Date of birth (location)
22 August 1933, Zagreb Yugoslavia
Date of death (details)
26 December 1994, Rome Italy, after a long illness
Born in Yugoslavia, Sylva Koscina studied physics at the University of
Naples, But she was also Miss Di Tappa at the Tour of Italy bicycle race
in 1954 and, above all, a fashion model.
She made a fleeting appearance in the part of an aspiring actress in Siamo
uomini o caporali? [Are we men or caporals?](1955) before making a flying
catch at her great opportunity: she is Giulia, daughter of the train
engineer Andrea, in Pietro Germi's Il ferroviere [The Railroad man](1956).
Pretty, and even too elegant for the part, Sylva Koscina immediately
confirms her talent in Guendalina (1957) where she has no difficulty
playing the part of a young mother. But her daughter, a charming
Jacqueline Sassard, steals the show.
A lead player in popular comedies like Nonna Sabella [Grandmother Sabella]
(1957), Ladro lui, ladra lei [He a thief she a thief] (1958), and Poveri
millionari [Poor millionaires] (1958),Koscina alternated cleverly between
roles as vamp and as ingenue. She represented women in the search for
social upward mobility, the image of an Italy that had left its worst
problems behind.
Sylva was suited to sophisticated comedies like Mogli pericolose
[Dangerous wives] (1958) where she makes a direct sentimental challenge to
poor Giorgia Moll. But she also seemed at ease draped in a peplum: she
makes a marvelous fiancee for Hercules in Le fatiche di Ercole [Hercules]
(1958), a prototype of this kind of film. Il vigile [The policeman]
(1960), where she plays her own self, gives us a true example of her
popularity: in order to win her over, Alberto Sordi, then a traffic
officer in real life, lrt her go without a ticket. sylva, guest on a
television program, thanked him on the air, thus getting him into lots of
trouble.
An actress noted for her carriage, Sylva has an "important," entirely
feminine way of walking on the screen (and at times she professes it as in
Mogli pericolose where she lectures Giorgia Moll on how to walk like a
lady). In many of her roles she gives the impression of modeling at a
fashion show, head high, mouth very slightly open, eyes lost in the
distance. She is the elegant actress of the sixties with an aristocratic
manner bordering on snobbery.
In the first half of the sixties Sylva Koscina bacame the wife of Raimondo
Castelli, a small producer connected with Minerva Films. She managed to
keep well afloat with roles that were anything but negligible such as the
dramatic part in Damiano Damiani's Il sicario [The hired killer] (1961).
In La lepre e la tartaruga [The Hare and the Tortoise], an episode in Le
quattro verita [The Three Fables of Love](1963), the director Blasetti
constructs a deliciously sophisticated duel between her and Monoca Vitti.
Then, in 1965 Sylva takes part in Giulietta degli spiriti [Juliet of the
Spirits] as one of Juliet's sisters. But she also becomes a television
personality who is often the special guest on variety shows.
After passing thirty, she too tried playing the American card. She
partnered actors such as Kirk Douglas in A Lovely Way to Die (1968) and
Paul Newman in The Secret War of Harry Frigg (1967), but without luck. Her
fame being a bit tarnished, it was given a boost in the second half of the
sixties with her appearance, photographed bare-breasted, in the Italian
edition of Playboy magazine. There was nothing obscene in the exquisite
photography by Angelo Frontoni, but the simple fact of such a popular
actress appearing in the slick pages of a for-men-only magazine provoked a
scandal.
Thus the image of Sylva, based on an elegant and slightly snobbish
femininity was enriched with a touch of the erotic. This occurred also
because in that period Mauro Bolognini's L'assolute naturale [He and She]
(1969) was released complete with a "chaste" full nude shot. This was a
sign of the radical change Italian cinema and society were undergoing.
SYLVA'S TORRID LOVE SCENE
"Of course, if it had not been for the director, I
wouldn't have done this film"
"It was definitely the strangest and most sexy picture I've done up to
now", said Sylva Koscina as we sat on a hilltop in Northern Italy. She was
there for the shooting of her lastest film The Hornet's Nest in
which she shares top-billing with Rock Hudson. But it was not this film
that Sylva referred to. As we sat in her trailer at the end of a dat's
shooting we were talking about her most recently completed film He And
She. A film made in Italy with Laurence Harvey as her co-star. Word
has it that the picture contains some very erotic scenes. So when Sylva,
who gained her early reputation as a sexpot, describes He And She in this
way there must be something to it !
