Remember reading here a few months back that Gucci in collaboration with Martin Scorcese’s The Film Foundation reinstated Sergio Leone’s magnum opus Once Upon a Time in America to its original glory? Well, the duo’s back, and this time they have restored Il caso Mattei (The Mattei Affair), Francesco Rosi’s 1972 political thriller on real-life events. The world restoration premiere of the film took place on Friday, August 31st, during the 69th Venice International Film Festival – and we’ve some pics from it, courtesy of Gucci.
Charlotte Casiraghi, Grace Kelly’s granddaughter and the face of Gucci’s ‘Forever New’ campaign, wore a Gucci Pre-Fall 2012 -13 nude silk blouse with white silk cady skirt, cherry suede studded box clutch and red and beige studded high-heeled sandals.
American actress Brit Marling, too, opted for a number from the Pre-Fall 2012-13 collection: a black silk crepe long sleeved dress. She completed her look with some more Gucci paraphernalia: black patent leather high heels and a black brocade clutch with stirrup detail.
Sting’s missus Trudie Styler wore a cream silk-crepe jacket – apparently from the Cruise 2013 collection – with black cotton top and black satin leopard printed trousers. Heart the Converses – and the care-free attitude – she’s totally making it work at the red carpet! Academy award-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (for: Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha, Alice in Wonderland) wore a nude silk blouse with black-belted pencil skirt (supposedly from the Pre-Fall 2012 -13 – I couldn’t spot it in the lookbook), which she paired with high-heeled zebra printed pumps with cutout detail.
Italian actress Myriam Catania went for a burgundy silk jersey sleeveless dress with gold studded detail around the neckline, supposedly from the Cruise 2013 collection. Champagne leather 1973 handbag and beige suede high heeled sandals, by Gucci, completed her look. Her husband, the Italian actor Luca Argentero, turned up in a horror of a suit, by Gucci. The charcoal grey peak lapel two-button suit was too long and the fit around the body was way off. And don’t get me started with the trousers! The white dress shirt and black leather lace ups, well, let’s say they’re only decent pieces from this outfit.
French equestrian champion Virginie Couperie wore a camel silk blouse with black silk-crepe trousers, black leather belt with dragonfly detail from the Pre-Fall 2012-13 collection. Black suede high heeled sandals with gold stud detail, by Gucci, completed her look.
FYI, Il caso Mattei is said to be an unflinching exposé of Italian politics, society and morality. Here’s how the film unfolds…
The film explores the ambitions, accomplishments, and mysterious death of Eni founder Enrico Mattei. The success of Eni, a state-owned oil company, was considered a key reason for Italy’s postwar economic boom, but Mattei’s expanding political power and unorthodox vision made him many enemies. He was killed in 1962 when his private plane crashed outside Milan. Inclement weather was the official explanation, but this ignored the testimony of eyewitnesses who saw a mid-air explosion before the plane fell to earth.
The new 4K digital restoration, completed at the Cineteca di Bologna’s preservation facility, L’Immagine Ritrovata, used original camera negatives and vintage prints. L’Immagine Ritrovata, working in collaboration with The Film Foundation, Paramount Pictures, and Museo Nazionale del Cinema di Torino completed the restoration in time to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the film’s release. The restoration was funded by Gucci, Eni and The Film Foundation.