Nino Baragli, a highly acclaimed and celebrated Italian film editor, embarked on a remarkable journey that spanned an astonishing five decades, leaving behind a legacy of incredible cinematic achievements. His remarkable career was marked by an impressive portfolio of over 200 film credits, a testament to his unwavering dedication and exceptional skill as a film editor.
Giovanni Baragli, a renowned figure in the film industry, came into the world on October 1, 1925, in the eternal city of Rome, Italy. It was his uncle, the highly respected editor Eraldo Da Roma, who initially introduced him to the captivating world of filmmaking.
As a young man, Baragli embarked on his professional journey in 1944, commencing as a film operator and assistant editor for the movie "Marinai senza stelle", a project masterfully directed by the talented Francesco De Robertis.
Notable Italian film editor of distinction, Baragli, embarked on a remarkable professional journey spanning over five decades, from 1944 to 1996. During this extensive period, he had the privilege of collaborating with some of the most celebrated and renowned Italian filmmakers of his time, including the visionary and acclaimed director, Federico Fellini, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. Additionally, Baragli worked alongside the influential and provocative filmmaker, Pier Paolo Pasolini, known for his bold and unapologetic approach to storytelling. He also had the opportunity to collaborate with the legendary director, Sergio Leone, who is best known for his iconic "Spaghetti Westerns". Furthermore, Baragli's impressive résumé includes working with other prominent Italian filmmakers, such as Damiano Damiani, Luigi Zampa, Giuliano Montaldo, Sergio Corbucci, Mauro Bolognini, Luigi Comencini, Cristina Comencini, Florestano Vancini, Gabriele Salvatores, Alberto Lattuada, Tinto Brass, Margarethe von Trotta, Pál Sándor, Bernardo Bertolucci, Roberto Benigni, and Massimo Troisi.
Pier Paolo Pasolini, a multifaceted artist of immense talent and creative scope, wore many hats, including that of a filmmaker, writer, poet, and intellectual of great renown.
Stefano Musi has gone on record to acknowledge the immense impact of Baragli's contributions to Pasolini's film repertoire, describing them as nothing short of enormous. Meanwhile, esteemed film scholar Geoffrey Nowell-Smith has penned insightful remarks about the pioneering editing techniques employed by Baragli and Pasolini in their early collaborative ventures. Notably, Nowell-Smith has observed that the editing in films such as "Accatone" and "Mamma Roma" initially garnered criticism from some quarters, with certain detractors likening the innovative approaches to the notion that Cezanne's bold brushstrokes were evidence that he was incapable of creating a masterpiece.
One of Pier Paolo Pasolini's most renowned and enduring cinematic endeavors, "The Gospel According to Saint Matthew", has garnered widespread acclaim from film critics, who now commonly regard it as a masterpiece.
Geoffrey Nowell-Smith, a prominent film scholar, astutely observes that the editing in this iconic film deliberately eschews continuity, refusing to adhere to traditional narrative conventions. Instead, each shot is presented as a self-contained reality, existing independently of the others, thereby subverting the notion of a cohesive, realistic illusion.
