Le Amiche

Based on the novella Tra donne sole by Cesare Pavese, Le Amiche is the story of a woman who goes to Turin to start a new shop as she meets with a group of wealthy women as they all cope with the troubles of a friend amidst the turmoil in their own lives and in the world around them. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and written by Antonioni and Susu Cecchi D’Amico with contributions from Alba De Cespedes, the film is an exploration of five women dealing with their own identities in Turin as they deal with their own world and growing changing times around them. Starring Eleonora Rossi Drago, Gabriele Ferzetti, Franco Fabrizi, Valentina Cortese, Yvonne Furneaux, Madeleine Fischer, Anna Maria Pancani, Luciano Volpato, Maria Gambarelli, and Ettore Manni. Le Amiche is a riveting and somber film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

The film revolves a group of upper class women in the city of Turin as they deal with the suicide attempt of one of their friends just as a woman who is part of the social circle returns to the city from Rome to open a fashion salon. It’s a film that is more of a study of a group of women who live in the posh world of fashion and posh surroundings as one of them becomes despondent over her existence while another returns to her hometown as she ponders if she really fits in with this social circle. The film’s screenplay by Michelangelo Antonioni and Susu Cecchi D’Amico features a straightforward narrative that does focus on these five women that are part of this social circle of upper-class women living in Turin wearing expensive clothing and such. For Clelia (Eleonora Rossi Drago), returning to her hometown to open and manage a fashion salon from Rome allows her to look back at the town but also see the chaos in the social circle that she’s in as it relates to Rosetta (Madeleine Fischer) whose suicide attempt has disrupted a lot of the social activities in these women.

The script does feature a lot of dialogue that play into Rosetta’s despair and her need to find meaning in her life as it play into the faults of the upper-class world. Even as she find herself attracted to the artist Lorenzo (Gabriele Ferzetti) who is married to another artist in Nene (Valentine Cortese) who is also part the social circle of women with Momina De Stefani (Yvonne Furneaux) and the shallow and flaky Mariella (Anna Maria Pancani). Clelia is aware of Rosetta’s troubled emotional state as she finds herself at odds with Momina and Mariella with Nene becoming suspicious of Rosetta’s attraction towards Lorenzo. The film also showcases Clelia beginning a relationship with the architect’s assistant Carlo (Ettore Manni) who is an outsider due to his working class background yet Clelia is still fascinated by him since she doesn’t care about his social standing while Momina gets involved with Carlo’s boss Cesare Pedoni (Franco Fabrizi) who is building Clelia’s salon for this major event to occur that would attract Turin’s upper-class.

Antonioni’s direction is filled with striking and evocative compositions and settings that would play into the visual style that he would hone in later films as it play into the theme of alienation and loneliness that revolves around these characters. Shot on location in and around Turin, Antonioni uses the city as a character as a place that is changing where there a lot of these posh places emerging and such while there are places that the middle and working class go to but also the lower class as it play into Clelia’s return as she looks back at this place that was once her home. A scene where she and Carlo walk to find furniture where they walk to a street that she used to live is key to who she is as it was a place she knew she had to leave but has a fondness to it while knowing it’s different now and can’t fully return. Especially as she’s already in a world that has a lot to offer and has so many things but she does maintain a sense of reality in comparison to the likes of Momina and Mariella.

Antonioni’s usage of wide and medium shots not only play to the locations but also in the air of disconnect as it relates to these women and reality though Nene is someone who is given an immense opportunity that only a fool would turn down. Yet, she is troubled by Lorenzo’s failings as an artist as well as his attraction to Rosetta where there is a scene where she confronts Rosetta but not in a heavy dramatic way since Nene is aware of Rosetta’s mood swings. The confrontation takes place in its third act where it is about Clelia’s presentation that is followed by a troubling aftermath where all five women and a few of their dates go to eat dinner and things unravel. Especially at it all relates to Rosetta who is yearning to be fulfilled as its ending revolves more around Clelia and her own pursuits as she is aware of the faults of the posh world she lives in. Antonioni maintains that air of conflict in Clelia as well as her own feelings about Rosetta’s despair in a world that has so much but offer little salvation. Overall, Antonioni crafts a compelling yet heart-wrenching film about a group of posh women in Turin who deal with their world and the suicide attempt of one of their own.

Cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo does brilliant work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography in the way many of the daytime exteriors are presented from the natural look of the scene on the beach to the greyer look of the city while the exterior scenes at night feature some unique lighting to maintain its atmosphere. Editor Eraldo Da Roma does excellent work with the editing as it is largely straightforward to play into the drama as well as the conversation between characters with some rhythmic cuts for dramatic effect. Production designer Gianni Polidori does amazing work with the look of the salon that Clelia is overseeing as well as a few of the homes of the women to play into their posh environment.

Costume designer Enzo Bulgarelli does fantastic work with the costumes in the design of the many dressed the women wear as it represents their unique personalities as it has a lot of life as well as the world that they represent. The sound work of Giulio Canavero, Emilio Rosa, and Ennio Sensi is terrific for its natural approach to the sound in many of the film’s locations as well as capturing the atmosphere of some of the gatherings including the fashion salon presentation. The film’s music by Giovanni Fusco is wonderful for its mixture of somber guitar-based pieces as well as heavy piano themes that play into the drama.

The film’s superb cast feature a couple of notable small roles from Maria Gambarelli as Clelia’s boss who appears late in the film and Luciano Volpato as Mariella’s boyfriend in the film’s third act. Franco Fabrizi is terrific as the architect Cesare as a man whom Momina becomes attracted to as she tries to start a relationship with him while Gabriele Ferzetti is fantastic as Lorenzo as Nene’s husband who is trying to make it as an artist while is becoming attracted towards Rosetta leading to some major trouble for everyone. Ettore Manni is excellent as Carlo as Cesare’s assistant who is a working class man that befriends Clelia as he would fall for her but is aware of their social class differences despite their fondness for one another. Anna Maria Pancani is amazing as Mariella who is this shallow woman that seems to care more about herself and whatever man she can get with little regard for people’s feelings as well as just getting everyone to join her in some gathering.

Yvonne Furneaux is brilliant as the pessimistic Momina as a woman who often says the wrong things and prefers to be the one to run things as if she maintains this air of importance unaware of the things she says about Rosetta. Madeleine Fischer is incredible as Rosetta as a young woman who is recovering from a suicide attempt as she questions about her own existence in the upper class world as well as her feelings for Lorenzo along with all sorts of things as it is a dramatic-heavy performance from Fischer. Valentina Cortese is phenomenal as Nene as Lorenzo’s artist wife who is given an opportunity to have a show in New York City where she also watches from afar in what is going on with Rosetta as she delivers a low-key yet effective performance as a woman who knows what is going on but prefers to not cause trouble nor create a scene. Finally, there’s Eleonora Rossi Drago in a sensational performance as Clelia as a woman who returns to Turin from Rome to open a fashion salon who finds herself in a posh circle of friends where she copes with trying to get a business started as well as Rosetta’s own issues where she tries to help her as it is a tender and engaging performance from Drago.

The 2016 Region 1/Region A DVD/Blu-Ray release from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a new 2K digital restoration in its original 1:33:1 aspect ratio and a remastered Italian mono soundtrack (uncompressed in its Blu-Ray release) as well as improved English subtitles. The DVD/Blu-Ray set also feature two featurettes that relates to the film as the first of which is a 27-minute conversation piece from scholars David Forgacs and Karen Pinkus on the film and its themes. Especially in what Antonioni changed from the novella, which had a more post-war environment, as well as what he wanted to say about the women in those times. Even in a place like Turin which was this city that was modern and attracted people from the south of Italy going north because there’s job opportunities there. Forgacs and Pinkus also talk about the importance of women in the film and all of those characters with the latter revealing that the film in some respects was ahead of its time in its exploration on a group of women being friends as it relates to shows like Sex & the City and Girls yet it’s a more cynical film set in a crueler environment.

