Luigi Magni

Born in Rome, Magni started his career as a screenwriter, in 1956, with Tempo di villeggiatura.[1] In 1968 he collaborated with Mario Monicelli in creating a real "event" of the Italian cinema by transforming Monica Vitti into a comedic actress with The Girl with the Pistol, and the critical and commercial success of the film pushed him into directing.[1] After the directorial debut with Faustina (which was also the debut film of Vonetta McGee), in 1969 Magni achieved an extraordinary success with Nell'anno del Signore, which was the highest-grossing Italian film of the year, so as to require for the first time in Italy nighttime screenings to meet the demands of the audience.[1][2] The film marked the encounter with Nino Manfredi, with whom Magni had a long-standing association on the set (including the screenplay of Manfredi's award-winning film Per Grazia Ricevuta) and a close friendship off the set. The film also defined Magni's style, namely a commedia all'italiana mainly centred on Rome and its history, particularly the epoch between the Papal States and the Risorgimento.[2]

In 1977 Magni achieved critical recognition with In nome del Papa Re, which also gave him his first David di Donatello Award.[1][3] He received a second David di Donatello in 1995, for the screenplay of Nemici d'infanzia, and a special David di Donatello Lifetime Career Award in 2008.[1][3]

In 1991 he was a member of the jury at the 17th Moscow International Film Festival.[4] After the 2003 TV movie La notte di Pasquino, a sort of sequel of Nell'anno del Signore still with Nino Manfredi as the main actor, and with the death of Manfredi in 2004, Magni retired from cinema.[1] He died in Rome, on 27 October 2013.[5]

• Marina Piccone, Conversazione con Luigi Magni: la vita, il cinema, la politica. Effepi Libri, 2008. ISBN 8860020131.
• Franco Montini, Piero Spila, Il mondo di Luigi Magni : avventure, sogni e disincanto. Rai Eri, 2000. ISBN 8839711341.

• Luigi Magni at IMDb