L'avventura (1960)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers:

Michelangelo Antonioni (story)
Michelangelo Antonioni (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

4 March 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Plot:

A woman disappears during a Mediterranean boating trip. But during the search, her lover and her best friend become attracted to each other.

Plot Keywords:

Friend | Island | Search | Italy | Yacht

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Gabriele Ferzetti	...	Sandro
Monica Vitti	...	Claudia
Lea Massari	...	Anna
Dominique Blanchar	...	Giulia
Renzo Ricci	...	Anna's Father
James Addams	...	Corrado
Dorothy De Poliolo	...	Gloria Perkins
Lelio Luttazzi	...	Raimondo
Giovanni Petrucci	...	Prince Goffredo
Esmeralda Ruspoli	...	Patrizia
Jack O'Connell	...	Old man on the island
Angela Tommasi Di Lampedusa	...	The Princess
Franco Cimino
Prof. Cucco	...	Ettore
Giovanni Danesi

Also Known As:

L'isola (Italy) (working title)
The Adventure (International: English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

141 min

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Italy:VM14 | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | South Korea:15 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (re-rating) (1995) | UK:X (original rating) | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Aeolian Islands, Messina, Sicily, Italy

Company:

Cino del Duca

Trivia:

In Italian, "l'avventura" not only means an adventure but also has the more subtle meaning of a fling, which of course is something else that happens in the film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: During the sequence in which Sandro and the newspaper reporter cross a street, the shadows of the camera and the crew are clearly and prolongedly visible on the actors and on the street surface.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Michelangelo Antonioni storia di un autore (1966) (TV)

A fine series of tableaux, but not a great film.

Antonioni's "L'Avventura" is a most curious creation... It may be because this is the first film of the director's that I have seen, but I found it wilfully alienating and profuse in its indulgence.

This is first and foremost a cinematographer's film; absolutely astounding work here at times... there is an artist's eye to these canvases, such scope and depth to the pictures; it's quite beguiling. This is all said to be representative of Antonioni's vision of dislocated, isolated figures within a barren, icily arid Sicilian landscape.

The vision is soundly, perhaps too laboriously executed. Everything moves at a stubbornly staid, slow pace; surely meant to be symbolic of the odd, inert existences of the main characters. Inertia is excellently evoked; as is the emptiness of Ferzetti's character's emotions. Monica Vitti has an incredible screen presence, yet too much of her character is just built around playing at being enigmatic. Antonioni's camera revels in capturing this classical beauty in her languorous glory.

Yet it is the film's studied languor that really does alienate. The first 45-60 minutes, with the central enigma posed, leave one expecting something more special in the remainder. A hope that is not fulfilled, as the affair between Ferzetti and Vitti is padded out to its extremes. It's just not so interesting and involving a film once the action shifts away from the island. Everything is lingered on for perhaps inordinate lengths of time. Of course, the photography bewitches, but the actual dramatic matter of the film begins to grate a little after a while.

There is an excellent usage of subtle, background sounds to create a naturalistic, slightly unnerving effect, particularly in the island scenes, which form the most compelling part of the film. Also, the use of extras and bystanders, particularly late on, in the party scenes, is fantastic. Very subtle glances and body language from these extras help give a sense of odd scale about things. Adds a little more ambiguity as well.

There is little dialogue actually in this 145 minute film, and really the lines that do occur are not always that important; it is a film that rests on its photogenic lead performers and the intimidating tableaux of the photography. I did not really enjoy this film as an experience overall; it disappoints, perhaps because of its comparatively narrow focus, and the way things are stretched out needlessly. So, a film to be admired, and credited with a valid "vision", but not one to be loved.

Rating:- *** 1/2/*****