Ettore Scola
An Italian cinematic humanist who used laughter and intimacy to dissect decades of social and political change with unparalleled warmth.
1931–2016 (age 85)·Italian screenwriter and film director·Birthday: May 10·The Silent Generation
Biography
Ettore Scola began as a satirical cartoonist and gag writer, a background that informed the sharp, observant eye he turned to filmmaking. He didn't just document Italian life from the post-war period through the 'Years of Lead'; he chronicled its soul, often through the microcosm of a single apartment, a chance encounter, or a family dinner. His masterpiece, 'A Special Day,' trapped Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni in a Rome apartment on the day of a Hitler-Mussolini rally, finding profound humanity amid fascist pomp. Scola worked without dogma, equally adept at sprawling ensemble comedies like 'We All Loved Each Other So Much' and poignant character studies. His camera was a compassionate witness, finding the political in the personal and revealing the absurdities of class, ideology, and aging with a touch that was never cruel, always deeply understanding.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Ettore was born in 1931, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Ettore Was Born
The biggest hits of 1931
#1 Movie
Frankenstein
Best Picture
Cimarron
Ettore's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1931Born
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1936Started school
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1944Became a teenager
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Could drive
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1949Could vote
NATO founded; Mao proclaims the People's Republic of China
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Riders in the Sky" — Vaughn MonroeBest Picture: All the King's Men
1952Turned 21
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1961Turned 30
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 40
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1981Turned 50
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1991Turned 60
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 70
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 80
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2016Died at 85
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
Key Achievements
- Won the Cannes Palme d'Or for 'Le Bal' (1983), a dialogue-free film tracing French history through dance.
- Received the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for 'A Special Day' (1977).
- Earned four additional Oscar nominations for Best Foreign Language Film for 'Drama of the Jealousy,' 'Passione d'Amore,' 'The Family,' and 'Captain Fracassa's Journey.'
- Directed 'We All Loved Each Other So Much' (1974), a celebrated fresco of Italian society and cinema over thirty years.
Did You Know?
He co-wrote the screenplay for 'The Great War' (1959), a landmark Italian comedy directed by Mario Monicelli.
Before directing, he wrote numerous scripts for the popular Italian comic actor Totò.
His film 'The Terrace' (1980) featured an ensemble of ten major Italian actors, each representing a different social type.
He served as the President of the Jury at the 1988 Venice Film Festival.
“I have always tried to tell stories about Italy, about its changes, its contradictions, its people.”
