Michelangelo Antonioni: Identification of a Filmmaker

Place: Antonioni's Realm
Mood: Contemplative
Song:

My ratings for the Antonioni retrospective that took place at Metropolis Cinema, which could have been my favorite event that I took part in organizing.

Cronaca di un Amore (Story of a Love Affair)
(IT, 1950, 98')

B+

Positive surprise! He kicked off pretty well with his first feature! Very intricate work, although very linear.





I Vinti (The Vanquished)
(IT, 1953, 110')

B-

Surprising. I was not expecting anything. The stories are well made, although it feels like he's still maturing.





La Signora Senza Camelie (The Lady Without Camelias)
(IT, 1953, 105')

C+

Not my favorite. While it's not bad, it's not that good either.






Le Amiche (Girlfriends)
(IT, 1955, 104')

C

I did not really feel this one. Too cluttered, and more Egyptian drama. The good point is how the female rights are upfront, in 1955.





Il Grido (The Cry)
(IT, 1957, 111')

A

Who said Antonini can't pull a film with the lower class? His best from the pre-Avventura period.





L'Avventura (The Adventure)
(IT, 1960, 142')

A+

I don't have words for this one. It was and still is one of my all time favorite films. The cast is superb and I'm not only talking about the actors.





La Notte (The Night)
(IT, 1961, 122')

B-

Vitti is made of win. And so are the shots. But it feels flat and predictable at times. I can't stand Moreau, but she was actually good in the film. The last scene is very good. And so is the scene inside the car with the rain drizzling.




L'Eclisse (The Eclipse)
(IT, 1962, 118')

A

I knew this was good. It had to be, after the disappointment of La Notte. Pairing Vitti with Delon is made of win. The last 10 minutes make the film.





Il Deserto Rosso (The Red Desert)
(IT, 1964, 120')

A

The surprise. I was so not expecting a change of mood with the change of colors. Vitti at her most challenging. The colors changed Antonioni for the better.




Blow-Up
(IT/UK, 1967, 111')

A

Wonderful. Though I felt at many places that this was not Antonioni, because of the radical changes from Italy to the UK. But his themes are all there (park, isolation, shattered building in the beginning…)




Zabriskie Point
(USA, 1970, 110')

A-

I was not prepared for this. I wanted not to like it. But the wrapping scene is exceptional in every way. And god knows how many tried to imitate it.





Professione: Reporter (The Passenger)
(IT/US, 1975, 119')

B+

Stunningly beautiful. Every shot is a threat to the eye, and the last sequence is mindblowing. Great to see Jack in his early years! Still a bit bleh though





Il Mistero di Oberwald (The Mystery of Oberwald)
(IT/DE, 1981, 129')

C-

Ahahahaha. No. I got color-blinded. The C- is only for Vitti who aged so well.






Identificazione di una Donna (Identification of a Woman)
(IT, 1982, 128')

C-

No. No. No. There was nothing I liked about this film, and more importantly, I couldn’t see Antonioni in it.