Il Grido
Whenever I used to read articles on “Le Amiche” people would mention how “Il Grido” is their favorite Antonioni film. It was only after I saw “Senso” recently and became a fan of Alida Valli’s acting that I finally got determined to see this film (prior to this, I actually intended to see “La Notte” and “Zabriskie Point” first). I am not actually into her face at all, just like I don’t quite like Greta Garbo’s face either. Unlike Monica Vitti, I am not mesmerized by her physical beauty but the way she acts. Besides being an incredibly gifted actress, her beauty comes from those intense expressions in her face and her deep eyes. I think there is no other actress quite like her, she has this severe yet emotional charm that makes her very special.
Just like they all say, “Il grido” is a perfect example of an Antonioni. When I saw a film of his for the first time (“Blow-up”) I thought that Antonioni was a master of style, perhaps even style over substance. That may still hold true, but it was only his trilogy of love that convinced me he was a master of emotions too. As mentioned before I am still missing “La Notte”, but both “L’Avventura” and “L’Eclisse” conveyed feelings so strong that I could not help but be drawn to the story. “Le Amiche” and “Red Desert” are similarly heart-wrenching so I expected the same from “Il Grido”. In some sense that turned out to be true – Aldo’s desperation is wonderfully supported by the bleak landscapes – but on the other hand, I found the character of Aldo lacking. He does not suffer from the cold alienation like Monica Vitti’s characters but he actually loves Irma as intensely as some of the “Le Amiche” characters do. However, he manages to treat every single woman in his environment badly, including the ones he clearly loves, Irma and his daughter, so it makes it hard for me to sympathize with him whatsoever.
Antonioni is better when it comes to the portrayal of women. Including Irma, all the female characters are interesting and have their own troubles. The desperation in their eyes seems much stronger to me than that of Aldo, and it makes it easy for the audience to view him as the culprit who drove almost all of them into despair.
Style-wise, “Il Grido” is certainly more ugly than all of his films, and probably purposefully so. Without the high-class elegance it looks even more openly bleak, not even the stylish wardrobe of the women can hide that. Most fans of “Il Grido” are probably into that, but for me, this movie was mostly another chance to see Alida Valli and to get a greater understanding of Antonioni’s film history.