Ennio 4K 2021

By bringing together a veritable who’s who of geniuses, along with their interviews and archival footage, Tornatore has created one of the best documentaries of recent years—a true odyssey through the life and work of the master. Who would have thought that the son of a man who was hardly a trumpet player would become a musical legend? Modest by nature, Ennio—and not as wealthy as his classmates—was unable to earn high enough scores to gain admission to the conservatory. That’s when his extraordinary, lifelong adventure began. The maestro’s versatility is striking, ranging from avant-garde music in Darmstadt to tapping out sounds on a typewriter. There’s nothing wrong with imitating the melodies of Bach or Beethoven; Morricone, drawing on the classics, adds a special touch to his musical world that will stay with you forever.

His compositions are best known for their use in cult films—and this is where the most exciting part begins. Ennio was a real prankster and hid his real initials in his early Westerns under his friends’ names. His reunion with his school friend Leone would prove fateful, leading to unconditional worldwide recognition and encounters with Pasolini, Cavani, Henri Verneuil, and even Kubrick.

His work on film scores was compared to prostitution—how foolish the academics and producers were to shelve those melodies away in a distant closet. Leone was one of those who understood his friend’s genius and chose everything that had been set aside for many years. The music written for films cannot be separated from them.

Many did not understand Ennio’s work, failing to see him as a classical composer while paying tribute to his strange jazz compositions, which had nothing to do with originality. The honorary statuette and, finally, the statuette for that despicable eighth Oscar in 2016 hardly say anything about the maestro’s greatness.

We love him even without these awards for *The Sicilian Clan*, *Once Upon a Time in America*, *Once Upon a Time in the Wild West*, *The Tartari Desert*, and *Sacco and Vanzetti*. A fan of Stravinsky, chess, and a true classic of our time. Quentin is right—Ennio will be remembered and listened to 200 years from now. Nearly 500 soundtracks—it’s nearly impossible to cover them all in 150 minutes—but Giuseppe has done an outstanding job, filled with a love for cinema and a touch of melancholy.

After watching this film, you’ll long even more for the ’60s—real cinema, real music, and real people. The film is particularly poignant, given that many of those featured—Bertolucci, Wertmüller, and the maestro himself—are no longer with us, but their work lives on alongside their devoted fans. I’m looking forward to an equally detailed and lovingly crafted film about Nino Rota.