The twenty-two and a half-minute interview with film scholar Eugenia Paulicelli on the film’s usage of fashion where Paulicelli discusses the importance of fashion in post-war Italy. Even as it helped create a new identity for the country following the aftermath of World War II where a new group of costume and fashion designers emerged as Antonioni was aware of this growing wave as he would use it in his films. Especially where Paulicelli talks about how the clothes play up the personality of the women in the film as well as analyze the women in who they are.

The DVD/Blu-Ray set also features an essay from film scholar Tony Pipolo entitled Friends-Italian Style that discusses the film and how it would serve as a preview of the films Antonioni would do in the 1960s that would garner him a lot of fame. Pipolo talks about how the film version differs from Cesare Pavese’s novella which was set a few years after the war where Turin was rebuilding itself whereas Antonioni chooses to set the film on Turin as it was becoming a thriving city that attracted the upper class. Pipolo also talks about Clelia’s return to the city that she used to live in and how much it changed but also what hasn’t changed as well as how fashion is used as a façade to the world that Clelia’s friends are in. Particularly a world that is disconnected from the real world that has the middle and working class wanting to be part of this new Italy whereas the rich begins to see this façade in this amazingly-written essay.

Le Amiche is a sensational film from Michelangelo Antonioni. Featuring a great ensemble cast, ravishing visuals, themes of alienation and identity in an upper class world, and a rich music score. The film is definitely an enthralling and evocative film that doesn’t just showcase a woman returning to her home city where she becomes part of a troubled social circle of friends but also watch as a young woman in that circle falling apart in a world that demands so much. In the end, Le Amiche is a phenomenal film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) – (I Vinti) – (The Lady Without Camelia) – (Il Grido) – L'Avventura - La Notte - L'Eclisse - Red Desert - Blow-Up - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) – The Passenger - (The Mystery of the Oberwald) – Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds) – Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2020

Identification of a Woman

Directed and edited by Michelangelo Antonioni and screenplay by Antonioni and Gerard Brach with contributions by Tonino Guerra from a story by Antonioni, Identificazione di una donna (Identification of a Woman) is the story of a filmmaker trying to find the right actress for his next film as he embarks on having affairs with different women during the course of his search. The film is an exploration of a man trying to deal with the recent dissolution of his marriage while turning aspects of his life into film. Starring Tomas Milian, Daniela Silvero, and Christine Boisson. Identificazione di una donna is an evocative yet haunting film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

The film follows a filmmaker who is trying to get started on a new film but has a hard time finding the right woman to play the lead as he copes with the dissolution of his marriage and creative issues where he would embark on two different affairs with two different women who would make an impact in his life. It’s a film that revolves around a man trying to understand his own faults with women as he would try to find the idea of the ideal women during the course of his own existential journey of sorts. The film’s screenplay by Michelangelo Antonioni and Gerard Brach has this very odd structure in the way it follows the character of Niccolo (Tomas Milian) who is working to create a new film as he would meet a socialite in Mavi (Daniela Silvero) in which he would have a relationship with. Much of the first act is about Niccolo’s relationship with Mavi where he is fascinated by her beauty but has a hard time dealing with the cliques she’s in.

The second act is about the relationship coming apart but also Niccolo’s search for Mavi once she leaves him as he would meet an actress named Ida (Christine Boisson) early in the film’s third act. She presents a completely different idea and personality in comparison to Mavi as she is more earthly and humble as opposed to the more bourgeoisie Mavi. Still, he is obsessed with finding more about her as he would also cope with the fact that his idea of the ideal woman for his film is really just a fantasy.

Antonioni’s direction is definitely ravishing for the way he explores a man’s own sense of isolation and sense of not knowing as he wanders around Rome and nearby locations including Venice as it play into Niccolo’s own journey into finding his muse. Antonioni’s approach to compositions and imagery is key to its approach in Niccolo’s view of the world though it starts off sort of comical where he gets into his home only for the alarm to be turned on. It’s among the few instances of humor that Antonioni would put in throughout out the film yet he prefers to understate the drama as it’s more about Niccolo in these different environments whether it’s at this very posh yet dull party where everyone is full of themselves or at an aquatic center watching a swimmer he thinks he might cast for his next film. Also serving as the film’s editor, Antonioni would create some rhythmic cuts for the film but mostly prefers to let the shots linger for a minute as it’s all about Niccolo reacting toward his surroundings which includes this chilling yet gorgeous scene set entirely in a fog.

The fog sequence is one of several moments in the film that play into the sense of the unknown where it’s frightening for the fact that Niccolo and Mavi are both trying to hide from a stalker that is after Niccolo for some unknown reason as it is a bit of a metaphor for their relationship which is often unpredictable. By the time the film’s third act emerges, Antonioni would go into some carefully-precise compositions that include some unique crane shots and shots looking up as it play into Niccolo’s own search for Mavi but also his own revelations about his obsession towards her and how he’s becoming attached towards Ida. Yet, there is still a melancholia in Niccolo as he reacts to the world around him and wonders if he does have something to offer to women in an emotional and romantic level. Overall, Antonioni creates a provocative yet intoxicating film about a man’s search for the ideal woman for both his film and in life.

Cinematographer Carlo di Palma does brilliant work with the film’s cinematography with its emphasis on colors for some of the interior scenes at night including the usage of exterior lights for scenes at night as well as the approach to low-key lighting for the fog sequence. Production designer Andrea Crisanti and set decorator Massimo Tavazzi do excellent work with the look of Niccolo’s apartment as well as the country home he would take Mavi to as well the parties hosted by some of Mavi’s friends. Costume designer Paola Comencini does fantastic work with the costumes as it is mostly casual with the women wearing mainly some stylish clothing.

The sound work of Mario Bramonti is amazing for its intricate sound design to capture some of the atmosphere of the locations including the fog scene as well as a few social gatherings and quieter moments in the film. The film’s music by John Foxx is superb for its electronic-based score that is a mixture of ambient, jazz, and new age music that is often played on location while music supervisors Dante Majorana and Lia Scarpa would maintain that mixture of electronic music, Italian pop, and classical with contributions from the former as well as acts such as XTC, Tangerine Dream, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Steve Hillage, Japan, Gianna Nannini, Mercenaries, Fausto Cigliano, and Edvard Grieg.

The film’s incredible cast feature some notable small roles and appearances from Itaco Nardulli as Niccolo’s nephew Lucio, Sandra Monteleoni as Mavi’s sister, Dado Ruspoli as a lover of Mavi’s mother, Veronica Lazar as Niccolo’s sister Carla, Marcel Bozzuffi as the mysterious stalker, Enrica Fico-Antonioni as a friend of Mavi in Nadia, and Lara Wendel as a young woman at the swimming pool facility who reveals something to Niccolo about Mavi. Christine Boisson is amazing as Ida as a young stage actress who would provide a sense of grounding and optimism in Niccolo as well as be someone who is quite lively as well as have a sense of compassion. Daniela Silvera is brilliant as Mavi as a socialite who becomes Niccolo’s new lover as someone who is quite ambiguous in her activities as well as be someone that is vain at times but also carry secrets of her own. Finally, there’s Tomas Milian in a marvelous performance as Niccolo as a filmmaker who is dealing with the aftermath of his divorce as he tries to find the ideal woman for his film while coping with his own flaws as well as the uncertainty over what story to tell for his next film.

