It also brought back some poignant personal memories. We had a Roman friend who spent his life as an aspiring actor. He'd had parts in Bertolucci films & such. He'd moved to NYC in the 1980s, looking for better opportunities. Got small parts in several films including Scorsese's "Gangs Of New York" - he played the barber in the final scene.
He eventually moved back to Rome because it was home. We visited him there once in the 1990s, he was a kind & genial host, showing us a Rome we'd never have seen without him. We always said "Next time, we'll go see Cinecitta." But there never was a next time & then colon cancer got him. RIP Natale Nazareno, gone but not forgotten.
I think it's time for a Sergio Leone retrospective on my DVD player.
