L’avventura
And I have no idea how he does that because I always get this strange feeling that Antonioni is too obscure, too sophisticated, too something. But what can I say, he touches my heart like no other. That does not actually mean that he touches my heart the most (that would probably be Almodovár or certain specific films), it means that Antonioni fills a gap that nobody can reach to: The emptiness of the soul, which is some piece of luxury for Sofia Coppola, but a tragedy and a question mark for Antonioni.
Antonioni is perhaps the only author who can depict superficial relationships in such a gripping way. I would like to believe that there is more to our relationships than what he is showing, yet I cannot see it, and that is haunting me. Perhaps we have now moved onto a world in which we are satisfied with entertaining and being entertained, yet Antonioni’s question of the purpose of relationships – of life even – remains unanswered. Perhaps we are now better because we are working (unlike his very idle characters) or because we are striving towards some greater good, but does that make us exist? Does that make our relationships any deeper, do they feel anymore real because of that? I doubt it very much.
The arbitrariness of love is so scary in this film; everybody seems to be succumbed to it, and perhaps that is one of the reasons why I found the premise of “L’Eclisse” as well as “Deserto Rosso” more intriguing. “L’avventura” practically shows the prime example of the completely worthless male, and if it were not for the amazingly pretty pictures, great cinematography and a wonderful Monica Vitti, the urge of wanting to jump at the male character’s throat is just too strong.
I love Monica Vitti’s grimaces. So not like her, and yet so brilliant?
Words cannot describe how much I love Antonioni’s pictures, and yet the boredom and depth of his films sometimes get at me. Now I have extremely high hopes for “La Notte”, even if a melancholic Monica Vitti will not be in it. Antonioni’s films are just that beautiful, both as pictures and as a characterization of ‘unreal’ people.
this is truly one of the greatest – i found it exasperating and pretty demanding at first (the sheer duration of the island stretches are kinda difficult to get through when you are sleepy!! xD), and then finally I had my mind blown by it last year, when I saw it in the movie theater. he makes landscapes and characters indistinguishable, and at some point the images just start boring into your mind and you are actually shocked.
if only this had won over “La Dolce Vita” at the 1960 Cannes festival! xD
Only last year! Now that is surprising considering how much you have always liked “L’Eclisse”. I thought the film was extremely beautiful and strangely calming.
I thought they disliked it at the Cannes festival? Well, I have not seen “La Dolce Vita”, but I already have a feeling that I prefer this film, heh. All in all, though I think you can barely compare Antonioni and Fellini – one is more of a character director, the other more a story director, if that makes any sense.