This four-part personal essay on Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Eclisse is my entry for The Journey to Italy Blogathon hosted by Gill from Realweegiemidget Reviews and Kristina from Speakeasy. Please visit their wonderful sites 🙂
Prologue
When it comes to 1960’s Italian cinema, I always single out Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Eclisse as the crowning achievement of that decade. Yes, I rank it higher than 81/2 and The Leopard and those two equally magnificent films make up only two of many masterworks produced in that country from that era. The deservedly widely acclaimed American filmmaker Martin Scorsese has cited L’Eclisse as a step forward in storytelling. For him, it felt less like a story and more like a poem (read here). I echo his sentiments. For me, no other director has depicted alienation as poetically as Antonioni. Furthermore, L’Eclisse stands out for me as the most daring Italian film to come out of the 1960’s.
–The Plot–
During the very beginning of L’Eclisse, we are introduced to a literary translator named Vittoria, who is played here by Monica Vitti. Not too long after, we learn that she is going to end her love relationship with Riccardo (Francisco Rabal). This is not the fault of Riccardo nor of Vittoria. Vittoria’s stock-obsessed mother (Lilla Brignone) does not seem to care one way or another. Unlike her, wealth barely holds Vittoria’s interest. Neither does the casual racism of her friend neighbor Marta (Mirella Ricciardi), a white woman from Kenya. After meeting handsome stock broker Piero (Alain Delon), the two slowly fall in love with each other. Not unlike earlier, this romance is doomed due to Vittoria’s inability to emotionally connect.
Chapter 1: Alienation as a Theme in L’Eclisse
As to be expected from any film directed by the great Michelangelo Antonioni, L’Eclisse emphasizes characterization over plot and marries form with content. Whether or not L’Eclisse is your introduction to Antonioni, all of this remains essential in understanding the drama within the aforementioned director’s work. Antonioni’s work may be challenging to more average viewers (especially today’s), but once they make that valiant effort in immersing themselves into not only his visual style, but his characters (like I long ago did), I can promise you all that the journey will be a very involving one. The key word here is alienation.
At first, one is bound to dismiss Monica Vitti’s Vittoria as impulsive, but as the story progresses, it becomes much more complex than that. For example, Vittoria shares nothing in common with her money obsessed mother. Vittoria even implies later on to Piero that she does not care If she never gets rich. We also learn from Vittoria that her father died when she was very little. Limited to the first two examples alone, L’Eclisse may serve as a social commentary on our love-hate relationship with capitalism. Simultaneously, it can also be seen as a cautionary tale on the effects of fatherlessness based on that last example. Are these two aforementioned debatable metaphors largely responsible for Vittoria’s alienation? Maybe? Maybe not? Who knows, but it is worth pondering either way.
Given how Vittoria shares none of the racist beliefs of her neighbor Marta, it remains a mystery as to how she can tolerate it. True, Vittoria does don blackface at the latter’s apartment while mimicking African tribe dancing, which amuses fellow neighbor Anita (Rossana Rory), but angers Marta. Why? Marta is a white Kenyan, who believes that Kenya’s blacks are threatening that country’s white population. This stands in contrast as to why certain viewers might find it offensive, which can be best summed up as cultural appropriation. Personally, I view it not so much as outrageous, nor as Vittoria’s way of gently mocking Marta’s fear of blacks. Instead, I simply see it as Vittoria’s way of either goofing off or having fun in a harmless way. On second thought, maybe Vittoria aspires to be an African tribe woman? I would not be surprised If other dyed-in-the-wool fans of L’Eclisse (like myself) perceived it any of these ways long before I did.
Unlike everybody else, Piero intrigues Vittoria, but in the grand scheme of things, that is not saying much. For example, whenever Piero tries to offer Vittoria kisses, she rejects them. When one attempt results in Piero accidentally tearing Vittoria’s dress, the two end up having sex with each other. Soon enough, Piero talks to Vittoria about marriage, but she remains uninterested in it. Much to Piero’s annoyance, Vittoria chooses to wallow in alienation. Vittoria may be allowing alienation to consume her. This is confirmed with Vittoria’s following response to Piero along the lines of I wish I didn’t love you or that I loved you much more. Then again, the latter might imply that Vittoria wishes that Piero was not every bit as shallow as her mother, Riccardo and Marta. For example, earlier in the film, Piero (with Vittoria at the time) seems more concerned about his recovered submerged car than the dead drunkard responsible for sinking it. Unlike everybody else in Vittoria’s life, she values human life over material goods. Believe me, I am far from the first person to toy with this theory.
Expectedly or unexpectedly, Vittoria meets Piero at his office and the two make out once again. Here, Vittoria tries to overcome her alienation, but fails in the end. Before departing, Piero and Vittoria make a promise to meet each other at 8 pm later that night at the construction site (their usual hangout), but neither of the two ever show up.
Chapter 2: Analyzing The Ending of L’Eclisse
For everybody who has seen the film in it’s entirety, L’Eclisse is notable for it’s radical five minute ending that consists of a series of shots featuring it’s central urban setting. Whether it be through extreme wide shots (EWS) or otherwise, each frame remains sparsely populated by people and objects. Sound effects are heard in the background as well. Winds blowing against trees, water draining or spraying and passing vehicles serve as standout examples here. As day transitions into night, the camera moves up and captures the image of a street light with the words fine, which is Italian for end.
