Isabella Rossellini – The Voice of Transgression

by Alicja Nowacka

Isabella Rossellini embodies European film heritage. Born in Rome and brought up in France, her voice discloses her French-Italian upbringing. Her face reminds us of her mother’s raw Scandinavian beauty. Although she is the daughter of two legends of cinema – Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini, Isabella Rosellini carved out her own remarkable career.

She debuted on screen in A MATTER OF TIME by Vincente Minnelli (1976), where she was cast in the role of a nun accompanying a dying countess played by Ingrid Bergman. The countess thus encounters a face so similar to hers at the end of her life, which was meant to give a symbolic dimension to the scene. The film was not a success, but Rossellini’s next, and first major, role in THE MEADOW by the Taviani brothers did not go unnoticed. In 1980 she was named Best New Actress by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists.

Although Rossellini did not want to pursue acting and concentrated on modelling in the United States, in the 1980s her career really blossomed. In the cult classic BLUE VELVET (1986) by David Lynch she showed her charisma portraying nightclub singer Dorothy Vallens. Rossellini’s performance went down in the history of cinema as one of the most complex, magnetic female roles. Her black curls, red lipstick and blue eyelids and above all the enigmatic fascination she lends to her character are unforgettable. Rossellini also starred in Lynch’s next film, WILD AT HEART (1990). She gave her character a distinctive, enigmatic charm, but also a grotesque quality that perfectly suited Lynch’s surreal and suspenseful style.

When starring in Hollywood films, Rossellini’s accent reveals that she is not American. However, at the same time it is almost impossible to recognise where exactly she might be from. This introduces mystery, exotism and a certain fluidity to the characters she plays. She gives us not only that fluidity, transgression and a certain complexity, but also humour. This is reflected in the roles she chooses. In DEATH BECOMES HER by Robert Zemeckis (1992), her acting style fit perfectly into the atmosphere of a camp black comedy. In THE SADDEST MUSIC IN THE WORLD (2003), Rossellini worked with director Guy Maddin, whose transgressive directing style tunes in nicely with her performance. The stereotype of the mysterious, intelligent, domineering, elegant woman with a pronounced accent works in Rossellini’s favour, who always manages to give it a nuanced or humorous twist.

However, Rossellini’s funniest and cleverest roles were written by herself. Using her scientific expertise with a Master in Animal Behaviour and Conservation, she has written and directed series of camp shorts: GREEN PORNO and SEDUCE ME, which focus on the sexual behaviour of animals. She appears in all the episodes in ridiculously funny animal costumes to educate us about ethology, diversity, queerness and complexity of non-human entities. In a world where we turn our focus to the human’s role in the ecosystem, her personal interest in animals and sustainability underlines her importance as a modern icon.