The story takes place on a motorway when "he" and "she" meet - the
personalities have no names in the film. I asked Sylva how she felt doing
such erotic scenes.
"I was very nervous at the beginning because I'm really a very shy person.
Also, it was something new for me to shoot these kind of scenes. There are
three in particular which are strong, very strong ... a little disgusting,
too.
"But you see, this picture is not a stupid one, it's not just a sex film.
The idea is from a book, a theatrical dialogue by Goffredo Parise, a very
well-known Italian writer, and is a struggle between two personalities.
"'He' reflects free intellectuality, believes in art and poetry, is very
sensitive ... 'he' is searching for an ideal love. 'she' reflects
symbolitically rich society, and is the expression of most pure instinct
of nature. 'she' is very realistic and so possessive as to destroy 'his'
freedom.
"It's a psychological picture, so every gesture, every situation is really
important. Everything had to be there, that's why I had to do it.
So I forgotSylva the woman, the private one, and became completely the
actress and the character I was playing.
"Of course, if it hadn't been for the director, Mario Bolognini, I
wouldn't have done this film. I have such respect for him."
With so much emphasis on sex in films does she think there's too much
nudity on the screen these days ?
"Yes, there is. Nudity can be nice, beautiful, but should not be vulgar.
It depends on which way you are treating something. I'm not for
pornography. I'm for nudity, but for the classic, beautiful, clean nude !"
Sylva Koscina is beautiful, but she has the added attributes of being
intelligent and very honest in what she says. Born in Zagreb, Yogoslavia,
she moved to Italy when she was eight years old. After completing high
school, she enrolled at the University of Naples where she took
mathematics and physics.
But how does someone on the way to becoming a professor in these subjects
end up in the film business ?
"I suppose like every girl, I thought about the theatre, about films,
about being a star." she said. "So finally, I decided to go to Rome ...
after all, it was the film city and I thought it was worth a try. But
things were really very, verydifficult and not at all encouraging. So I
became a fashion model. After a month, an Italian director who had seen my
stills in the newspaper called me to do a test. Finally he said, 'O.K.,
you'll be my star in 'The Railroad Man.'
The film turned out to be a successful and beautiful one, and on the
strength of that I signed a contract with Carlo Ponti. But after eighteen
months there was a crisis with films in Italy. Ponti left for America
taking Sophia Loren with him."
Sylva laughed as she said: "I was alone ! But in any case I was a star, so
I said, 'Now I have to go on'."
Speaking honestly and frankly of this phase in her life, Sylva recalled,
"I had a very difficult career because I decided to be honest ... no
compromises. I thought that if I couldn't achieve some status in the
business on these terms then I might as well go back to university and
become a professor . I am very strongwilled, I think, and determined. But
it was a very hard road really ... very hard."
"I was shy, I was well-educated and you know, I was a beautiful girl. I
was continually getting invitations from producers which extended beyond
lunch and dinner. And I was so concerned with my work and so incredibly
naive at the time that I couldn't understand the connection between them.
I would ask ' Why dinner, why lunch ?" She broke into peals of laughter as
she added, "Now I understand !"
More serious she continued: "I learned French and some English. I have
been building my career like my own life. Definitely more tiring, but I
think it's better."
In a comparatively short film career, Sylva has appeared in more than
thirty-five pictures, and her first role in an English film came in 1964
when she starred opposite Dirk Bogarde in Hot Enough For June.
After that came Fellini's Juliet Of The Spirits in Italy and then
back to England for Deadlier Than The Male.
But though she had gained a reputation in Europe by this time, the name
Sylva Koscina meant virtually nothing in the United States. She admitted
to being a bit despondent during this phase of her life.
"I wanted to go to America," she said, "but every time there was someone
else who got pushed or recommended. I was really tired and lacking
confidence in myself."
I asked if there was any connection between this and the photographic
spread of her posing in the nude which appeared in a top American magazine
two years ago.
She smiled: "Life is really strange. They had been asking me for these
stills for years and I kept saying no, no, no ! And then I said to myself,
'Sylva, you're not eighteen, why not give it a try ?' But before these
stills were shown, I was called for a test in London for a Paul Newman
film, The Secret War Of Harry Frigg."
