Review of L'Avventura (1960) by Ryan M — 14 Nov 2009

Michelangelo Antonioni crafted one of the biggest jokes of all time in "L'Avventura": The plot itself. When it was unveiled to the world at the Cannes Film Festival in 1960, there were a many number of boos. But after a select few asked for a second viewing (and got one), those boos turned into cheers, and it went on to win The Jury Prize at Cannes. Two years later, in the 2nd Edition of Sight & Sound's Greatest Films Poll (Taken every 10 years, and considered to be the definitive Greatest Films Poll) rated "L'Avventura" as the 2nd greatest film of all time (First was "Citizen Kane", and it's won everytime since). To call it an incredible achievement is an understatement, I doubt that will ever be achieved again. The last time the poll was run, the highest ranked film of recent times was "In The Mood For Love", it received 3 votes (Citizen Kane received 88).

Released the same year as Fellini's "La Dolce Vita", both are italian and concern themselves with the mindless wanderings of the empty upper class. While I definitely enjoy Fellini's film more, Antonioni's is still a fantastic film that I hugely admire.

Sandro (Gabrielle Ferzetti) and Anna (Lea Massari) are planning on a mediterranean boat ride with a number of other couples. Playing the 3rd wheel is Anna's friend Claudia (Antonioni's muse Monica Vitti). While on their trip, Anna disappears.

So what happened to Anna? Did she fall into the water and drown? Was she picked up by that other boat that came by? These sorts of questions entered my mind at the beginning, but when the authorities are called in and can't find her, Sandro and Claudio simply stop asking these questions and move on with their lives. It's unbelievable to think that a woman's best friend and her lover could move on so quickly, but that is just how empty these people are.

It is possibly the first film where "Nothing Happens", instead of focusing on a psychological mystery, Antonioni has his audience begging for him to give them some clues, a satisfying payoff for the whereabouts of Anna, and at every turn he refuses to pander to us. Instead, he focuses on the alienation of these two people who have a growing relationship, two shallow and empty people who have nothing to do. At least in Fellini's film the shallow people were enjoying themselves, but in "L'Avventura (Which means "The Adventure", ironic much?) there is no happiness for them. There's no such thing as a sweet life for them, they just move onto the next thing in their life hoping to pass the time.

For a black and white film, the compositions are stunning, the background feels almost like an extra character, surrounding and suffocating the characters in the foreground, dooming them to a life of constantly searching a planet they will never understand (it seems like a common theme in the 3 other Antonioni films I've seen). The screenplay broke the traditional way of storytelling: Have the characters encounter a problem and have a solution to give the audience some closure. But with a challenging screenplay, you need dialogue to make these shallow people believable (along with some mighty good acting) and there's no disappointment in either of those departments. There's a scene where Claudia says to Sandro "Tell me you love me", he replies with what she wants to hear, but then she asks "Tell me you don't", and so he replies with what she wants to hear. If that doesn't prove that these two people are empty, then there's plenty of other dialogue (and small moments) that will. Monica Vitti was wonderful at playing emotionally cold women (she was easy on the eyes too) and here she's very good, Gabrielle Ferzetti gives a strong performance too.

But the real star is Antonioni: Here is a man who didn't want to make something for the audience. He wasn't interested in creating a mystery, dangling each piece of the puzzle infront of us and letting us figure it out. He ignored the mystery because that's what his characters did. Closure is a powerful thing, it can make you feel relief, happiness, disappointment or anger. "L'Avventura" can make some people feel frustrated, angry, disappointed or bored, but for the ones who view it with an open mind, it will make you believe in a medium that really does contain no boundaries. The work of a master, a film that is as important as it is magnificent.