Di Palma, Carlo

(1925-2004)

   Cinematographer. Widely regarded as one of the leading cinematographers of the entire postwar period, Di Palma studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia while working as camera operator and assistant to Aldo Tonti on a number of films, including Luchino Visconti's Ossessione (Obsession, 1943). After the war he served a further apprenticeship with many of the established cinematographers, including Ubaldo Arata, Carlo Montuori, and Gianni Di Venanzo before graduating to director of photography himself on Florestano Vancini's remarkable first film, La lunga notte del '43 (The Long Night of'43, 1960).

   After establishing a solid reputation for his black-and-white photography on films such as Elio Petri's L'assassino (The Assassin, 1961) and Giuliano Montaldo's Tiro al Piccione (Pigeon-Shoot, 1961), Di Palma soared to international fame with his work on Michelangelo Antonioni's first color film, Il deserto rosso (The Red Desert, 1964), reaffirmed two years later with Blow-up (1966). He subsequently contributed a very distinctive look to many of the films of the commedia all'italiana, working on, among others, Mario Monicelli's La ragazza con lapistola (Girl with a Pistol, 1968), Ettore Scola's Dramma della gelosia (Jealousy, Italian Style, 1970), and Dino Risi's Noi donne siamo fatte cost (That's How We Women Are, 1971), before directing three films himself, all starring his then partner Monica Vitti: Teresa la ladra (Teresa, the Thief, 1972), adapted from a novel by Dacia Maraini; Qui comincia I'avventura (Blonde in Black Leather, 1975), a female road movie that in many ways uncannily anticipated Ridley Scott's Thelma and Louise (1991); and Mimi Bluette, fiore del mio giardino (Mimi, Flower of My Garden, 1977). Nevertheless, Di Palma will probably be best remembered for his stunning cinematography on many Woody Allen films, beginning with Hannah and Her Sisters (1984) and continuing through Radio Days (1986) and Shadows and Fog (1991) to Mighty Aphrodite (1995) and Deconstructing Harry (1996). During a distinguished career that spanned half a century and over 50 films, Di Palma won many prizes, including four Nastri d'argento and a BAFTA nomination. In 2003 he was also honored with the European Film Award for Achievement in World Cinema.