"I tested for ten minutes, close-up in English. And I got the part. So I
was recognised for my personal qualities ... my acting ability, not just
for my body. I was already in America by the beginning of 1967 and the
picture spread didn't come out until May of that year !"
In her current film The Hornet's Nest Sylva has a chance to display
her acting ability to the full as it's an action drama, not a love story.
The only sexual thing is a rape scene between her and Rock Hudson. Of this
she said: "It's not very sexy, but is strong and violent ... it's a
horrible scene. Very hard to do."
With a World War II background, The Hornet's Nest is drawn from a
real life incident which took place when the Nazis were making their last
stand in Italy.
Rock Hudson plays an American captain who is parachuted with his regiment
behind enemy lines. Their mission is to blow up the Della Norte Dam. But
they are ambushed by the Nazis and the captain is the only survivor.
Badly injured, he is found by a group of boys who witnessed, but escaped
from, the Nazi massacre of their families in a neighbouring village
Tears From Sylva
Sylva is convinced this film will have a great impact. "It shows how war
destroys mentally as well as physically. We are all destroyed ... myself,
Rock and the children."
Watching the shooting the afternoon, I was moved by Sylva Koscina's
obviously deeply-felt emotion for the role she was playing. The scene was
a tense one in which two of the youngest children (their ages range from 3
to 14) come and tell her that one of the boys has been killed during the
ambush of the Nazis.
Sitting alone, she seemed oblivious of all the activity going on around
her: the setting-up of camera positions, the lights, the general babble
which exists before the yell of silence and the action begins.
It required tears from Sylva. And tears came, real tears, nothing faked
and added by the make-up artist.
After a perfect take, director Phil Karlson went forward and put his arms
round her. Everyone had been touched by the sensitivity of the scene. It
was several moments before the tearful German doctor, caught up in the
horrors of war, disappeared and Sylva Koscina, actress, emerged to walk
slowly away from the set.
Later, as we sat in her trailer, I asked her about her ability of shutting
out her surroudings in preparation for such a scene.
"Once it was very difficult for me because I couldn't forget the noises
and people around me. But now, over a period of time, I find that Ican
forget everything ... it comes naturally to me. Particularly in this
picture, although there are a lot of situations very difficult to shoot.
The film is hard on me physically, also it's in English, but I can become
emotionally involved very easily for I experienced war as a child in
Yugoslavia. I saw people dead and dying. I have a clear idea about war.
For me it's enough to think and I'm there ... it's still there."
Sylva Koscina,besides being a dedicated film actress, is a dog-lover, is
happily married and is building houses in her spare time.
She demonstrated the first when the continuity girl's missing dog showed
up and was greeted by Sylva like a long-lost friend ! Added to which she
has an entourage of four dogs of her own. They include a basset hound, one
which she describes as a 'wolf' dog and two mongrels rescued from Spain
and Italy !
Of the second (she was married in 1967 to Italian Raimondo Castelli) she
said, "Now I am at peace with myself. Sometimes I think I'm stupid, that
i'm not like the others, but now i'm happy. i'm tied maybe, but i'm
happy."
Of the third, mention spare time and Sylva laughs delightedly.
"I'm building houses. It's no joke ! I bought a property near Rome because
I decided that I would prefer to live outside the city. I spent a lot of
time adding this and that and then thought I'd better have a place in Rome
after all.
"So I bought an old house which had to be renovated. This started two and
a half years ago. It still isn't ready. I'm going crazy now ! But I only
need two, three,, four maybe five months now to complete it !"
Last year, Sylva went back to her homeland of Yugoslavia and made The
Battle Of Neretva which stars, amongst others, Yul Brynner, Orson
Welles and Franco Nero. Next yearshe plans to go there again to star in an
Italian production.
What can we expect from Sylva Koscina in the future ? Will the image be a
dramatic one and less of a sexpot ?
"Oh, no. I would like to do both and I love doing comedy, too. The role is
the most important thing even if it's quite opposite to my own
personality. And my body is still OK," she said laughingly, "so why cover
it up !" Why, indeed ?