The 2011 Region 1/Region A DVD/Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a new high-definition digital restoration in its original 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio in Dolby Digital mono in Italian with new and improved English subtitles. Though the DVD/Blu-Ray’s lone special feature is the theatrical trailer, it does come with a booklet that features an essay and an interview with Antonioni by film critic Gideon Bachmann. The essay entitled The Women in the Window by film critic John Powers doesn’t just talk about the film and its themes but also Antonioni’s own comments on how women are depicted in the era of post-women’s liberation movement. Powers also talks about Niccolo’s own existential journey and the alienation he is dealing with towards the new Italy with its sense of modernism and what he wants in a woman. Powers definitely does a compare/contrast toward both Mavi and Ida in how they present themselves as well as showcase scenes that show their true selves in front of Niccolo as he ponders his own faults as well as wondering if everything he’s looking for is just a fantasy.

The second piece of text entitled A Love of Today for the summer 1983 issue of Film Quarterly is an interview with Antonioni by Gerard Bachmann conducted on July 22, 1982 just a few months after the film’s premiere at the 1982 Cannes Film Festival where it won the festival’s 35th Anniversary prize. The interview has Antonioni talk about his methods into storytelling as well as his ideas of making film where he prefers to document something that he had seen rather than make something up. He also talks about audiences’ interpretation of the characters and situations which he is glad that people are willing to make interpretations as he also share his own views on the characters in the film. Antonioni also discusses about the ideas he’s made and what he was supposed to do next which was supposed to be set on the sea near America as a way to explore human emotion and such. Unfortunately, that film would never be made due to a stroke Antonioni would have in 1985. Yet, the interview is a fascinating read to gather the thoughts of a filmmaker late in his career as he still had something to say.

Identificazione di una donna is a phenomenal film from Michelangelo Antonioni. Featuring a great cast, gorgeous visuals, hypnotic sequences, a mesmerizing music score and soundtrack, and a rapturous story about identity and alienation. It’s a film that bear a lot of the hallmarks expected from Antonioni but it is also very intimate film in its exploration of a filmmaker trying to find the ideal woman in both life and in film as he wanders around a world that is ever-changing. In the end, Identificazione di una donna is a sensational film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) – (I Vinti) – (The Lady Without Camelia) – Le Amiche – (Il Grido) – L'Avventura - La Notte - L'Eclisse - Red Desert - Blow-Up - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) – The Passenger - (The Mystery of the Oberwald) – (Beyond the Clouds) – Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2017

Zabriskie Point

Directed and co-edited by Michelangelo Antonioni and screenplay by Antonioni, Franco Rossetti (as Fred Gardner), Tonino Guerra, Clare Peploe, and Sam Shepard from a story by Antonioni, Zabriskie Point is the story of a college dropout whose presence at a student protest has him go on the run to the Zabriskie Point desert where he meets a young woman on the way. Set against the American counterculture of the 1960s, the film is an exploration of identity and ideals as a young man and woman deal with their surroundings during a tumultuous period toward the end of the 1960s. Starring Mark Frechette, Daria Halprin, and Rod Taylor. Zabriskie Point is a ravishing yet eerie film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

The film is a stylish and poetic telling about two different people who both go on different journeys where they meet on their way to their respective destinations as they visit Zabriskie Point near Death Valley. It’s a film that doesn’t really have much of a plot yet it is more about two people who are part of two different environments as they become overwhelmed by those surroundings. The film’s screenplay is very loose as it play into not just the world of the American counterculture as it becomes more desperate to fight back and go into revolutionary tactics but also the corporate world as it becomes more prominent in its rise while the counterculture is in the decline. The two protagonists in a college dropout named Mark (Mark Frechette) and an anthropology student named Daria (Daria Halprin) are both people part of different kind of scenes but it’s the former that has become dissatisfied.

The opening scene is set in a meeting where Mark realizes all of this talking about what to do has made him bored as he tries to make sense of what is going on. Especially when people he know are going to jail in protests and such while he is aware of what is emerging outside of the counterculture. When he finds himself in part of a scuffle with police as it goes all wrong, he escapes by stealing a small plane and fly around California. The character of Daria is more complex as she’s just a student who works part-time as a secretary for a corporate businessman (Rod Taylor) who is planning to create housing in some remote land in the American Southwest. Daria would drive to Phoenix as she would encounter strange things in her journey until she is met by Mark on his plane as the two would meet as the film then takes a different turn once they venture into the mysterious valley known as Zabriskie Point.

Michelangelo Antonioni’s direction is definitely mesmerizing not just visually but also in the way he aims for something that is unconventional in its American setting. Shot largely on location in Los Angeles and around Carefree, Arizona with scenes shot on location in Zabriskie Point, the film play into not just this sense of chaos that is looming into the counterculture where non-violent protests have given way to violence on both sides. Antonioni’s direction for these meetings and protests are presented in a somewhat documentary-like fashion as it display Mark’s own sense of alienation as he is aware of desperate the counterculture has become but also know what is emerging. Antonioni’s visual approach to display this emergence of capitalism and materialism through ads including a commercial about a real estate venture in the desert is very eerie as it relates to what would happen in American culture. Antonioni would often have ads in the background whereas a character such as Mark would be in the foreground. For Mark, it is overwhelming as his attempt to take part in a protest after being arrested for trying to bail out a friend gets him into trouble where he would steal a plane and fly around the American Southwest. Antonioni’s usage of wide shots allow him to take a great depth of field to showcase the Zabriskie Point valley at its most vast as it is centerpiece of the film’s second half.

Especially as it play into elements of fantasy of what Mark and Daria want in their idea of free love where it’s all about not worrying about the realities of the world. It is a sequence that is quite surreal but also contain some gorgeous imagery where Antonioni’s usage of close-ups, medium shots, and wide shots add so much to something that feels lose and free. Antonioni would include also include moments that are strange as it relates to the reality of America that Daria from her encounter with children at a town to eventually arriving at her destination. The latter which serves as its climax is set in this very quaint and posh environment that is beautiful but it’s also very suffocating. It would lead to an ending that is about that disdain of the growing sense of materialism and capitalism that would dominate the ideas of America. Overall, Antonioni creates an intoxicating yet startling portrait of alienation and the emergence of a more controlled and consumerist society in the waning days of the counterculture.

Cinematographer Alfio Contini does brilliant work with the film‘s very vibrant and colorful cinematography to capture some of the locations in and around Los Angeles to the look of the desert with its naturalistic and beautiful imagery as it is a major highlight of the film. Editors Michelangelo Antonioni and Franco Arcalli do excellent work with the editing with its usage of jump-cuts and some stylish montages for the free-love sequence while aiming for moments that go on for a few minutes without the need to cut immediately. Production designer Dean Tavoularis and set decorator George R. Nelson do amazing work with the look of the posh resort home at the film‘s climax as well as the design of the offices and the diner that Darla goes to.

Costume designer Ray Summers does nice work with the costumes as it mostly casual with bits of stylish clothing that play into the world of the counterculture and Corporate America. Sound recording supervisor Franklin Milton does superb work with the sound as it play into the way the plane sounds in the air as well as the chaos in the protests and in city life to the more quiet world of Zabriskie Point. The film’s music soundtrack is incredible as it feature some original score music from Pink Floyd with its usage of progressive and post-psychedelic rock to the Americana-based rock of the Grateful Dead with a piece by Jerry Garcia. The rest of the soundtrack includes pieces from John Fahey, Kaleidoscope, the Youngbloods, the Rolling Stones, Patti Page, and Roscoe Holcomb that is a mixture of rock and country while the American release version of the film features a song by Roy Orbison that is an odd placement for the film‘s final credits as it was something MGM put in against Antonioni‘s wishes though the song is great but doesn‘t fit in with the context of the film.

