Year: 1960
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Country: Italy
Language: Italian
The first part of the unofficial Incommunicability Trilogy with La Notte (1961) and L'Eclisse (1962) Italian Director Michelangelo Antonioni didn't intend these three movies as a trilogy, however cinema historians have called it so. Originally L'Avventura wasn't perceived very well; at its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival it was received to a loud chorus of boos. Audience members repeatedly yelled "cut!" at various scenes, because they felt it was far too long. After its second screening there was a complete turn around in how the audience felt about the flick. It would go on to win the Special Jury Prize, and become a landmark in European cinema.
The film begins with a wealthy woman disappearing during a Mediterranean boating trip. the plot thickens during the search, as her lover (Gabriele Ferzetti) and her best friend (Monica Vitti) become attracted to each other
Before L'Avventura Antonioni had made five other features, but was little known in Europe and even less known in The United States. The film made Antonioni, as well as the film's star Monica Vitti, and international sensation seemingly overnight. Translated into English, the title is "The Adventure". One might think that the story is a mystery thriller with a side of adventure, but they would be wrong. There is little physical searching for the missing woman, rather the picture consists of our characters searching their spirituality.
L'Avventura deals with many postwar existentialist themes such as alienation, non communication, and failure to find meaning in an uncertain world. The characters respond to their lack of meaning by engaging in superficial sex and indulging in mindless affairs. Claudia and Sandro disregard their values and unconsciously refuse to make their lives meaningful. They lie to themselves, and to each other. Modern films would romanticize this lifestyle, but Antonioni is smarter.
The picture is deliberately paced, some scenes drag to a crawl yet feel incredibly important. A cocktail of emotions fill the screen, even when action doesn't. Very little drama can happen, but it can still make the frame absolutely fascinating. L'Avventura is unique because the events depicted aren't meaningful, and the characters motivations aren't clear. The Director doesn't hold our hand throughout, he lets us interpret the film for ourselves.
In conclusion, L'Avventura is certainly an arthouse European flick that isn't set out to please everybody, nor will it. It has profound emotional depth, a very mature flick compared to most of what Hollywood offers today. I found myself glued to the screen, and would love to see it again. Praise it! 5/5
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