When I was 17, I got a beautiful birthday present from my parents, a series of silent films. You know, when a motion picture but without synchronized recorded sound. The story goes with the picture itself, and instead of a sound of the scenes, you'll find pantomime, tittle cards, or a mere muted gestures. First I felt like, it would be so boring to watch movie without anybody speaking, but later I found it somehow interesting, when you don't get a boundary to interpret a film by its dialogue. When I watch silent films, my visualization gets amused by the pictures, but I can create my own script, because the idea of the movie is transmitted by only the act of the actors.
This morning, I got message from my dear friend Americo Cacciapuoti (remember the model-photographer that can kill you just by his eyes? ;) ) that he did some fashion spread for L'officiel Thailand (he's as the man in front of the camera this time), resurrecting one of my favorite Italian actor from silent films, Rudolph Valentino.These photographs are inspired by some of most applauded films starred by him, such as A Sainted Devil , A Delicious Little Devil, The Married Virgin, beautiful beautiful The Sheik and The Son of The Sheik, and of course, the film that blew much fame to his name, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
With his so italian face, Americo succesfully brings back the image of the lionized actor, especially with his reputable image as sex icon. Italian, uncannily seductive, unfathomably sexy, and enigmatic. We all need some air to breath after all those, do we not?
Photographed by Marco Marezza, this project seems to be grandeur guaranteed. With his long-list experiences with Cosmopolitan, L'uomo Vogue, Vanity Fair, and gorgeous ads for Giorgio Armani, Valentino, and Gianfranco Ferrè, what could you get anything but perfection?
Signorefandi, silently-deathly saint...