IMDb > L'avventura (1960)
L'avventura
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L'avventura (1960) More at IMDbPro »

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L'avventura (1960) -- A woman disappears during a Mediterranean boating trip. But during the search, her lover and her best friend become attracted to each other.

Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   6,069 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 8% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
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View company contact information for L'avventura on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
4 March 1961 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
A woman disappears during a Mediterranean boating trip. But during the search, her lover and her best friend become attracted to each other. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 3 wins & 1 nomination more
User Comments:
A fine series of tableaux, but not a great film. more (63 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
L'isola (Italy) (working title)
The Adventure (International: English title) (literal title)
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Runtime:
143 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.78 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
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Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Antonioni set out to make a film on the instability of emotions and described his film as a detective story back to front. more
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. more
Quotes:
Corrado: Giulia is like Oscar Wilde. Give her all the luxuries and she will manage without the little necessities. more
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FAQ

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32 out of 56 people found the following comment useful.
A fine series of tableaux, but not a great film., 12 November 2002
7/10
Author: Tom May (joycean_chap@hotmail.com) from Sunderland, England

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/*****

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