The casting by Sally Dennison is fantastic as it features appearances from Harrison Ford as a student in jail, Philip Baker Hall as a deli owner, Bill Hickman as a gun store owner, Bill Garaway as Mark’s friend Morty, Paul Fix as a diner owner, Kathleen Cleaver as a secretary, G.D. Spradlin as an executive, Sam Shepard as one of the people in the free-love sequence, and Rod Taylor as Daria’s boss/possible lover Lee Allen who is trying to put some housing in the desert as he thinks it is the future of American living. Finally, there’s the duo of Daria Halprin and Mark Frechette in their respective roles as Daria and Mark as two individuals lost in their world as both of them are excellent as they’re not given much to do but be natural and react to the chaos their surroundings.

Zabriskie Point is a phenomenal film from Michelangelo Antonioni. Featuring dazzling visuals, a sprawling soundtrack, and eerie themes on alienation and changing times. It’s a film that is definitely confrontational in some respects but also tell a lot of truth about what would emerge in the aftermath of the counterculture and the fallacies of revolutions that was so prevalent in the 1960s. In the end, Zabriskie Point is a tremendous film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - La Notte - L'eclisse - Red Desert - Blow-Up - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds) - Eros: The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2017

The White Sheik

Directed by Federico Fellini and screenplay by Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, and Ennio Flaiano from a story by Fellini, Pinelli, and Michelangelo Antonioni, Lo sceicco bianco (The White Sheik) is the story of a man who takes his new bride to Rome to introduce him to her family where things go wrong when she goes missing in her own search for a magazine idol. The film is a comedic story of a man who is eager for his family to meet his new bride where things suddenly go wrong as the family also wants to meet the Pope. Starring Alberto Sordi, Leopoldo Trieste, Brunella Bovo, and Giuletta Masina. Lo sceicco bianco is a delightful and witty film from Federico Fellini.

The film is a simple story of a newlywed couple who arrive in Rome to meet the groom’s relatives who are eager to see his new bride when she suddenly disappears when she learn that her soap opera magazine idol is nearby as she wants to meet him. Along the way, a lot of craziness ensues as the bride finds herself on a photo shoot and all sorts of craziness while the groom tries to hide the truth from his relatives as they’re all supposed to meet the Pope. It’s a film that plays into not just a concept of fantasy vs. reality but also a film that plays into two people who are quite different but also cope with what happens when they’re both away from each other. The film’s script does have a back-and-forth narrative as it relates to the adventures of Wanda (Brunella Bovo) and Ivan (Leopoldo Trieste) where the two deal with their own craziness. The former is a young woman that has never been to Rome as she lives through these soap opera magazines while the latter is very conventional with a bourgeoisie family who have connections to the Vatican.

Federico Fellini’s direction is quite lively for the way he captures life in the city of Rome from the perspective of newlyweds who had never been to the city. Shot largely on location in Rome with additional shooting in Vatican City and rural places such as Fregrene and Spoleto. The film plays into a look of Rome from an outsiders point-of-view but also with a sense of excitement as it relates to Wanda’s adventure when she learns that her favorite photo star in this titular character (Alberto Sordi) is in Rome at this studio getting ready for a photo shoot at the beach. Fellini’s direction is quite simple with its usage of wide and medium shots while he doesn’t use a lot of close-ups in favor of capturing a lot of coverage involving the group of people Wanda and Ivan are with.

Especially as it relates to Wanda as the people she’s with are these lively and fun characters who wear costumes and such for this photo shoot as opposed to Ivan’s straight-laced relatives. Yet, both characters would find faults in themselves as their respective journeys would also make them realize what is really important. Overall, Fellini creates a lively yet compelling film about the day in the life of a newlywed couple in Rome.

Cinematographer Arturo Gallea does excellent work with the film‘s black-and-white photography to play into the vibrant look of Rome in its exteriors with some unique lighting for many of the scenes set at night including the ones in the streets of Rome. Editor Ronaldo Benedetti does nice work with the editing as it has bits of style in a few transition wipes and a jump-cut as well as some exhilarating montage moments in the photo shoot sequence. Art director Raffaello Tolfo does terrific work with the look of the photo shoot set and the studio that Wanda goes to where she meets the magazine‘s author. The sound work of Armando Grilli and Walfrido Traversari do superb work with the sound as it plays into the atmosphere of some of the city locations as well as the moments where Wanda rides on a boat with the sheik. The film’s music by Nino Rota is amazing for its playful orchestral score that adds a lot of liveliness to Wanda‘s encounter with the Sheik and his entourage as well as the misadventures of Ivan.

The film’s brilliant cast include some notable small roles from Lilia Landi as a model for the soap opera photo shoot, Ugo Attanasio as Ivan’s uncle who works for the Vatican, Ernesto Almirante as the photo shoot’s director, and Fanny Marchio as the woman who writes the stories for these soap opera magazines. Giuletta Masina is great in her brief yet vivacious performance as the prostitute Cabiria who would meet Ivan in the film’s third act as she muses about his situation as it is an early version of the character she would play in another film of Fellini’s. Alberto Sordi is fantastic as the film’s titular character as a soap opera idol who is this Rudolph Valentino-type of man as he is merely Wanda’s idea of a fantasy but someone who is very flawed.

Brunella Bovo is excellent as Wanda as this young newlywed who arrives to Rome in hoping to meet the White Sheik by presenting a drawing she made as she then becomes confused and guilty over sneaking around to leave her husband with his relatives. Finally, there’s Leopoldo Trieste in an amazing performance as Ivan as this man who goes to Rome to introduce Wanda to his family only to deal with Wanda’s sudden disappearance and a sense of shame he might endure for himself and his family.

Lo sceicco bianco is a marvelous film from Federico Fellini. Thanks in part to its cast, Nino Rota’s winning score, and a premise that is witty and engaging. The film is filled with a lot of humor but also some heart as it relates to newlyweds who cope with expectations and desires. In the end, Lo sceicco bianco is a remarkable film from Federico Fellini.

Federico Fellini Films: (Variety Lights) - (L’amore in Citta-Un’agenzia matrimoniale) - I, Vitelloni - La Strada - Il bidone - Nights of Cabiria - La Dolce Vita - (Boccaccio ‘70-Le tentazoni del Dottor Antonio) - 8 1/2 - Juliet of the Spirits - Spirits of the Dead-Toby Dammit! - (Fellini: A Director’s Notebook) - Fellini Satyricon - (I Clowns) - Roma - Amarcord - Casanova - Orchestra Rehearsal - City of Women - And the Ship Sails On - Ginger and Fred - (Intervista) - (The Voice of the Moon)

© thevoid99 2016

Red Desert

Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and written by Antonioni and Tonino Guerra, Il deserto roso (Red Desert) is the story of a woman coping with her existence at an industrial world as she becomes uneasy with the world of modernism. The film is another of Antonioni’s exploration with alienation as it revolves around the world of industrialization and social changes in a world that is very modern. Starring Monica Vitti, Carlo Chionetti, Xenia Valderi, Valerio Bartoleschi, Rita Renoir, and Richard Harris. Il deserto roso is an eerie and mesmerizing film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Following a car accident that left her mentally ill, the film revolves around a woman who deals with her surroundings and emotional state as well as the industrial landscape that she lives in. It’s a film that explores the modern world and its sense of despair as it reflects on a woman’s state of mind as she feels alone not just by her surroundings but also in her social and family life. Along the way, Giuliana (Monica Vitti) meets a friend of her husband named Corrado (Richard Harris) who is trying to find workers for a project he’s doing in South America. Corrado is attracted to Giuliana as he also understands her feelings of isolation but tells her to accept this new reality she’s in which she’s having a hard time coping with.

