The Blonde (1993)

Interesting facts

The Blonde is a 1993 Italian thriller film directed by Sergio Rubini and co-written by Rubini, Filippo Ascione and Umberto Marino. It stars Nastassja Kinski as the titular blonde, a woman who loses her memory after an accident; Rubini as the man responsible for the accident which takes an interest in her while she recovers; and Ennio Fantastichini as her original love interest.

Production

Sergio Rubini first met Nastassja Kinski while filming Federico Fellini's Intervista (1987), which was produced by her husband Ibrahim Moussa, and later conceived The Blonde with her in mind for the role of Christine after she expressed admiration for his directorial debut The Station (1990). As with The Station, the film was produced by Domenico Procacci for Fandango, marking his fifth feature as a producer.

Principal photography began in February 1992 and concluded in July 1992, taking place primarily in Milan. The car-crash scene was shot on the Autostrada A26 junction near Ghevio, a frazione of Meina.

The production quickly fell behind schedule, due in part to the relative inexperience of both Procacci and Rubini, as well as the decision to shoot most scenes outdoors and at night, which introduced additional challenges related to weather conditions and urban nightlife. The self-described perfectionism of Rubini and cinematographer Alessio Gelsini Torresi further contributed to delays, with Procacci also pressing for reshoots.

Filming was further disrupted in May 1992 by Kinski's sudden departure for the United States, where she fled with her two children after Italian authorities revoked her custody following charges of child neglect and abduction leveled at her by Moussa; the two were entering divorce proceedings after Kinski's affair with Quincy Jones had been made public months earlier.

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