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

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

L'Avventura

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 8/28/07 w/ Additional Edits & New Content.

When Italy emerged from the post-war era following the fall of Fascism, a new wave of Italian films emerged. One of those directors from this new wave known as neorealism was Michelangelo Antonioni. Working in the industry since the 40s with other iconic directors like Roberto Rossellini, he finally emerged with his feature film debut as a director in 1950 with Cronoca di un Amore (Chronicle of a Love). He would make four more feature-length films for the entire decade despite not getting any attention internationally. That would all change in 1960 where he would make a film that to this day, divide critics and film buffs over its narrative approach and filmmaking style. Yet, it would be the film that would give him the international attention and prestige he deserved that was entitled L'Avventura (The Adventure).

Written with Elio Bartolini and Tonino Guerra, L'Avventura tells the story of a boat trip with rich couples gone wrong when a passenger disappears. The disappearance of this young woman leads to a search as her lover and her best friend cope with the loss as well as the world that surrounds them. Directed by Antonioni that is also a study of alienation that would become part of a trilogy that would follow his next two features. It is the film that remains one of his great achievements, depending on the audience. Starring Monica Vitti, Gabriele Ferzetti, and Lea Massari. L'Avventura is a powerful, hypnotic, yet very haunting film from the late Italian film legend.

Going on a yachting trip, Anna (Lea Massari) joins her friend Claudia (Monica Vitti) to go to town where they would meet Anna's fiancee Sandro (Gabriele Ferzetti). While wandering around into the town including a museum, Claudia would try to look to see Anna and Sandro making love. The trio then leaves for a port to join the rest of the party in their yachting trip. They're joined by Corrado (James Addams), Guilia (Dominique Blanchar), Raimundo (Lelio Luttazzi), and Patrizia (Esmerelda Ruspoli). On their way to the volcano islands near Sicily, Anna decides to go for a swim as she's joined by members of the party. During a claim of a shark, they’re picked up as Anna talks with Claudia about her relationship with Sandro that’s become rocky lately.

Landing on a rocky island, the party minus Patrizia and Raimundo go exploring while Sandro wants to talk to Anna about their relationship. An argument ensues as Anna wants to be alone with Sandro deciding to leave her alone. Time passes by when the sea starts to get rough as the party decides to go home. Suddenly, Anna has disappeared where Corrado, Guilia, Claudia, and Sandro scour the island for a search. Things don't get better, even as Sandro finds a rocky hut as the sea is becoming more dangerous. With Corrado, Claudia, and Sandro deciding to stay, the party leaves as they go for help. Staying in the hut, they find that it's the home of a hermit (Jack O'Connell) who also hasn't seen Anna. Claudia is emotionally despondent as she wonders what Sandro has said to her.

The search continues with a coast guard helping along with Anna's father (Renzo Ricci) who asks Claudia what happened while showing him the books she had in the trip. Hoping that she's alive, they continue for a search of the island when one of coast guards arrives with a report about a boat. With Claudia choosing to stay on the island more to continue her search, Sandro decides to go to an interrogation concerning fisherman. The rest of the party decides to go to the home of a princess (Angela Tomasi di Lampedusa) for their holiday. Sandro watches the interrogation which leads to nothing as he finds Claudia at a train station on her way to rejoin the party. Despondent over what happened to Anna, Sandro takes the train with Claudia as they try to come to term with their own feelings.

Sandro stops at a station as he hopes to find more clues leading himself to both a journalist and a beautiful tourist writer named Gloria (Dorothy de Poliolo). Claudia meanwhile, feels more alone by the people around her as Guilia flirts with a 17-year old nephew (Giovanni Petrucci) of the princess as they all hope to go to another party. Claudia sees that Sandro has arrived with some ideas of Anna's whereabouts. Claudia joins Sandro as they take a trip into towns to find some clues. During this trip, the two begin to fall for each other as often ponder their own existence and the newfound loneliness they're suffering. During a stop at another town, things get stranger when Claudia, is suddenly the center of attention in a town surrounded by men.

During this stop, Claudia and Sandro stop to look at towers in the town as their emotions almost get the best of them when they're surrounded by bells. When Claudia receives word that Anna might've been in another town at a hostel, she and Sandro go where they stop at a hotel. They find that Patrizia is there as another party is held. Sandro reluctantly joins as emotions start to run high in a climax that questions the ongoing alienation between both Claudia and Sandro.

The obvious theme of alienation and isolation is definitely prominent throughout the entire film. Not just the emotional and mental isolation the protagonists are going through but also a physical and social alienation. There's a scene where Sandro and Claudia look at buildings where Sandro wonders what's going to happen to them in the next 20-30 years and will they still be there. That's an idea of what the film is about yet Antonioni is more about the human condition rather than the locations. In reality, the film is really about these two people who become connected by the disappearance of a person who has felt her own isolation.

