Franco Zeffirelli, Creator Of Lavish Productions On Screen And Stage, Dies At 96
The Italian director staged sumptuously visualized operas, which often resembled Renaissance paintings brought to life. On film, he brought Shakespearean and biblical tales to the big screen.
Franco Zeffirelli once said that when the curtain comes up "you have to give the audience a big thing to look at."
The Italian filmmaker and opera director gave audiences plenty to look at — in his lavishly styled operas and his biblical and Shakespearean film adaptations.
Zeffirelli died Saturday in Rome after a long illness. His death was announced on the Foundation of. He was 96.
