Monica Bellucci Has Always Been A Real-Life Fellini Heroine

In Federico Fellini’s revered 1963 film 8½, a director grappling with creative block experiences visions of an “ideal woman”. She’s played by Claudia Cardinale, who lights up the screen as the frustrated protagonist’s muse; all tumbling raven locks, curve-skimming dresses and undeniable sex appeal. Sound familiar? It might be because another Italian actor, Monica Bellucci, remains a living embodiment of the Fellini-esque femme fatale to this day.

From her arthouse cinema days to her modern role as a regular on the Dior Couture FROW (via a memorable stint as a Bond girl in 2015’s Spectre), Bellucci has remained loyal to a wardrobe that wouldn’t look out of place on the set of La Dolce Vita: fishtail gowns with audacious necklines, diamonds, lace, and lots and lots of black. It’s not hard to see why – it all serves to enhance Bellucci’s sultry beauty and bombshell proportions. On the rare occasions the Dolce & Gabbana model (whose teenage daughter Deva Cassel has now followed in her mother’s footsteps to become a Dolce girl) does veer from her signature colour, she opts for champagne, leopard-print, plum or top-to-toe red – with similarly traffic-stopping results.

At 59, and following her West End debut last year in Maria Callas: Letters & Memoirs, Bellucci remains as captivating a presence as ever, and just popped up in Rome to promote her new film, Diabolik Chi Sei? In honour of her red-carpet return, revisit 33 times Monica looked as though she’d stepped out of a Fellini film, below.