The script isn't very plot-driven yet the way Antonioni and his writers approach the story as if the audience is part of this search and trying to figure out what has happened. The result though is something not everyone will take part of and understandably of course. The film's pacing, through its long-takes and observational shots, is definitely something that will antagonize general audiences. It's not because it's slow and at times, very pretentious but rather deliberate to emphasize what the characters are doing and responding to this horrible incident. The first act is about Anna her own disappearance leading to the on-going search. The second act is about Sandro and Claudia coming to terms and the third act being about their own alienation, their attempts to become a couple, and eventually, dealing with everything that's happened to them.

The direction of Antonioni is very hypnotic though not for everyone, particularly a general audience who will feel bored by his compositions and staging of his scenes. Yet, there's something very arty to Antonioni's direction. The compositions he makes are wonderfully shot, even through the locations he's in. The one scene where Claudia is being watched by all of those men around is truly one of the best moments in Antonioni's direction.

The film's final shot is also just as powerful into how he captures the emotions of the protagonists in this final moment. Antonioni, definitely has an eye for the locations and situations he's capturing as it's all important to the story. Even through the drama that's going on, he doesn't overplay it or dramatize it as much. He's rather playing the role as a third party observer who is trying to understand all that is going on. The end result is a powerful yet haunting film from Michelangelo Antonioni.

Cinematographer Aldo Scavarda creates wonderful imagery with the film's black-and-white photography, notably the compositions and coverage of the scenes the film is in. Scavarda’s work on the exterior settings is exquisite to convey the arty look of the film, notably the black dress that Claudia is wearing with the gray suit of Sandro. Production designer Piero Poletto creates some wonderful settings in home of the princess that included a variety of nude paintings by the prince. Costume designer Adriana Berselli also creates a distinctive look to the film that conveys its mood with the black dress of Claudia to the gray-white suit of Sandro.

Editor Eraldo De Roma brings some nice, stylized cuts to the film though its slow rhythm was deliberate to the film's tone. The sound by Claudio Maielli is also haunting with the sounds of wind in the island. Music composer Giovanni Fusco brings a suspenseful opening theme to the film while the rest of the score, which is barely heard throughout the entire film, is a soft, serene flute piece that underscores the film's melancholia.

The film's cast is wonderfully assembled that features some memorable, minor performances from Professor Cucco as Sandro's boss Ettore, Angela Tomasi Di Lampedusa, Giovanni Petrucci, Jack O'Connell, and Renzo Ricci as Anna's father. James Addams is good as the geologist-buff Corrado while Dominique Blanchar is lively as the flirtatious Guilia with Isa Bellini providing the voice for her character. Dorothy De Poliolo brings a nice, beautiful presence as writer Gloria Perkins while Lelio Luttazzi is good as Raimundo.

Esmerelda Ruspoli is good as the posh though uninteresting Patrizia who is what is expected of rich, posh women while giving Claudia some bad advice. Lea Massari is excellent as the haunting, despondent Anna who could be interpreted as a selfish bitch who toyed with the emotions of her companions. Yet, her performance is memorable though she's only in the film for the first 30 minutes but she did fulfill what was needed for her character.

Gabriele Ferzetti, probably known to American audiences as a railroad baron in Sergio Leone's classic epic-western Once Upon a Time in the West, gives an amazingly charming yet melancholic performance as Sandro. Ferzetti is a man who has redeeming qualities despite his flaws in how he treated Anna at times, and how he tries to seduce Claudia. Instead, Ferzetti chooses to mix his charm with sadness as a man who is becoming aware of his own alienation of the world around him as well as the world of upper-class Italy.

Monica Vitti is wonderful in her role as Claudia with her enchanting beauty and the presence she brings to this film. Vitti starts off as this playful friend who is then the protagonist as she is desperate to find her friend. Vitti manages to bring a mix of humor, melodrama, and intelligence to the film as it's really her film. Vitti manages to show her character's vulnerability and the ability to cope with not just loss but also her own newfound alienation as she becomes aware of the world that she lived in for all of her life is now something she couldn't relate to. Both Ferzetti and Vitti have wonderful chemistry as they give performances that are truly memorable.

***Additional DVD Content Written from 1/10/11-1/12/11***

The 2001 Region 1 2-disc DVD of L’Avventura from the Criterion Collection presents the film in a new digital transfer with restored picture and sound for widescreen televisions.  Presented in its original 1:77:1 theatrical aspect ratio for widescreen as well as Dolby Digital Mono in Italian.  With a new English subtitle translation, the film is given a look that is truly electrifying as the black-and-white cinematography of Aldo Scavarda is stunning.

The only special feature in the first disc is a full-length audio commentary track from film historian Gene Youngblood that was recorded in 1989 for the laserdisc release of the film.  Youngblood discusses Antonioni’s early career up to Red Desert, the last of which he feels is part of Antonioni’s alienation trilogy of L’Avventura, La Notte, and L’Eclisse.  Youngblood reveals that the film is really a mystery in reverse since the solution is the disappearance of Anna and the mystery more revolves around Sandro and Claudia in their own development individually and as a couple.

