work.
And that relationship has enabled her to play the role of her life.
Edoardo Ponti on the set of 'The Life Ahead' in Bari, 2019
Loren said her character, Madame Rosa, reminded her of her own mother in the squalor of postwar Naples.
"My mother was absolutely like that," she said, "Inside she was very fragile, but she looked strong."
Change of scene gives new adaptation a sense of immediacy
The screenplay is based on the 1975 novel La Vie Devant Soi by Romain Gary. It's set in Paris, and has been adapted to film previously, in 1977. But Ponti decided to change the setting for the southern Italian city of Bari, where the immigration crisis lends the story a sense of immediacy.
Ibrahima Gueye and Sophia Loren in a scene from 'The Life Ahead'
Ponti tells the story from the perspective of a young Muslim refugee, who is stranded in Italy. Mohammmed, a 12-year-old orphan from Senegal, survives by stealing and dealing drugs. Momo's guardian, Dr Coen, hands him over to Madame Rosa, saying he doesn't have the energy to look after him. The relationship starts off rocky, but they soon become attached to one another, after Momo discovers that Madame Rosa was a concentration camp survivor.
Oscar-worthy performance as Auschwitz survivor
Ibrahima Gueye: a talented young actor in his first major role.
Madame Rosa is a former prostitute, who now cares for the children of Bari's sex-workers — their mothers have no time for their unwanted offspring. Loren said she drew on her own impoverished childhood to bring an extra layer of emotion to the role.
Renowned as a glamorous diva since the 1950s, Italy's most famous film star uses the highest acting skills to lend this survivor of the Nazi Holocaust pathos and dignity. With this role, Sophia Loren is a hot tip for an Oscar nomination.
Ibrahima Gueye, in his first feature film role, brings a sensitivity and naturalness to the character which point to the beginnings of an important acting career.
10 European film icons from the post-war era
Gina Lollobrigida: 'The most beautiful woman in the world'
Audiences and press alike loved her. The Italian actress, born just outside Rome in 1927, became one of the biggest names in European film during the 1950s and '60s. Widely known as "La Lollo," she managed to celebrate success in Hollywood as well. Lollobrigida retired from acting in the early 1970s after more than 25 years in the biz.
10 European film icons from the post-war era
Sophia Loren: Rival and arch enemy
Lollobrigida didn't lack for competition, with Sophia Loren's career taking off right about the same time. Six years her junior, Loren reveled in and milked her status as a sex symbol, further fueling the feud between the two actresses. Loren continued to be active as an actress for many years and still seems to enjoy the attention.
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Claudia Cardinale: Much more than just a cowgirl
Another actress soon joined the ranks of the busty Italians leading the way in European cinema. Claudia Cardinale featured in a number of outstanding roles directed by some of Europe's greatest directors, such as Luchino Visconti or Federico Fellini. The talented brunette managed to highlight her charms as well as her daring side in Western classics like "Once Upon a Time in the West" (1968).
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Brigitte Bardot: Mother of all pouts
In neighboring France, another sex bomb was advancing to new heights in film. Brigitte Bardot showcased the best of La Republique Francaise starring in such unforgettable movies as "And God Created Woman" (1956) and "Love Is My Profession" (1958). Bardot also retired from acting in the 1970s and turned her focus to animal welfare.
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Catherine Deneuve: Enigmatic allure
By the 1960s, Bardot's compatriot Catherine Deneuve started to attract a following in her own right. Her parts, however, were more subdued than those of the ladies who predated her, not exclusively pandering to male fantasies but bringing cinema into an age of complex roles. Her talent for acting has allowed Deneuve to continue featuring prominently in films to this day.
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Romy Schneider: Tragic beauty
The 1960s and '70s were Romy Schneider's golden era. Born in Vienna, the actress achieved her breakthrough in Germany in the role of "Sissi" in 1955. She later moved to France where she became one of the most charismatic and outstanding performers of European film. But her private life was anything but happy. In 1982, Schneider died under tragic circumstances.
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Irene Papas: Greek icon
Actresses from smaller European nations were also able to conquer the hearts of audiences across the continent in the decades after World War II. Among them was Irene Papas. The Greek actress, also venerated as a great singer in her home country, achieved her biggest international success in 1964 with "Zorba the Greek." Papas went on to perform in numerous European and Hollywood movies.
10 European film icons from the post-war era
Tatiana Samoilova: Russia's beauty
Naturally, most audiences in Western Europe focused on Italian, French, German and British films. Postwar female icons from Eastern European countries were almost entirely overlooked. The biggest star of Russian film was Tatiana Samoilova, who celebrated world success with "The Cranes Are Flying" in 1957.
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Krystyna Janda: Intellectual star
Poland is the home country of several outstanding actresses who celebrated international success. In the 1970s, Krystyna Janda became famous for her performances in films directed by her countryman Andrzej Wajda, followed by international co-productions alongside stars like Lino Ventura (seen here in "Espion, leve-toi" in 1982). Back in Poland, Janda is also known as a singer and author.
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Penelope Cruz: Emotions on screen
One of the biggest female stars of the European continent hails from Spain. Born in 1974, Penelope Cruz became a star in her home country before achieving fame in Europe and Hollywood. She has given a number of brilliant performances, especially when working with one of her favorite directors, Pedro Almodovar - like here in "Volver" in 2006.
Author: Jochen Kürten (ss,ad)
This article was translated from German by Carl Holm.