The Last Superstar: Top 5 Best Films of Sophia Loren

At the end of September, the great Italian actress and singer Sophia Loren – one of the last surviving superstars of Hollywood's Golden Age – celebrated her 90th birthday. In this case, it’s no exaggeration to say: this woman embodies the magnificent era of cinema’s golden age, the fruits of which still nourish today’s impoverished, simplified, and, in many ways, derivative modern cinema.

In her 90 years, Sophia Loren has captured the hearts of millions of viewers and conquered the world's major film festivals: two Oscars, five Golden Globes, awards from Cannes, Berlin, and Venice Film Festivals, BAFTA awards, a César, and even a Grammy – this is just a surface list of her main achievements, which ultimately led her to 21st place on the American Film Institute's list of the "100 Greatest Stars of All Time."

Not only through her roles with great 20th-century directors but also through her entire life, Sophia Loren constantly affirmed her status as an icon of cinema. Her biography itself is a ready-made script for a classic biopic that will undoubtedly be filmed someday. Born in 1934 in a charity shelter for single mothers, she spent her childhood and youth in the small fishing town of Pozzuoli. Due to her height and slenderness, she was nicknamed "Stacchetto" ("Stick"), and at 14, she won her first beauty contest. Two years later, already in Rome, she earned the title "Miss Elegance" at the Miss Italy competition. Then came her secret marriage to film producer Carlo Ponti, which marked the beginning of her journey onto the big screen – from topless shoots in adult films to iconic roles with all the major film stars of the 20th century, from Marcello Mastroianni to Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.

Analysing Sophia Loren's filmography, it’s quite difficult to single out her best films, as each of her roles is woven into the history of cinema and subsequently influenced dozens of actors and directors, inspiring them to create new films. Nevertheless, here is a list of films that will at least briefly allow you to experience the spirit of the Golden Age of cinema.

"Houseboat" (1958)

The actress herself considers this film, the second in which she starred alongside Cary Grant, the best of her American career. It's a romantic drama about a widowed diplomat who, after his wife's death, takes in his children – a daughter and two sons. Having barely communicated with them in recent years, the relationship between father and children is strained. To ease his life, he decides to hire a housekeeper and invites a young Italian woman, Cinzia, who is trying to escape from her tyrannical father. Together, they decide to leave stuffy Washington for a country house where the children can enjoy themselves. However, due to an accident at a railway crossing, they are forced to settle in a houseboat moored on the banks of the Potomac. Here, the family, with Cinzia's active involvement, has a chance to reunite.

"Two Women" (La ciociara, 1960)

This war drama brought Sophia Loren official recognition in the film industry – for her role as a widowed Roman shopkeeper escaping war with her daughter, she won her first Oscar and became the first actress to receive the award for a non-English-language film. The story of two refugees trying to wait out the war in the Italian countryside feels very relevant today, as Russian occupation forces, the new Nazis of the 21st century, are forcing residents of frontline towns to leave their homes and seek refuge in safer areas of Europe or deep in the rear. Loren's partner in the film was a young Jean-Paul Belmondo, who played a tragic role as a provincial man in love with the main character, whose affection is unrequited due to the hardships and horrors of war. In addition to the Oscar, the film also earned Sophia Loren awards from the Cannes Film Festival and a Golden Globe.

"Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" (1963)

This film, following "Two Women," continued the successful collaboration between director Vittorio De Sica and Sophia Loren. This time, their creative partnership produced a cinematic anthology consisting of three stories, in each of which Sophia Loren played the lead roles: Adelina, a smuggler who continually becomes pregnant to avoid prison; Anna, a selfish rich woman; and Mara, a prostitute who vows to remain chaste. It is in this film, in the third novella alongside Marcello Mastroianni, that the famous striptease scene appears, which was referenced 30 years later by Robert Altman in "Prêt-à-Porter." Once again, the film earned prestigious awards: an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA.

"Marriage Italian Style" (Matrimonio all'italiana, 1964)

One of the most famous melodramas in the golden collection of world cinema, an adaptation of Eduardo De Filippo's play "Filumena Marturano," and one of the best on-screen duets of Sophia Loren and the brilliant Marcello Mastroianni. The story of the acquaintance, love, betrayal, and reunion of a wealthy Italian man and a young prostitute, which began during World War II and continued in the challenging post-war period, captivated audiences on both sides of the Atlantic with its universality, humanity, and deep character development.

"Prêt-à-Porter" (1994)

This film, featuring a star-studded cast along with cameos by top models and famous couturiers, can hardly be called a "solo project" for Sophia Loren, but rather a final touch in her rich career – it includes a romantic and touching scene where an Italian communist (Mastroianni) meets his old love (Loren) once again, and their famous striptease scene from "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" is referenced. Overall, the film is a kaleidoscope of micro-stories revolving around Paris Fashion Week, where top models shine on the catwalks, and behind the scenes, simple, comedic, and tragic stories unfold involving people connected to the fashion industry.