Luchino Visconti

Known for: The Leopard (1963), Rocco and His Brothers (1960)

Luchino Visconti was born into one of the oldest noble families in Italy and directed films of almost operatic grandeur that moved from the neorealist Ossessione (1943) and La Terra Trema (1948) — made with non-professional actors in Sicily — toward the historical epic and the adaptation of literary classics. Rocco and His Brothers (1960), The Leopard (1963), and Death in Venice (1971) are among the most visually sumptuous Italian films ever produced. He was simultaneously a major figure in Italian opera direction.