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IMDbPro

Story of a Love Affair

Original title: Cronaca di un amore
  • 19501950
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
Story of a Love Affair (1950)
Antonioni is one of the most influential filmmakers of all times, indeed critics revere him as the 'creator' of Modern Cinema. His STORY OF A LOVE AFFAIR, aka Cronaca di un Amore, is his first feature film, a Noir thriller with sensual themes of yearning and jealousy. It is considered a masterpiece by Scorsese among others.
Play trailer1:17
1 Video
17 Photos
CrimeDramaRomance
Paola is a young, beautiful woman married to a wealthy entrepreneur. She meets her former lover Guido after seven years, but their relationship is marked by tragic events.Paola is a young, beautiful woman married to a wealthy entrepreneur. She meets her former lover Guido after seven years, but their relationship is marked by tragic events.Paola is a young, beautiful woman married to a wealthy entrepreneur. She meets her former lover Guido after seven years, but their relationship is marked by tragic events.
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
    • Michelangelo Antonioni
  • Writers
    • Michelangelo Antonioni(story)
    • Daniele D'Anza(screenplay)
    • Silvio Giovaninetti(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Lucia Bosè
    • Massimo Girotti
    • Ferdinando Sarmi
    • Michelangelo Antonioni
  • Writers
    • Michelangelo Antonioni(story)
    • Daniele D'Anza(screenplay)
    • Silvio Giovaninetti(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Lucia Bosè
    • Massimo Girotti
    • Ferdinando Sarmi
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 22User reviews
    • 39Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Videos1

    Story of a Love Affair Trailer
    Trailer 1:17
    Watch Story of a Love Affair Trailer

    Photos17

    Lucia Bosè and Massimo Girotti in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Lucia Bosè in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Lucia Bosè in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Massimo Girotti in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Lucia Bosè in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Lucia Bosè and Massimo Girotti in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Lucia Bosè and Massimo Girotti in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Lucia Bosè and Massimo Girotti in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Lucia Bosè and Massimo Girotti in Story of a Love Affair (1950)
    Lucia Bosè and Massimo Girotti in Story of a Love Affair (1950)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Lucia Bosè
    Lucia Bosè
    • Paola Molon Fontana
    • (as Lucia Bosé)
    Massimo Girotti
    Massimo Girotti
    • Guido
    Ferdinando Sarmi
    • Enrico Fontana
    Gino Rossi
    • Carloni, the detective
    Marika Rowsky
    • Joy, the model
    Rosi Mirafiore
    • Barmaid
    Rubi Dalma
    Rubi Dalma
    • Paola's friend
    • (as Rubi D'Alma)
    Anita Farra
    Carlo Gazzabini
      Nardo Rimediotti
      Renato Burrini
      Vittorio Manfrino
      • Algardi
      Vittoria Mondello
      • Matilde
      Franco Fabrizi
      Franco Fabrizi
      • Fashion show presentator
      Gino Cervi
      Gino Cervi
        • Michelangelo Antonioni
      • Writers
        • Michelangelo Antonioni(story) (screenplay)
        • Daniele D'Anza(screenplay)
        • Silvio Giovaninetti(screenplay)
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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      Storyline

      Edit

      Did you know

      Edit
      • Trivia
        The original negative was destroyed during a fire in 1989.
      • Goofs
        After Paola says, "Leave me alone," the camera moves to follow her as she collapses onto her bed. In the upper right corner of the frame, a white drape can be briefly seen before it is pulled out of the path of the camera.
      • Connections
        Featured in The Films of Marco Ferreri (2008)

      User reviews22

      Review
      Review
      Featured review
      10/10
      A Nutshell Review: Story of a Love Affair
      The very first feature film of Michelangelo Antonioni, Story of a Love Affair as introduced by Lorenzo Codelli, was a film that dealt with the metaphysics, and had very little neo-realist elements which was a departure from what one would come to expect from a filmmaker whose documentaries were neo-realist. Watching it for the first time, I thought it would make a wonderful thriller/crime-mystery involving two lovers, and I suppose in the hands of Hollywood, we would get just that.

      But this is not Hollywood we're talking about, so again I get to throw all standard notions I was weaned on out of the window. As I was warned by a friend, I would be in for a rough ride because whatever structure of story-telling I was familiar with was going to be challenged, and strangely enough, I am beginning to find this challenge quite liberating, like the hitting onto a goldmine or an oilfield, and just raking in the sights and sounds from how beautiful a black and white movie could be, in terms of story, and characters.

      However, the characters need not be goody-two-shoes, or perfectly looking beings with zilch problems that they couldn't take care of within 2 hours. There are some serious and complex issues that the leads here have to grapple with, and together with an audience, we try and probe, and discover for ourselves just what those are, though naturally we aren't given all the answers on a sliver platter, and have to work hard at it, sometimes even utilizing some precious moments to breathe, digest, and compute, only being able to scratch the surface.

      Whatever the story or mystery is, it never really got addressed, not directly anyway. But story aside, I was really intrigued by the lead characters. We have a beautiful married woman Paola Fontana (played by Lucia Bose whom we'll see later in another Antonioni movie, and at one time the reigning Miss Italy) who seem to have the best of what luxuries life can offer, but is stuck in a loveless marriage to a rich man Enrico (Ferdinando Sarmi). We're told that in her youth, she was a head turner, and almost always changes her boyfriends, each being the alpha-male type.

      Surprisingly, her lover whom she maintains contact with, Guido (Massimo Girotti) is anything but an alpha-male type. In fact, I would call him a loser in the classic sense of the word. No real job and penniless, he has some magnetic qualities to be be able to mesmerize Paola into trysts in cheap motel rooms. Meeting on the sly, we see how a high society woman have to dodge around from being discovered, and setting up alibis just to meet Guido, and we soon learn how wicked a woman she can be, for coming up with plans for crime to be committed to get things done her way. Which brings us back to the original thought of how she was involved in a more heinous crime / accident, where she could well be the chief manipulator then made to be seen as the victim.

      The main crime thread that got weaved into the story, was one involving a certain unseen Ms Giovanna, whose demise was linked to the two lovers. We never really learned what exactly happened, and Antonioni makes us work in order to try and piece clues and accounts together. And the probing of this mystery by a private investigator serves as a catalyst to the rest of the story, where we first see our lovers meet after a long while, but instead of enjoying each other's embrace, seem a lot more concerned with the PI's probe, as if afraid that it'll uncover hidden skeletons in their closets.

      Story of a Love Affair becomes an examination into these 2 characters, and interesting enough, to dwell on the problems that they face, in a somewhat lose-lose situation throughout their relationship. The first was when Giovanna served to be in the way of their coming together, being an in-between, and when that's settled, there's the other more pressing issue of whether they can elope successfully, where pragmatism takes over romanticism with Guido knowing for sure that he has no money, and little means to support both of them, especially the lifestyle that Paola currently enjoys.

      Definitely deserves a second viewing to try and develop my thoughts on it further! And to enjoy the beautiful score all over again too!
      helpful•13
      4
      • DICK STEEL
      • Jun 23, 2008

      Details

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      • Release date
        • April 30, 1975 (United States)
        • Italy
        • Italian
      • Also known as
      • Filming locations
        • Idroscalo, Milan, Lombardia, Italy
      • Production company
        • Villani Film
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

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      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Technical specs

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      • 1 hour 38 minutes
        • Black and White

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