IN THE 1980'S SYLVA KOSCINA HAD A LONG RUNNING LIVE THEATRE PERFORMANCE
IN ROME. BY THEN A MATURE BUT STILL BEAUTIFULL SYLVA, PERFORMED EVERY
NIGHT IN THE NUDE
Source:
http://koscina.hp.infoseek.co.jp/sylva103e.htm |
1933年8月22日、ユーゴスラヴィアのザガブリア生まれ。第二次大戦後の45年、姉を頼ってイタリアに移る。ナポリ大学医学部在学中の54年、イタリア一周自転車レースの優勝者に花束をささげる美女に選ばれ、優勝者にキスしている彼女の写真が、新聞・雑誌・ニュース映画等をにぎわし、ジャーナリスト達の間では彼女の新鮮な美しさが秘に話題になりはじめていた。そんな噂を耳にしたある映画監督が彼女にスクリーン・テストを受けることを薦めた。これがきっかけで大学を中退して映画界に入るが、しばらくは役に恵まれず失意の日を送る。56年、ピエトロ・ジェルミの「鉄道員」で長女ジュリアに起用され、一躍スターの座を獲得した。
20才代の頃は、その清楚な美しさから当時流行していた史劇を中心に活躍。30才代に入ると、その美しさに磨きがかかり、さらに大人の女性としての色香も加わり、コメディー・スパイアクション・戦争映画等数多くの作品に出演し、イタリアだけでなく、アメリカ・イギリス・フランス・ドイツ等で国際的に活躍するようになった。
しかし、彼女の魅力が本当に発揮されるのは、30才台後半からの一連の作品であろう。最初に彼女がその肢体をさらしたのは、「マルキ・ド・サドのジュスティーヌ」。ここでは、入浴シーンで豊満な肉体をさらし、世のコシナファンを驚かせた。その後、イタリアのベストセラーを原作に(角川文庫にあったが絶版)、マウロ・ボロニーニ監督の「彼女と彼」でさらに大胆なヌードシーンを披露した。これは、彼女の代表作といってもいい作品であり、公開当時はある程度話題にもなったが、現在では忘れられた作品となっている。
日本国内ではこの作品以後、70年代では「黄金の7人/エロチカ大作戦」、「皆殺しハンター」、「ボッカチオ」と3作しか公開されなかった。この当時ヨーロッパでは盛んに出演作品が作成されており、彼女の妖艶な肢体に魅了されたファンとしては、非常に残念である。
80年代に入り、もはや40才台も後半を迎え、70年代前半に肉体派で売っていた彼女の作品を国内で見ることはできないであろうと思っていたら、なんと「サンデーラバース」という作品に彼女が出演しているではありませんか。久し振りに出会えた彼女に感涙ものでした。映画のパンフレットの解説ではあまり高く評価されていないが、彼女のファンとしてはもう大満足の作品である。参考までに解説を引用すると、
そして、最後に登場する世にも恐ろしいザイラに扮するのがシルバ・コシナ・・・ということになっている。オリジナル・プレスにもハッキリそう書いてある。もし、彼女がシルバ・コシナであるとすれば、「黄金の7人・エロチカ大作戦」などに出演し、B級コメディやアクション映画のセクシー・パートはおまかせ、という感じで形のよいオッパイやくびれたウエストで、ボクを悩殺してくれた女優だ。しかし、ボクには、どうしても彼女がシルバ・コシナだとは思えないのだ。あまりにも顔とスタイルが違いすぎる。・・・これも20年という歳月なのだろうか・・・謎だ・・・。
これを書いた人が、本当に彼女に悩殺されていたのなら、感激こそすれ、このような評価はできるものではない。結局彼は単に女の裸であれば誰でもよかったということを告白しているようなものである。
それとは逆に、最近出版された、洋泉社の映画秘宝シリーズの中の一冊「セクシー・ダイナマイト猛爆撃」では、彼女の本当の魅力を認識している浅尾敦則氏により、シルバ・コシナについて、次のような評論がされている。
「キッスは殺しのサイン」(66年)は、黒幕ナイジェル・グリーンとその部下の女殺し屋エルケ・ソマーという配役は「破壊部隊」と同じだが、ここでソマーのパートナーを演じるのがシルバ・コシナで、これがいい!念のためもう一度いっておこう。コシナはいい!
