Pasquale Squitieri Biography
Pasquale Squitieri was born in 1938 in Naples and became a leading figure in Italian cinema, distinguishing himself both as a director and as a screenwriter. After obtaining a degree in Law and working for a period as an employee at the Banco di Napoli, Squitieri entered the world of cinema as assistant director to F. Rosi. In 1969 he made his debut as a director and screenwriter with the film Io e Dio, produced by Vittorio De Sica. Squitieri acquired notable international fame, especially for his attention to western genres, so much so that he used the pseudonym William Redford for the films Django Challenges Sartana (1970) and Vengeance is a Dish Best Served Cold (1971).
The director also deals with historical-political films and subjects that analyze themes linked to contemporary Italy, addressing issues such as drugs, the mafia, terrorism and immigration. In this context, Squitieri has sometimes been accused of rhetoric and superficial interpretations of the phenomena analyzed. Among his most famous films are I guappi (1974), L'ambizioso (1975), Il prefetto di ferro (1977), Corleone (1978), Razza savage (1980), Claretta (1984), Il repentant (1985), The Color of Hate (1989), Act of Pain (1990), They Called Them... Brigands! (1999), The lawyer De Gregorio (2003).
Furthermore, the director has maintained an important role in Italian political life. For many years he was romantically linked to the actress C. Cardinale and in 1994 he was elected to the Senate as a representative of the National Alliance. Pasquale Squitieri's career, both cinematic and political, has played an important role in Italian culture.
