[1] He went on to work with a number of acclaimed and diverse directors including, Sergio Leone (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,[1] Once Upon a Time in the West and Once Upon a Time in America), Roman Polanski (Death and the Maiden and Bitter Moon), Louis Malle (Lacombe, Lucien), Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Name of the Rose), and Federico Fellini, whose last three films he photographed.
His collaboration with Pier Paolo Pasolini was especially fruitful: they made twelve films together, including Pasolini's debut Accattone (1961), Mamma Roma (1962), The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964), The Decameron (1971), The Canterbury Tales (1972) and Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma (1976).
Although Della Colli did not work regularly with Lina Wertmuller, his cinematography for Pasqualino Settebelleze (Seven Beauties) was a major career highlight.
His last film was Roberto Benigni's Life Is Beautiful (1997),[1] for which he won his fourth David di Donatello for Best Cinematography.
Tonino Delli Colli died from a heart attack in 2005 at the age of 81 in Rome, Italy.