Review of L'Eclisse (1962) by Ryan M — 20 Jan 2010

The final part of Antonioni's unofficial "Alienation Trilogy" is strikingly depressing, stunningly photographed and so obtuse it has to be deliberate. Part-time translator Vittoria ditches her boyfriend of 4 years Riccardo because he's kinda possessive, only to strike up a relationship with her mother's handsome yet arrogant stockbroker Piero.

The title translates to "The Eclipse", where the light of Italy rebuilding itself postwar was on the verge of being plunged into darkness with the threat of the Cuban missile crisis on the horizon.

The sparse narrative uses a lot of visual metaphors to convey the physical & emotional isolation and the materialism flowing throughout the city; nouveau riche architecture; empty streets; a skyline which is never clear; physical barriers between characters; light and darkness coexisting with each other indoors.

But Antonioni merely hints at the darker breezes flowing through the city at the early stages of the film, slowly inserting them into the quieter moments along with some beautifully poetic moments, all until the "different" ending which really does have to be seen to be believed when Antonioni's pessimism goes into full throttle.