Once upon a time there were the Western movies. Then came Sergio Leone and he created the Spaghetti Westerns. Actually, he is acknowledged as one of the most influential directors in the history of cinema. To celebrate him and his powerful cinematic narration, his hometown Rome hosts an exhibit that opens today at the Ara Pacis Museum.
In 2019 it's 90 years he was born and 30 he passed away, a double anniversary that couldn't go unnoticed. The Rome exhibit is a loving tribute to Sergio Leone, whose father Vincenzo was a director himself during the Silent Film era. Vincenzo chose the screen name of Roberto Roberti, and Sergio honored his memory choosing to name himself Bob Robertson while directing "A Fistful of Dollars" in 1964. Sergio began his career in 1948 as assistant director to Vittorio de Sica in "Bicycle Thieves" and worked hard in the historical epic productions that were big hits in the Fifties. Then he approached and reimagined the Western genre, and successfully explored quite any kind of movie. "I've learned a lot from him", admitted Quentin Tarantino.
The Ara Pacis exhibition goes through May 5th. If you plan to go and see it, however, we recommend you and additional stop on the "Sergio Leone tour": the Viale Glorioso staircase in Trastevere, where he loved to spend his time watching children playing and looking for inspiration, as a plaque hanged on Sergio's house wall remembers. On that staircase, in the summer, nights of silent movies have been held to commemorate his Spaghetti Westerns.
