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Antonioni's cinema is so ethereal and dreamy, which I love, but this film slightly went over my head. At the forefront is the relationship between Lidia and Giovanni as we spend a day and night with them. The framing and composition is brilliant - most of the time Lidia is at the front of the frame which gives off this vibe that she is deep in thought, ruminating on a decision.
Over the 2 hours we see that finally it's the relationship that she is fretting over. There's more to this than romance though, the film explores Italy of the time, with politics, liberalism and the social landscape all featuring. Jeanne Moreau, Marcello Mastroianni and Monica Vitti are all superb as is the Jazz score (Miles Davis?) that flows in and out.
I just felt it didn't connect to me as fully as I thought it might, especially the middle 45 minutes or so. Although I can see why critics love it (it must have felt so refreshing at the time), I still feel The Passenger is Antonioni's best work. Next up for me from Antonioni will be 'Red Desert'.
7.5/10
'La Notte' (1961)
Director Michelangelo Antonioni
Director Michelangelo Antonioni
Antonioni's cinema is so ethereal and dreamy, which I love, but this film slightly went over my head. At the forefront is the relationship between Lidia and Giovanni as we spend a day and night with them. The framing and composition is brilliant - most of the time Lidia is at the front of the frame which gives off this vibe that she is deep in thought, ruminating on a decision.
Over the 2 hours we see that finally it's the relationship that she is fretting over. There's more to this than romance though, the film explores Italy of the time, with politics, liberalism and the social landscape all featuring. Jeanne Moreau, Marcello Mastroianni and Monica Vitti are all superb as is the Jazz score (Miles Davis?) that flows in and out.
I just felt it didn't connect to me as fully as I thought it might, especially the middle 45 minutes or so. Although I can see why critics love it (it must have felt so refreshing at the time), I still feel The Passenger is Antonioni's best work. Next up for me from Antonioni will be 'Red Desert'.
7.5/10