The film’s screenplay by Michelangelo Antonioni and Tonino Guerra explores a world where factories, industrial buildings, and shipping docks are what is happening as things such as beautiful beaches and such are pretty much non-existent. For Giuliana, it’s a world she really has no understanding with as she also copes with her emotions as she remains haunted by the accident that nearly killed her but only put her in the hospital for a months as she tells Corrado a story about a girl she knew at the hospital. It’s a story that Giuliana would tell Corrado that would haunt her as her attempts to be part of the party or something social has her feeling lost and lonely. Even as she would encounter things in her own family life that is troubling as she becomes confused over what is happening to her and how can she adapt to an environment that is very cold and desolate.

Antonioni’s direction is definitely entrancing in not just its visuals but also in the locations he sets the film in. Shot largely on location in Ravenna, Italy, the film has this look of a world that feels sort of futuristic but also one that feels very modern but in a discomforting setting. Much of the locations has Antonioni take great stock into not just his approach to framing but also in how the environment matches the sense of turmoil in the mind of Giuliana. It’s a world where there aren’t a lot of colors as Antonioni often gazes into images of dirty puddles, polluted lakes, muddy grounds, and lots of fog as it plays into a world that is just becoming messy and horrifying to be at. Even as there’s a key sequence where Giuliana, Corrado, Giuliana’s husband Ugo (Carlo Chionetti) are partying with some friends in this small shack close to a shipping dock where the few instances of color are later overwhelmed by what is going on outside.

The direction also has Antonioni use close-ups in ways that are just eerie as it plays to the unraveling of Giuliana where she has no clue into what is happening around her. Most notably an incident involving her son Valerio (Valerio Bartoleschi) which only adds to the sense of despair that looms over her. Antonioni’s approach to framing the actors is also very evident in the way it plays to Giuliana’s own sense of detachment from the people around her as the aftermath of the scene at the shack showcases how lost she is. There’s also elements where sound is important as it plays into Giuliana’s own sense of unraveling and how she interacts with her surroundings as there’s another scene with her son where she tells him a story about a world that is much simpler but also has a character who would endure the same confusion that Giuliana would deal with. Overall, Antonioni creates an intoxicating yet unsettling film about a woman coping with loneliness in a very dark and desolate environment.

Cinematographer Carlo Di Palma does brilliant work with the film‘s colorful cinematography with its emphasis on dark and desolate colors for many of the film‘s locations in its industrialized environment to the lush colors in the story that Giuliana tells to her son as well as very few bright moments of color that is overwhelmed by the dreary locations. Editor Eraldo Da Roma does excellent work with the editing as it maintains not just this slow yet methodical pace that Antonioni wanted but also in allowing the scenes to play itself out as it adds to the tumultuous despair in Giuliana‘s emotional state of mind. Art director Piero Poletto and set decorator Sergio Donna do fantastic work with the look of the home Giuliana and Ugo live in that is the epitome of modernism as well as the studio where Giuliana owns but has no idea what to do with it along with the shack where Ugo, Corrado, and Giuliana would have their little party at.

Costume designer Gitt Magrini does terrific work with the costumes from the green coat that Giuliana wears as well as some of the very dark clothes that plays into her sense of isolation that she is going through. The sound work of Claudio Maielli is amazing for how it plays into Giuliana‘s state of mind where there‘s moments where it sounds very real as it showcases the modern world at its most disruptive and disconcerting as it‘s one of the film‘s highlights. The film’s music by Giovanni Fusco is superb for its low-key yet haunting score that is largely filled with sound textures and eerie piano pieces as well as electronic music textures by Vittorio Gelmetti that add to the film’s hypnotic and ominous tone as it’s one of the film’s highlights.

The film’s incredible cast includes some notable small roles from Emanuela Paola Carboni as the girl in the story that Giuliana tells to Valerio, Giuliano Missirini as a radio telephone operator Giuliana chats with, Lili Rheims as the operator’s wife who visits the shack, Valero Bartoleschi as Giuliana and Ugo’s son, Aldo Grotti as a German client named Max, Rita Renoir and Xenia Valderi as a couple of guests at the shack, and Carlo Chionetti as Giuliana’s husband Ugo who is often absent due to work as he tries to cope with his wife and her strange moods. Richard Harris is excellent as Corrado as a friend of Ugo who visits Italy for business reasons as he becomes attracted to Giuliana while sharing his own feelings of alienation with the industrial world though he has managed to cope with it as additional credit should go to Giuseppe Rinaldi for being the actor who dubs Harris’ voice in the film. Finally, there’s Monica Vitti in a remarkable performance as Giuliana as a woman who unravels by her surroundings and the trauma she suffered from an accident that left her emotionally troubled as it’s an eerie yet ravishing performance from Vitti that plays into a woman coping with a very complicated and dreary world.

Il deserto roso is a magnificent film from Michelangelo Antonioni that features a haunting yet enchanting performance from Monica Vitti. The film is an intriguing exploration into the world of isolation and how one reacts to a world that is increasingly modern and complicated that would add to a woman’s own despair with herself. Most notably as it has elements that Antonioni is known for but also has elements that are very accessible as it relates to the idea of alienation and existentialism. In the end, Il deserto roso is a spectacular film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - La Notte - L'Eclisse - Blow-Up - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds) - Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2015

2014 Cannes Marathon: Blow-Up

(Winner of the Palme d’Or at the 1967 Cannes Film Festival)

Based on the short story Las babas del Diablo (The Devil’s Drool) by Julio Cortazar, Blow-Up is the story of a photographer who believes that he has witnessed a murder from one of his photographs as he is unsure over what he saw. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and screenplay by Antonioni and Tonino Guerra with English dialogue by Edward Bond, the film is a look into the world of 1960s Swingin’ London as a fashion photographer deals with what he might’ve seen as well as the forces who are trying to stop him. Starring David Hemmings, Vanessa Redgrave, and Sarah Miles. Blow-Up is an intriguing yet sensational film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

The film explores the life of a fashion photographer who learns that one of his photographs features a dead body as he tries to figure what happened as well as meet a woman who might’ve been involved. It’s a film that has a man who is this revered fashion photographer who is part of this world of Swingin’ London of the mid-1960s as he is at the center of this burgeoning culture as he has uncovered something that has him see something that he might’ve seen as he becomes targeted for his photograph. On the one hand, it’s an unconventional mystery that plays into the mind of a man who tries to uncover a mystery that isn’t supposed to be solved. On the other hand, it’s a film that has a man who is at the epicenter of British fashion as he comes to term with the role he plays and what else he could as a photographer.

The film’s screenplay follows a day in the life of this photographer named Thomas (David Hemmings) who is driven by his art yet sleeping with models and all of that hasn’t really made him happy as he yearns for something more as his neighbor Patricia (Sarah Miles) is content with not dealing with certain expectations. Upon a stroll at Maryon Park where he watches a couple embracing, he takes photographs where the woman Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) wants the photographs. After a day of errands, Thomas looks into the photos he shot and realizes that Jane towards the body of her dead lover as he tries to figure out if there was a murder. While Thomas isn’t a likeable person, that is one of the aspects of the script that makes him interesting as he would often be cruel to his models or be very dismissive about antiques or art. At the same time, he yearns to be very important or do something important as his encounter with Jane would eventually have him facing some dark realities about what he had shot.

Michelangelo Antonioni’s direction is very stylized not just in his approach to the compositions he creates plays to the desire of artistry that Thomas wants. Particularly in the way he creates fashion shots as Antonioni aims for something that feels real but also lively into the world that is Swingin’ London. Yet, there is that sense of style in the way Antonioni creates the compositions as he knows where to put the actors into a frame while maintaining something that is very entrancing visually while maintaining a sense of ambiguity. Much of that ambiguity involves the mystery over what Thomas saw and some of the film’s second half where Thomas would continuously blow up the photos he took to see if he did see something. While the first half had something that was lively, its tone would change in the second half where it would be this suspenseful film but alone that is very existential.

