ONCE UPON A TIME IN ITALY. SERGIO LEONE’S CINEMA. The National Cinema Museum renders tribute to one of the greatest authors of western cinema

For the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the release of For a fistful of dollars, the National Cinema Museum celebrates Sergio Leone, one of the great masters of Italian cinema, with a diversified tribute featuring a novel exhibition conceived by Sir Christopher Frayling which intends to retrace his career (from his first film The colossus of Rhodes, to the “dollar trilogy”, to the Once upon a time in the West and Once upon a time in America blockbusters, to the projects that were never carried out), a showcase of his films at the Cinema Massimo, a meeting at the Library/Mediatheque and the release of a volume published by the Bologna Film Archive.

The Once upon a time in Italy. Sergio Leone’s cinema exhibition, including over 180 items, is a journey among photographs, objects, film excerpts, publicity material, memorabilia, sketches and posters which bring the sets of legendary films that changed the history of cinema back to life. It is a National Cinema Museum project, in collaboration with the Bologna Film Archive, by curator Sir Christopher Frayling with the collaboration of Lorenzo Codelli, organised for the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the For a fistful of dollars film, which was recently restored by the Bologna Film Archive.

The exhibition winds throughout the interior of the Mole Antonelliana. A suggestive layout is featured under the large screens in the Temple Hall, which hosts some costumes from the films For a fistful of dollars, A fistful of dynamite, My name is Nobody, Once upon a time in the West and Once upon a time in America and the original Winchester and the  revolver used in the final duel of For a fistful of dollars and a Sicilian puppet, testifying to the fact that Sergio Leone’s western stories were inspired by the tales recounted by popular songs of the chivalrous tradition.

The exhibition then continues onto the helicoid ramp, where the history of Sergio Leone’s cinema is told by alternating various materials and intervals with film sequences. The display circuit is enriched by the 4 original screenplays of the dollar trilogy and Once upon a time in the West. There are also Sergio Leone’s personal items, such as his passport and the letter that the For a fistful of dollars producer wrote to Akira Kurosawa, because Yojimbo the Bodyguard directly inspired the whole creative process of For a fistful of dollars.

And, furthermore, the only pages written by Leone about the last project he conceived before dying and never carried out, about the Leningrad siege; The screenplay written by Norman Mailer for Once upon a time in America; two great portraits created with a mixed technique by his daughter Francesca; large format posters, photographs on set shot by Angelo Novi, fliers and lobby-cards, as an example of the great turnout of advertising media for promoting films by Leone worldwide.

The ramp also hosts some Italian posters of American western films which inspired Leone for Once upon a time in the West, as well as the original sketches for the costumes created by Oscar Prize Gabriella Pescucci for Once upon a time in America, on loan directly from the costume designer, and sketches by screenwriters Rodolfo Gasparri and Andrea Crisanti.

Eleven monitors are placed along the circuit, alternating sequences of films by Leone with an edit of the films which inspired him, all enriched by a video by Sir Christopher featuring interviews about Sergio Leone to John Carpenter, Clint Eastwood, Joe Dante and John Landis.

A room dedicated to the relationship between Ennio Morricone and Sergio Leone has been set up at the top of the helicoid ramp, with 35 vintage record albums containing the soundtracks composed by Morricone for Leone’s films.

Twelve large format photographs on the outer railings of the Mole Antonelliana show life on set in Leone’s films. They are snapshots taken by photographer Angelo Novi, the loyal set photographer who was privileged to follow the great director’s entire career, conveying the atmosphere wafting throughout the set amongst the actors and the troupe, with a distinct attitude and care for detail. Angelo Novi has rightly been called an “acknowledged master of set photography” and his valuable collection of on set photographs is now preserved at the photography archive of the Bologna Film Archive.

The exhibition will be accompanied by the Once upon a time in Italy. Sergio Leone’s cinema volume by Sir Christopher Frayling, in collaboration with Lorenzo Codelli, published by the Bologna Film Archive.

Rounding off this exhibition, the Cinema Massimo is offering a complete retrospective from 1 to 4 November, while the “Mario Gromo” Library/Mediatheque is hosting the SERGIO LEONE Visionary and innovative filmmaker round-table on 22 October at 3.30 p.m., organised in collaboration with the chair of History of Italian Cinema, DAMS – Turin University. The panel will feature: Lorenzo Codelli (collaborator of Christopher Frayling, exhibition curator), Alberto Pezzotta (film critic), Matteo Pollone, Gabriele Rigola (Turin University) and Christian Uva (Roma Tre University). Panel moderator: Franco Prono (Turin University).

Finally, for the occasion of this tribute to Sergio Leone, the National Cinema Museum Educational Services are offering guided tours at the exhibition, laboratories at the museum and at school and dedicated screenings at the Cinema Massimo.