Youngblood also talks about why the film was so revolutionary at the time because of the long takes and importance of scenery without dialogue.  It was that approach to filmmaking that really annoyed audiences when it premiered at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.  Yet, to film buffs, critics, and filmmakers, it was a film that was unlike anything at the time.  Even as Youngblood talks about a lot of the visual ideas that would become prominent in not just Antonioni’s work but also the way it defined European cinema in the 1960s.  Though at times, Youngblood’s commentary can be dull.  It is definitely informative to many of the ideas and themes of the film.

The second disc of the DVD includes a few special features relating to the film.  The first is a 58-minute documentary called Antonioni:  Documents and Testimonials.  The 1966 documentary produced in collaboration with a Canadian TV production company explores many of Antonioni’s themes and ideas along with his career up to the filming and release of Red Desert.  The documentary features interviews with a lot of Antonioni’s friends and collaborators.  Among them are Monica Vitti and fellow Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini who worked with Antonioni when they were making Fellini’s first film The White Sheik with Antonioni as a screenwriter.  

While it features some great insight into his work from authors and artists, at times it comes off as a bit tedious.  Though there are some great clips including a deleted scene in L’Avventura where Claudia and Sandro meet a man on their way to a town.  Other clips include Monica Vitti at the Cannes Film Festival where she talked about its harsh reception at its premiere.  Finally, there’s a great scene in which Fellini is being interviewed as he’s making Juliet of the Spirits where he talks about Antonioni.  Despite its flaws, it’s a very good documentary that profiled Antonioni at the apex of his career before he would make Blow-Up in 1966.

The second featurette in the second disc involves essays by Antonioni that is read by Jack Nicholson, who starred in Antonioni’s 1975 film The Passenger.  Also featured in the section is an interview with Nicholson about Antonioni.  The first essay entitled L’Avventura:  A Moral Adventure has Nicholson narrating Antonioni’s words about his experience making the film.  The 10-minute audio featurette has Antonioni discuss his feelings about the film and his approach as he doesn’t give any answers.  Even as he reveals that the ways of the world then is becoming old though he still has a certain amount of respect for it.

The second essay entitled Reflections on the Film Actor is about Antonioni’s views on actors.  Antonioni discusses the collaboration between actor and director as well as how to get a performance from the actor.  Yet, the director has to let the actor interpret themselves as Nicholson narrates in the six-minute audio clip.  The third audio feature is Nicholson talking about Antonioni.  Nicholson talks about the idea of working with Antonioni as he reflects about the production of The Passenger.  Even as Nicholson talks a bit about Red Desert as the overall five-minute piece is a fun story to hear.

Two other minor special futurities includes the film’s theatrical trailer and a three-and-a-half minute restoration demo about the film’s digital restoration since it took five months to restore each frame of the film that was filled with dirt and scratches.  Even as it wanted to make the images sharper and with more contrast to the colors.

Three essays appear in the booklet for the Criterion DVD set.  The first is by English film professor Geoffrey Nowell-Smith about the film, its themes, and its legacy.  Even as he talks about the characters and their motivations.  With the exception of Claudia, every character are enamored with their rich lifestyle as they live with no sense of true direction.  Nowell-Smith’s essay is definitely a great read as it gives new viewers an idea of the film and how Antonioni redefined cinema in the 1960s.  The second essay is Antonioni’s statement about the film following its notorious premiere at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.

Antonioni talks about his film and the reaction he received from Cannes as he believes that the film is about what is going on with the world at that time.  It’s definitely a wonderful statement from a director defending his film to an audience that was unable to comprehend in what they saw.  The third and final essay is a statement about the film’s reaction at Cannes from a group of film critics, filmmakers, and members of the jury at the festival.  The brief statement praises the film as among those who signed the statement include another famed Italian filmmaker in Roberto Rossellini.  The overall work on the Criterion DVD is definitely outstanding as it is definitely given a definitive release for the great Michelangelo Antonioni.

***End of DVD Tidbits***

Released in 1960 at the Cannes Film Festival, the film won Antonioni a special jury prize despite the hostile reaction from its audience. The film would eventually be considered a landmark film for the director as well as Italian cinema. Antonioni would later follow the film with two more movies about alienation with La Notte and L'Eclisse in the next two years before making his mark as an auteur. While Antonioni would continue to make films throughout the 60s with other films Il deserto rosso and Blow-Up and later in the 70s for Zabriskie Point and The Passenger with Jack Nicholson. Antonioni was still considered an icon for international cinema until late July 2007 when he died at age 94, the same day another iconic international auteur in Ingmar Bergman had also passed away at 89.

L'Avventura is a magnificent film from the late Michelangelo Antonioni. While some might not enjoy the film's lack of plot, slow-pacing, or even the characterization of a few characters. The film is still brilliant for its eerie take on alienation and coping with loss. Those new to Antonioni will find this film as a nice place to start though his 1966 film Blow-Up is more accessible and better for its take on mid-60s Britain. Though the director is now gone, this along with his other landmark films will live on as L'Avventura still endures for its haunting imagery and eerie storytelling that couldn't come from someone as brilliant as the late Michelangelo Antonioni.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Cronaca di un Amore) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il grido) - 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) - Eros-The Dangerous Thread of Things

© thevoid99 2011