Review of L'Avventura (1960) by David M — 29 Mar 2013
L'avventura's recipe is unique: shoot the lives of shallow, paperthin characters with the deepest and farthest reaching, never out of focus, decors and sets ever managed. The background is as important, if not more, than the characters or the plot.
I do not even think we are supposed to care, or we are led not to care, by some twisted turn of the mind, about the plot, Anna's disappearance. She dwindles from our mind so surreptitiously that mention of her towards the end of the film will make you feel guilty of your own forgetfullness.
Antonioni is testing his own theory on us, modern viewers, how we forget despite our best intentions, scurrying alongside time. Ironic that those who actually watch his films nowdays are those who resist impatience and boredom, and can appreciate beauty for what it is.
Perhaps he already had that in mind. But what is left? isolation, as we are cut off from one another, and caught up inside. The characters search for something, grope reality here and there, as if not trusting the world they believe they live in, seek to love and reconnecting with the outside ( as they stare out into the sea looking for something).
A masterpiece.
This review of L'Avventura (1960) was written by David M on 29 Mar 2013.
L'Avventura has generally received very positive reviews.
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