Particularly in how Thomas views himself as he questions what he saw and what does it mean to him. The third act would be about this journey that Thomas takes where it’s not just him seeking some answers but also one that is very existential. Notably as he would question his own desires as an artist and as a photographer where despite all of his talents, it hasn’t really made him very happy. Overall, Antonioni creates a very dazzling and sensational film about a photographer who deals with the mystery that he might’ve encountered.

Cinematographer Carlo di Palma does amazing work with the film‘s very colorful cinematography that is filled with vibrant colors captured in great detail for its interior and exterior scenes as well as the use of lights for Thomas‘ studio. Editor Frank Clarke does brilliant work with its stylish approach to editing such as jump-cuts for some of the livelier moments to more methodical ones for its moment of suspense. Art director Assheton Gorton does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of Thomas‘ studio as well as the club where the Yardbirds are playing.

Costume designer Jocelyn Rickards does fabulous work with the costumes in the many of the stylish fashion clothes that many of the models wear including the clothes that Jane wears. Sound editor Mike Le Mare does superb work with the sound to play into the atmosphere of the parties as well as the intimacy in Thomas‘ studio. The film’s music soundtrack is diegetic as it’s played on location which largely consists of very lively and fun jazz pieces by Herbie Hancock who adds a lot of wit and cool to the music while the Yardbirds would make a notable appearance in the film as they play Train Kept-a-Rollin' as their performance would feature early appearances of guitar legends Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page as the music is a major highlight of the film.

The casting by Irene Howard is incredible as it features some notable appearances from the model Veruschka as the model posing for photographs early in the film, the Yardbirds as the band playing at the club, Gillian Hills and Jane Birkin as two wannabe models whom Thomas would later sleep with, Julian and Claude Charin as a couple of mimes, Tsai Chin as Thomas’ secretary, Reg Wilkins as Thomas’ assistant, John Castle as Patricia’s painter husband Bill, and Peter Bowles as Thomas’ agent Ron. Sarah Miles is wonderful as Thomas’ neighbor/former lover Patricia who tries to understand Thomas while being the only person he really trusts. Vanessa Redgrave is excellent as Jane as this mysterious woman Thomas photographed as she wants the photos while being very cagey about her relationship with the man who would be killed. Finally, there’s David Hemmings in a phenomenal performance as Thomas as this photographer who has a lot of talent and is in demand yet feels emotionally-empty until he comes across some mysterious photos he took as it would lead him into a journey into the unknown.

Blow-Up is a magnificent film from Michelangelo Antonioni. Armed with a great cast and a fantastic soundtrack, it’s a film that is engaging in its suspense but also explores the world of art and inner-self. For those new to Antonioni, this is most accessible film where it has a lot of his visual trademarks and themes of loneliness but also infuse it with some style that is just fun to watch. In the end, Blow-Up is a spectacular film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - La Notte - L'Eclisse - Red Desert - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds) - Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2014

L'Eclisse

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 9/1/08 w/ Additional Edits & Revisions.

Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni with a script he co-wrote with Tonino Guerra, Elio Bartolini, and Ottiero Ottieri. L'Eclisse tells the story of a literary translator who meets a young, energetic stockbroker where for the summer, they engage in a passionate romance. Afterwards, the two try to go for a steady relationship that comes into conflict with their individual lifestyles. Starring Antonioni regular Monica Vitti along with Alain Delon, Francisco Rabal, and Louis Seigner. L'Eclisse is an eerie yet engaging film from the late Michelangelo Antonioni.

After breaking up with Riccardo (Francisco Rabal) after a tumultuous relationship, Vittoria (Monica Vitti) decides to leave him pondering what she does next. After trying to tell her mother (Lilla Brignone) about the break-up, she meets a young stockbroker named Piero (Alain Delon) who is trying to get some stock for Vittoria's mother. Despondent over the break-up, she gets the attention of neighbor Anita (Rosanna Rory) where they decide to hang out with Marta (Mirella Riccardi), who shows her things and objects from Africa. After a wild night where Vittoria dressed up and darkened her skin to look African, dogs go loose where Vittoria ponders her newfound loneliness. She decides to go with Anita on a trip.

Back in Rome, the stock market takes a dive as Piero tries to help Vittoria's mother with her losses as he's overwhelmed with all that he has to deal with. Vittoria watches in how the people are losing their stock as she has a brief chat with Piero that leads to an attraction. After a night of dealing with stock losses, Piero decides to go to Vittoria's apartment to chat with her as he waits outside where a drunk (Cyrus Elias) steals his car as it's later plunged into a nearby lake. The next day, Piero and Vittoria check out the scene as they walk and chat as an attraction ensues. Yet, Vittoria is resistant of Piero's advances but when she tried to call him, she's unsure. The next day, they meet again as they go to Piero's apartment as she sees his rooms filled with rich things and a quiet town as their affair begins. Yet, the affair is doomed due to Piero's devotion to his work and Vittoria's mood swings as changing times also affects them and the people around them.

The theme of alienation, that is prominent with several of Michelangelo Antonioni's films, is key to what the film is about. Yet, it's also about loss. For Vittoria, a relationship comes to an end for her prompting her to engage in various mood swings where at times, she's happy but most of the time is feeling depressed. For Piero, a young man driven by gambles and making money for himself and everyone else loses control when the stock market takes a dive as his world of materialism becomes unhinged. The two protagonists engage in an affair yet their own different environments and personalities is what keeps them in having a relationship. What the film is really about is two people, lost in their own worlds, getting together only to realize how different they are. Antonioni and co-screenwriter create a film that's essentially a study on isolation. Not just emotionally but also physically.

The physicality of the theme of isolation is largely due to the eerie, mesmerizing direction of Antonioni. With very little dialogue, lots of sound work, and atmospheric compositions, Antonioni also sets the stage of what might happen as the world changes. There's scenes where the physical locations and objects like a water barrel or Rome itself sets up the sense of loneliness as the two protagonists are desperate for some kind of connection. The film's final sequence that involves a series of images of the physical locations to emphasize the film's theme while adding to the fate of Vittoria and Piero's relationship.

Antonioni's direction is something not everyone will enjoy as the film starts off slow (like a lot of his films) yet often come out very rewarding in its second and third act. There's a scene in the film where Vittoria is doing an African pantomime but with darkened skin that might conjure up the idea of black face. Now, it's a scene that will make audiences uncomfortable. It again reveals the troubled mood swings of Vittoria as she tries to make herself happy until one of her friends at the party tells her to stop. Antonioni isn't trying to imply anything racist but is more interested in what this woman is trying to do in order to keep her mood upbeat. Yet, it's followed by a scene of dogs running around a road where her mood goes down once again. What those scenes and many other confirms is the genius of Antonioni and how he's willing to study the themes of loss and isolation.

Cinematographer Gianni Di Venanzo does spectacular work with the film's black-and-white look with wonderful interior, nighttime shading and the exterior look of the film where at night. The night lights in those scenes are very exquisite and adds a moodiness to emphasize the film's title. Even the final sequence with shots of grey colors are wonderful for its mood as Di Venanzo's work is wonderful to watch. Editor Eraldo Da Roma does excellent with the film's slow yet methodical pacing to allow the audience to interpret in what's going on as it's rhythm works to convey the moodiness Antonioni wanted.

Art director Piero Poletto does excellent work with the set design in the look of Marta's home filled with African artifacts while the home of Piero is more posh and materialistic to convey his unique personality. Costume designers Bice Brichetto and Gitt Magrini do great work with the costumes from the slim yet gorgeous skirts that Monica Vitti to the suits that Alain Delon wears. The sound work of Renato Cadueri and Claudio Maielli is amazing for its haunting approach to the capturing of the winds, the frenzy of the stock market, and the ghost-like feel to the locations the protagonists are in. The music of Giovanni Fusco is mostly filled with dark yet subtle arrangements as it plays to the film's eerie mood of the film.

