Review of L'Avventura (1960) by Helen F — 09 Oct 2007

Might be the best film I've ever seen. Michelangelo Antonioni makes a landmark film of new invention by configuring styles and theories of the past. The major innovation in the film is the use of landscape and scene to depict character emotion.

Mis en scene and even creative geography were already viable ideas to use landscape for ideas, but no filmmaker uses landscape to the effect that Antonioni does. He uses broad strokes like a painter would.

The cinematography is wonderful, but not overbearing. It doesn't take notice of itself. What it does is make the textures of the landscapes radiate even more. Antonioni accentuates the texture and look of the film by having his camera pivoted in stances and focuses.

At first he is just filming to the norms of world cinema at the time, but then his camera begins to show greatness. It takes on architectural designs to add feeling to the film's design. As much as I have described the shell of L'Avventura, the dramatic core is still commendable.

Monica Vitta is a staple of world cinema by being a better looker than actress, but the other actors punch the scenes with quality performances. Antonioni, for all his designs, also manages to keep the camera close to the performances to make them work even if Monica Vitti's performance is based on look instead of emotion.

L'Avventura is also a landmark work because its the highest work of a popular subject at the time in focus about societies during God-less times. That not only refers to belief, but societal dilemma.

Bergman touched the subject with his 60s chamber dramas as did other directors. Bergman had the ability to relate the subject back to personal experience. Antonioni makes a film of both personal experience and creative design.

Some filmmakers are more grateful to technology than they admit for innovations, but Antonioni owes everything he accomplished to his creative genius.