Luchino Visconti:A Portrait (1999)

This fascinating documentary examines this influential director's life,exploring how his experiences and background offered the making of such groudbreaking films as Obsession,Senso,the Leopard,Death in Venice and The Damned,as well as his career as a theater and opera director.

Top actors Alain Delon,Burt Lancaster,Marcello Mastroianni,Vittorio Gassman and Claudia Cardinale share their memories of working with the innovative director whose movies ushered in a new era of filmmaking.A journey through the amazing theatrial backdrop of Visconti's life-ranging from the palaces and villas of Italy with their balls,parties and salon gatherings to 1930s Paris with Chanel,Cocteau and Renoir reveals new insights the richness of Visconti's work.