ヨーロッパ女優の中でも日本人好みのタイプで、「押さば引け引かば押せ」の雰囲気が漂っている(こんな説明で彼女のよさが理解できたらあんたはエライ!)ちょっと応蘭芳っぽい(古いね)感じの大人の色気をにじませている人です。
また、同じ本の中で中島紳介氏も同様に愛情あふれるコメントを披露しているので、次に引用します。
さて、シルバ・コシナといえば、「鉄道員」(56年)の長女役で有名なイタリアのグラマー女優。満月のような丸い顔になんともいえない色気があり、50~60年代の史劇や戦争映画で活躍したが、あまり役柄に恵まれず、現在では忘れられたスターといっていい。
ビデオで観られる作品も、フェリーニ一流の悪趣味な厚塗りが目立つ「魂のジュリエッタ」(64年)や添え物的なヒロインを演じた露出度ゼロの「ネレトバの戦い」(69年)、「要塞」(70年)、あるいはロッサナ・ポデスタとともに盛りをすぎてからのヌード(それでも充分に色っぽかったが)を披露した「黄金の7人/6+1エロチカ大作戦」(71年)などが出ているものの、現在ではほとんどが廃盤状態。「イスタンブール」をはじめ「地上最笑の作戦」(63年)、「秘密指令/バラカX-13」(66年)、「キッスは殺しのサイン」(66年)といったマニアックな代表作はもちろん、彼女の絶頂期の美しさを刻印した映画に出会うチャンスは皆無に等しいのである。
ところで、そんなファンの渇きを癒してくれるのが、テレビ東京の映画枠「午後のロードショー」(月~金、午後1時~2時55分)だ。ここで観た「放浪の剣豪」(62年)のシルバ・コシナたるや、もう信じられないくらいかわいかったぞ。
というように、一部では評価され、根強いファンに支えられ、本国イタリアでは94年まで映画出演していましたが、残念ながら1994年12月26日、ローマの病院で死去しました。日本国内の新聞の死亡欄にも出ましたが、その中では死因は明らかにされていないとのことでした。しかし、外国の新聞記事を検索すると”心臓病で長期の闘病のすえ死亡”とのコメントが病院のスポークスマンから発表されたとの記事がありました。いずれにせよ、私たちに本当の女性の魅力を教えてくれた彼女に感謝し、心よりご冥福をお祈りします。
海外から、こんなメールをもらいました。ああ・・・
IN THE 1980'S SYLVA KOSCINA HAD A LONG
RUNNING LIVE THEATRE PERFORMANCE IN ROME. BY THEN A MATURE BUT STILL
BEAUTIFULL SYLVA, PERFORMED EVERY NIGHT IN THE NUDE.
スクリーン 1969年2月号にこんな記事が載っていました。
68年のイタリア映画界は監督協会の新旧世代への分裂や、ベネチア映画祭の騒動など、多難な年だった。このようなイタリア映画界の分裂・対立を悲しみ、多くのイタリア映画人により、新しく”イタリア映画アカデミー”がこのほど創立された。この会は”映画芸術とその批判的問題及び表現の自由の前進に貢献しイタリア映画のための具体的な文化活動を推進し、支持すること”を目的としたものであり、高名な評論家のジャン・ルイジ・ロンディ氏の提唱により設立された。日本にもなじみ深い多くのスターや監督、プロデューサーが発起人に名をつらねている。女優ではクラウディア・カルディナーレ、ヴィルナ・リージ、シルバ・コシナ、ジーナ・ロロブリジダ、モニカ・ヴィッティ、ロザンナ・スキャフィーノ、カトリーヌ・スパークなど。男優ではヴィットリオ・ガスマン、ニーノ・マンフレディ、アルベルトー・ソルディ、ウーゴ・トニャッツィなど。監督ではマウロ・ボロニーニ、ルキノ・ヴィスコンティ、フランコ・ゼッフィレッリ、フェデリコ・フェッリーニなどである。この他、著名なプロデューサー、キャメラマン、作曲家などが参加していますが、この発起人の中から、ジャン・ルイジ・ロンディ、シルバ・コシナ、フランコ・ゼッフィレッリなど11人が実行委員となり、今後のアカデミーの運営に当たることになっている。
コシナのイタリア映画界での位置づけが良く判る記事だと思います。
「日本伊製恐怖映画協会」提供。イタリアで出版された映画事典におけるコシナの記事 ... NEW
DIZIONARIO DEL CINEMA ITALIANO, LE ATTRICI(イタリア映画事典・女優編)