The small yet amazing cast is wonderfully assembled with small performances from Cyrus Elias as a drunk who steals Piero's car and Louis Seigner as an old yet wise advisor of Piero. Rosanna Rory and Mirella Riccardi are good as two of Vittoria's friends who try to help raise Vittoria's mood with Rory as Anita is a character dealing with her marriage with Riccardi as the more adventurous Marta. Lilla Brignone is excellent as Vittoria's mother, a woman driven by gambles and the stock market until the crash as her money and livelihood becomes threatened. Francisco Rabal is very good as Vittoria's bland yet good-natured boyfriend who is desperate to want to remain together despite their problems.

The film's leading performances from Monica Vitti and Alain Delon are a major highlight of the film. Vitti displays an intoxicating beauty mixed in with troubled emotions as her character is intriguing to watch as a woman dealing with mood swings and trying to fit into a world that she doesn't really know much about. French actor Alain Delon is great as the energetic Piero, a man driven by gambles and success until the crash as he ponders if there's more to a world of gambling and materialism. The chemistry between Vitti and Delon is wonderful to watch with their banter and attraction to each other as it's filled with sex appeal and restrained emotions.

L'Eclisse is an incredible film from the late Michelangelo Antonioni thanks to the superb performances of Monica Vitti and Alain Delon. While fans of Antonioni and Italian cinema might see this as essential, it's a film that is also essential to the world of art-house, international cinema. Though mainstream audiences might be turned off by its slow pacing and lack of a traditional plot. It's a film that is more in tune with emotions and atmosphere as it conveys Antonioni's themes of loss and isolation. In the end, L'Eclisse is an engrossing yet harrowing film from the late, great Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - La Notte - Red Desert - Blow-Up - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds) - Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2013

La Notte

Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and written by Antonioni, Tonino Guerra, and Ennio Flaiano, La Notte (The Night) is the story about the day in the life of a married couple whose marriage is disintegrating as they spend the night confronting the state of their marriage. The second part of Antonioni’s alienation trilogy that was preceded by L’Avventura and later followed by L’Eclisse. The film is an exploration into marriage and how people fall out of love in the course of one night. Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau, Monica Vitti, and Bernhard Wicki. La Notte is an entrancing yet eerie film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Told in the span of 24 hours, the film explores the life of a married couple where their marriage is in a state of disintegration where they later attend a party one night as it becomes clear how far apart they’ve become. It is a film that plays into the idea of a couple falling out of love but it is set in modern Italy in the city of Milan where things are changing radically. Not just in the way where the places that Giovanni (Marcello Mastroianni) and Lidia Pontano (Jeanne Moreau) once used to frequent are disappearing but also other things in their life emotionally and socially. Giovanni is a renowned author who feels like he has reached the peak of his career as people ask him endless questions about how to be a great writer. Lidia is a woman who is just frustrated by the state of her marriage as she is unsure of where she is at in her life. All of which plays into this party where Giovanni and Lidia each frequent into their own adventures while dealing with their sense of alienation in themselves and in each other.

The film’s screenplay has this very unique structure where its first half is set in the day and the evening yet the second act is spent largely at night at this party. Notably as its first half showcase the growing division between Giovanni and Lidia where they spend the day together visiting their ailing friend Tomasso (Bernhard Wicki) at the hospital where Giovanni later has a strange encounter with nymphomaniac patient as they later attend a party for Giovanni’s new book where Lidia wanders around Milan. Lidia’s journey and Giovanni’s encounters with strange things including the adulation he receives both would have some serious repercussions for the two as they decide to have a night together going to a nightclub and later attend the party. It’s this party that drives the film’s second half where it’s clear that even though they attend the party as a couple. They’re both in very different worlds based on the way they behave at the party and the people they encounter.

Though Lidia is wracked with grief and sentimentality, she does meet a man named Roberto (Giorgio Negro) whom she dances with but it’s only she spends time with after Giovanni would meet the party host’s daughter Valentina (Monica Vitti). Lidia’s observation at the party only showcases how lost she is where despite the fact that she’s well-dressed and being treated graciously by the hosts. She doesn’t feel like she’s fitting in where she later becomes more depressed until she meets Roberto where she considers having a brief fling. Giovanni’s encounter with Valentina would be playful but also would have Giovanni face some revelations about himself as Valentina is this intriguing young woman who has ambitions but is also uncertain about herself. Yet, it just adds to Giovanni’s own sense of confusion as he’s often asked by many about his work and such where he doesn’t have the answers while Valentina’s father (Vincenzo Corbella) would offer him a job which surprises Giovanni who admits that he doesn’t need the money. The course of the night would lead to Giovanni and Lidia coming together where they are forced to face the realities about themselves and their marriage.

Michelangelo Antonioni’s direction is very exotic in the way he presents the film as this very intimate yet haunting portrait of alienation. Notably as he opens the film with images of Milan from an elevator as it’s going up and down to showcase a world that is definitely changing. It’s a world where Giovanni and Lidia don’t seem to recognize as it could be stated as a visual metaphor for their own disintegrating marriage. Notably as the long sequence of Lidia wandering around Milan from the city to its outskirts where she witness a fight and later witnesses young men shooting rockets off to the ground near the old home that she and Giovanni lived in when they first got married. Giovanni would be alone at the apartment he and Lidia lived in where the images that Antonioni creates showcase a man at a crossroads in his life as he’s looking out at the city and other buildings around him.

Antonioni’s direction is filled with these striking compositions and images that has some of the actors be placed into the edge of the frame or use something like the mirrors at the villa to express a sense of detachment that is happening around them. Notably the film’s second half where Giovanni and Lidia both go into their own adventures as Antonioni uses the wide and medium shots to showcase their growing alienation amidst this era of decadence where people are having a good time. Though Giovanni would have fun at first and later Lidia, both definitely feel lost as the film progresses where Giovanni’s time with Valentina would be playful but also filled with some dramatic moments as Valentina would have this monologue to state about the idea of being the other woman.

Even as she would also have a moment with Lidia where two women just talk as it would play to Giovanni’s own sense of isolation. It would all come to this final scene as it is told with such simplicity but also a moment that is quite intense dramatically about how far Giovanni and Lidia have come in the course of an entire day. Much of it has Antonioni gazing at the camera with these shots that are quite long where many of what he does won’t be for everyone yet it expresses the sense of loss that is prevalent throughout the film. Overall, Antonioni creates a very chilling yet ravishing portrait of a couple falling out of love.

Cinematographer Gianni De Venanzo does amazing work with the film‘s black-and-white photography with its use of shadows to convey that sense of loneliness as well as many of the interior and exterior lighting schemes to help set a mood that includes the scenes set at night. Editor Eraldo Da Roma does excellent work with the film‘s editing where it is quite straightforward in terms of its cutting while it spends most of its time not wanting to cut for some of the film‘s most entrancing moments. Production designer Pierro Zuffi does fantastic work with the set pieces from the look of the villa where the party is held to the apartment home where Giovanni and Lidia live in.

The sound work of Claudio Maielli is brilliant for its mixing and array of sounds to play into the sense of loneliness and growing modernism that is prevalent throughout the film. The film’s music by Giorgio Gaslini is superb for its jazz-based score that is played on location at the party scenes along with a very moody, ominous piece at the film’s opening credits scene.

The film’s incredible cast includes some notable small performances from Giorgio Nergo as the man Lidia meets in Roberto, Vincenzo Corbello and Gitt Magrini as Valentina’s parents, Roberta Speroni as an old friend of Lidia’s at the party, and Rosy Mazzacurati as a fan of Giovanni’s work who keeps asking him questions about writing. Bernhard Wicki is excellent as Giovanni and Lidia’s ailing friend Tomasso who is happy with their presence though he would cast a haunting presence on Lidia who is really close to him. Monica Vitti is amazing as Valentina as this very charming young woman who woos Giovanni yet is uncertain about becoming a married man’s mistress.

