Franco Zeffirelli, Italian director known for "Romeo and Juliet," dies at 96
Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, who delighted audiences around the world with his romantic vision and extravagant productions, most famously captured in his cinematic "Romeo and Juliet" and the miniseries "Jesus of Nazareth," died Saturday in his Rome residence at 96.
While Zeffirelli was most popularly known for his films, his name was also inextricably linked to the theater and opera. He produced classics for the world's most famous opera houses, from Milan's venerable La Scala to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and plays for London and Italian stages.
Zeffirelli made it his mission to make culture accessible to the masses, often seeking inspiration in Shakespeare and other literary greats for his films, and producing operas aimed at TV audiences. Claiming no favorites, Zeffirelli once likened himself to a sultan with a harem of three: film, theater and opera.
His best known films include Romeo and Juliet (1968), Brother Sun, Sister Moon (1971), Jesus of Nazareth (1977), Endless Love (1981), Hamlet (1990), and Tea with Mussolini (1999).
"I am not a film director. I am a director who uses different instruments to express his dreams and his stories – to make people dream," Zeffirelli told The Associated Press in a 2006 interview.
At: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/franco-zeffirelli-dies-96-italian-director-known-for-romeo-and-juliet/
Franco Zeffirelli, 1923-2019.
Gifted in film making but controversial in life, his homophobic statements (as a gay man) and lurch to the right alienated him from many of his colleagues.
