I always thought Gina Lollobrigida came off as a snotty, stuck up diva but I was being much too harsh. She may have had some diva-like qualities but she was really a top notch actress. I had seen Trapeze (1956) and Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell(1968) but not much else. I really enjoyed those movies but I just hadn't opened up my eyes to her talent.
I recently watched The Law (1959) which is an Italian film starring Yves Montand, Marcello Mastroianni, Melina Mercouri, and of course Gina Lollobrigida. It was set in a small southern Italian village where Gina plays the town beauty named Marietta. The film features different stories and romances going on between certain characters. It's almost like a soap opera but it's not cheesy or sappy. It just seems like a soap opera because of all of the intertwining stories and some dramatic events that take place. Overall it was a great film to watch and the cast was wonderful. Gina's character is a fiery, adventurous, but good natured woman with a great sense of humor. I also adored Melina Mercouri in the film. My opinion may be biased though because I love Melina in everything she does but she really was great. She was blonde in this film and it was a good look for her though I prefer brunette.
Anyway back to Gina, she was insanely beautiful and seemed to have been very sweet in real life. She was always being compared to Sophia Loren simply because they were both Italian but Gina was talented in her own right. Later in life she became involved in photojournalism and sculpting. She was very successful in both endeavors, she was even able to get an interview with Fidel Castro for her journalism. I plan on watching many, many more of her films and gaining and even greater appreciation for such and underrated actress.
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