The performances of Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau are remarkable in their respective roles as Giovanni and Lidia Pontano as a couple falling out of love. Mastroianni has this presence that is full of charm and wit but also a sense of humility and uncertainty as a writer who thinks his brains can’t really offer enough importance to the world as he is also troubled by his lust for other women. Moreau is far more entrancing in the way she conveys this woman as a frustrated wife who feels lost in her world as everything from her past is going away as she is also trying to see if there’s any future. Mastroianni and Moreau create this chemistry that is quite interesting to display this sense of detachment that is lurking around them as they just add that sense of emotional weight to bring this couple falling out of love.

The 2013 Region 1 DVD/Region A Blu-Ray from the Criterion Collection presents the film in 1:85:1 theatrical aspect ratio under a new digital restoration from a 4k film transfer and Dolby Digital Mono sound with English subtitles. The DVD includes a few special features that relate to the film and its filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni. The 27-minute interview with film critic Adriano Apra and film historian Carlo di Carlo about the film and Antonioni. Apra dominates most of the interview as he talks about the film and its themes with di Carlo talking about Antonioni and his approach to the film. Both of them dwell into many of the visual traits of the film as well as its theme on alienation as it is truly an engaging little featurette about the film.

The 31-minute interview with Harvard professor Giuliana Bruno about the architecture of the film. Bruno plays into a lot of the visual style that Antonioni wanted with the buildings of Milan that was to present something that seemed abstract and metaphoric. Notably to convey the sense of something that is happening and Antonioni’s fascination with that world. Bruno also reveals the importance of the use of the mirrors and glasses in the film that helps adds to the visual style as it’s a very compelling piece that explores Antonioni’s visual style. The DVD also includes a 3-minute trailer that presents the film in an offbeat way.

The DVD/Blu Ray set also includes a booklet that features two pieces of text relating to the film. The first is an essay entitled Modern Love by film critic Richard Brody of the New Yorker. Brody’s essay talks about the film and its approach to abstract art as well as play into its theme of alienation in tune with the disintegrating marriage between Giovanni and Lidia. The second piece of text is from the late Michelangelo Antonioni which is an article he wrote for a French newspaper to coincide with the film’s release. Antonioni talks about the inspiration for the film and small tidbits about the development for the film as both text pieces are wonderful accompaniments to the film and its DVD extras.

La Notte is an enchanting yet exotic film from Michelangelo Antonioni. Thanks to its ravishing yet abstract visual style and the performances of Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau, and Monica Vitti. It’s a film that explores alienation at its most haunting as well as the idea of love fading away. While it’s not an easy film to watch due its lack of strong plot and slow, methodical pacing. It is still a film that captures the idea of the end of a marriage. In the end, La Notte is a phenomenal film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - L’Eclisse - Red Desert - Blow-Up - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds) - Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2013

Eros

Eros is an omnibus film from three different filmmakers that explores the world of eroticism in three different continents from its filmmakers Michelangelo Antonioni, Steven Soderbergh, and Wong Kar-Wai. Each segment explores the world of love and sex in various different ways told by these three filmmakers. The result is one of the most fascinating anthology films that features two incredible segments from two of its contributors but also a disappointing one from Michelangelo Antonioni.

The Dangerous Thread of Things

Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Screenplay by Michelangelo Antonioni and Tonino Guerra from a book by Michelangelo Antonioni. Starring Christopher Buchholz, Regina Nemni, and Luisa Ranieri. Cinematography by Marco Pontecorvo. Edited by Claudio Di Maurio Set design by Stefano Luci. Costume design by Carin Berger. Sound editing by Gianluca Carbonelli. Music by Enrica Antonioni and Vinicio Milani.

The first segment explores a bickering couple (Christopher Bucholz and Regina Nemni) who spend the day together as they deal with their disintegrating relationship as the man later meets a beautiful woman (Luisa Ranieri) whom he wants to have sex with. It’s a segment that is essentially all style but very little substance. While many of the compositions are beautiful and definitely recalls a lot of Antonioni’s great work from the 1960s that includes Marco Pontecorvo‘s lush cinematography and Claudio Di Maurio‘s stylized editing. It feels more like this bad mix of pretentious art-house cinema mixed in with vapid soft-core porn though nothing really wrong with that. Plus, the acting isn’t very inspired while the music is also very off as it adds to the sense of pretentiousness that is rampant in this very terrible short.

Equilibrium

Written, shot, edited, and directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Alan Arkin, and Ele Keats. Set design by Philip Messina. Costume designed by Milena Canonero. Sound editing by Larry Blake. Casting by Debra Zane.

The segment revolves a man (Robert Downey Jr.) who talks to his psychiatrist (Alan Arkin) about a recurring fantasy he has with this mysterious woman (Ele Keats) while dealing with the pressure he’s having working as an advertising agent. It’s a film that explores a sense of repression and fantasy where it mixes reality and fiction where the psychiatric sessions are shot in black-and-white while the fantasy scenes are shot in color. It’s filled with many ambiguities about what is real and what is fantasy where it also involves voyeurism as Soderbergh puts bits of humor as the psychiatrist is also a voyeur who is more concerned with what’s outside rather than this man’s problems. With great performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Alan Arkin, the segment is easily the most entertaining.

The Hand

Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai. Starring Gong Li and Chen Chang. Cinematography by Christopher Doyle. Edited and set/costume designed by William Chang. Sound design by Claude Letessier and Du-Che Tu. Music by Peer Raben.

The third and final segment is about the relationship between a high-class prostitute (Gong Li) and her tailor (Chen Chang) as the tailor makes dresses for her yet keep their relationship professional no matter how troubled she may be and the desires they have for each other. This one is easily the most sensual in not just in its story but also in the performances of Li and Chang as they play into people who care for each other but are separated by circumstances. With its exotic soundtrack filled with old Chinese music and dazzling images courtesy of cinematographer Christopher Doyle and editor/set-costume designer Wiliam Chang. Kar-Wai creates a piece that is just intoxicating to look that is backed up by a very heartbreaking and enthralling story about love.

The film is essentially an exploration into the world of eroticism and how it can delve into the psyche of individuals. With inserted artwork by Lorenzo Mattotti that is filled with these gorgeous images of people making love that comes in between each segment that includes some bossa-nova music in the background. It all reinforce the idea of eroticism as both Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar-Wai each manage to create interesting takes on eroticism. Soderbergh in a lightly-comedic fashion that is filled with ambiguities while Kar-Wai adds a melancholia to this love story about a tailor and a prostitute. The one person that definitely seems to miss the mark is Michelangelo Antonioni as he seems to want to reach into the great work he did in the 1960s to comment on loneliness and sex but ends up making something that just feels very empty despite the gorgeous visuals he creates.

Eros is an excellent omnibus film thanks in part to the contributions of Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar-Wai. Fans of the two filmmakers will no doubt enjoy their segments as it represents some of the best work they did. Especially Kar-Wai whose segment is easily the best of the three for his sensitive portrayal on love. The film sadly also features a very disappointing segment from the late Michelangelo Antonioni in one of his final contributions to cinema. In the end, Eros is an extraordinary anthology film that explores the world of eroticism.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - La Notte - L’Eclisse - Red Desert - Blow-Up - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds)

Steven Sodberbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird) - The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

Wong Kar-Wai Films: As Tears Go By - Days of Being Wild - Chungking Express - Ashes of Time/Ashes of Time Redux - Fallen Angels - Happy Together - In the Mood for Love - 2046 - My Blueberry Nights - The Grandmaster - The Auteurs #28: Wong Kar-Wai

© thevoid99 2013