R.Chitti, E. Lancia, A. Orbicciani, R. Poppi 共著
GREMESE EDITORE 社(1999) 定価 L 6,000
コシナの記事は1ページ半に渡っている。多くの女優は1/3~2/3ページ程度なのでかなり大きな扱いである(但し、出演作が多く作品リストが長いということもある)。これを日本でも著名だった他の大女優と比較してみると、C・カルディナーレやM・ヴィッティと同程度、C・スパークやR・ポデスタには勝っているが、S・ローレンやA・ヴァリよりは劣っている(この両名は別格扱い)。
解説文和訳(部分的に意訳・補足)
シルヴァ・コシナ(シルヴァ・コスキノン)
1933年8月22日クロアチア、アグラム生まれ。1994年12月26日ローマ没。
スラヴの生まれであり、彼女のキャリアはその当時の国際的な分野にまで及んでいるが、いかように見てもイタリア映画の一女優である。美しく、優雅で、親しみやすく、甘く、そして同時に強い意思を持っていたコシナは、感動的な物から喜劇的な物まで、冒険物から刑事物まで、殆ど全ての映画ジャンルを駆け抜けた。彼女が常に示した卓越した職業意識ととりわけ役柄への完璧な適合は、フェリーニ、リージィ、ボロニーニ、コメンチーニ、ザンパといった監督の眼鏡にかなうのに十分であった。
ギリシャ人の父とポーランド人の母との間に生まれ、彼女は幼くして家族とともにイタリアに移住する。はじめはベルガモ、ブレッシャ、アンコーナといった町を転々とするが、最終的にナポリ大学物理学部に入学。とても魅力的で健康的、それに写真写りが良かったので、コシナはイタリア一周自転車競争「ジーロ・ディターリア1954」で花束を渡す美女「ミス・ア・タッパ」に選ばれた後に映画製作者たちから出演依頼が寄せられ、彼女はこの機を逃さなかった。彼女の銀幕デビューは殆ど知られていないが、女優志願者役で喜劇俳優トトと共演した“Siamo
uomini o caporali”(1955)である。とは言え、この作品で初めてカメラと相対(あいたい)したことが、彼女をP・ジェルミの『鉄道員』出演にまで押し上げることになる。なぜなら、これがおそらくこの女優に対して与えられた最初の人間的な役だったからである。
『鉄道員』で得た成功により、彼女はこの頃から売れっ子女優となり次々と映画出演するようになるが、その多くは彼女と彼女の才能にふさわしくない物であった。彼女は芸能面を最もにぎわした人物の一人であり、人々の羨望の的である男性パートナー(ポール・ニューマン、カーク・ダグラス、ロッサノ・ブラッツィ、アルベルト・ソルディ、ニーノ・マンフレディ、ジャン=ポール・ベルモンドといった男優たち)と一緒にいる場面を最もよく見られた女優の一人でもある。彼女は映画では幸福であったが、感傷的な人生においてはそうではなかった。実際、映画製作者ライモンド・カステッリ(1960年代初頭に彼女と結婚)との結婚でつまずく。この結婚は1967年に、カステッリの重婚が発覚し、法的に無効となる。彼女を待ち受けていたもう一つのスキャンダルは、プレイボーイ誌イタリア版で上半身ヌードを見せたことである。それは、非常に美しく、また全く露悪的ではなく、ソフトで傷つきやすいものであった。
彼女は喜劇舞台“Biondissimamente tua”(1966)やテレビでも活躍した。後者ではいくつかのコマーシャルと、とりわけエドモ・フェノーリョの“I
giacobini”(1962)、ディーノ・リージの“...e la vita
continua”(1984)のような連続ドラマで姿を見せた。喜劇ではアルベルタッツィ監督による“Topaz”(1970)、またはディーノ・ブッツァーティ原作・ギルベルト・トファーノ監督のオリジナル・テレビドラマ “Don
Giovanni”(1961)、ヴィットリオ・デ・システィ監督の“Casa
Cecilia”(1982および1984)等。彼女の最後のテレビ出演は、ツッチオ・テッサリの“Una grande storia d'amore”
(1987) である。
(この項の記述 E. Lancia)
Source:
http://koscina.hp.infoseek.co.jp/sylva103.htm |