Click here to watch the entire sequence became even I can’t do justice in summing up why this ending is so unique.
-Interpreting the Ending-
On the surface, it would not be wrong to suggest that L’Eclisse ends with reckless abandon, but when observed at the center, the ending actually makes perfect sense. When all is said and done, Vittoria is alienated from the rest of the world and Piero is every bit as (If not more) shallow as everyone else in her life. In the end, neither of them wants to maintain the relationship, so Vittoria and Piero go their own separate ways. The final sequence suggests that the world has moved on too. At the same time, the scarcely populated imagery reflects not only Vittoria’s alienation, but also the shallowness that embodies every character in this film. This scene feels apocalyptic, which it is, albeit psychologically. A bus passenger even reads a newspaper with a front headline concerning nuclear war. Speaking of which, L’Eclisse concludes with that same foreboding musical note played near the end of the opening title sequence, which is preceded by Italian Pop singer Mina’s strangely tuneful song entitled L’Eclisse Twist. This bold transition from upbeat to downbeat (and vice versa) recurs throughout the film.
Close to sixty-three years ago, L’Eclisse came off as an existential look at a hedonistic 1960’s Italian society. Fast-forward to present day 2025, it now doubles as an existential metaphor for 21st-century society on a whole. During that time, we have all witnessed the ever increasing popularity of social media through various outlets. Yesterday, it was Facebook and Twitter (now known as X). Today, it seems to be Bluesky. Inevitably, the result has been a mixed blessing. Make no mistake, some of these outlets have been wonderful in a number of ways. Some people may not have close friends or family (sometimes neither) and these sites might have helped them tremendously in perfecting their social skills. In fact, I have been doing exactly that ever since 2012, when I first started this blog. All of these sentiments can easily apply to the IPhone as well, which first hit the market as far back as the late second quarter of 2007. Two of the many benefits provided by these devices come through phone call capability and texting. I also carry an IPhone and use it for many things. At the same time, the everyday use of social media and electronic devices for communication has not been immune to consequences.
If L’Eclisse were made today, it would arguably end with two sequences. The first would feature people communicating through social media via the Internet and an IPhone in their own house or apartment. The second scene would remain largely intact. The only difference would be that most of the very few people outside would be texting on their IPhones. According to a recent social media report (read here), out of the 5.52 billion internet users, which make up 67.5 percent of the world’s population, 5.22 billion are social media users. If that is the case, then this means that only 32.5 percent of the world’s population engages in social activities. This is an undoubtedly troubling phenomenon. Based on recent studies examining the link between social media and mental health alone (read here and here), is it any wonder why so many individuals today feel alienated?
In his masterful 1999 documentary about Italian cinema entitled My Voyage to Italy, director Martin Scorsese summed up L’Eclisse’s ending as a frightening way to end a film…but at the time it also felt liberating. The final seven minutes of Eclipse suggested to us that the possibilities in cinema were absolutely limitless (read here). I could not have stated this any more eloquently than he does. On Antonioni’s part, some of the inspiration for L’Eclisse originated from his filming of a solar eclipse in Florence (read here).
-An Intentionally Unresolved Mystery-
All (or at least most of) Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni’s films can be seen as mysteries, but not in the conventional sense (no not even Blowup). Here, in L’Eclisse, we never learn why Vittoria is so alienated, but that is precisely the point. Throughout my life, I have befriended several individuals (both male and female), who were every bit as aloof as Vittoria. I actually come off as one of those people. Occasionally that is. Thankfully, I am more sociable than aloof. Unfortunately, this is not the case for everybody. Some folks do not even have an underlying reason for their alienation, it is just simply beyond their control. Is it possible that Antonioni (privately or otherwise) himself may have suffered from alienation and used it as a recurring theme in his own films like this one? If one’s own answer to that question is yes, then he might have seen himself as the male equivalent of Vittoria and everyone else as shallow. The sparse number of people in the film’s final sequence are either hollow or they suffer from the same ailment that Vittoria suffers from. Is this official? As I mentioned earlier in this essay, who knows? Once again, it can interpreted in many different ways.
Chapter 3: Monica Vitti in L’Eclisse
Since all of her collaborations with director Michelangelo Antonioni are outstanding, the question remains as to how does one do justice in summing up actress Monica Vitti’s performance in L’Eclisse? I can answer that one effortlessly. As usual, it lies in how Vitti achieves it. In other words, Vitti executes her performance as If it were a cakewalk. As the alienated Vittoria, Vitti imbues her with charisma, mystery, playfulness and sex appeal.
–Charisma and Mystery–
As described earlier in this essay, me and quite a few of my friends have all felt a sense of alienation to varying degrees in our pasts. Whether you are an alienated or sociable devotee of L’Eclisse, all of us can agree that their is something charismatic about Monica Vitti’s Vittoria. For me, Vittoria comes off as the male equivalent of Jean-Paul Belmondo’s Michel Poiccard in Breathless. Unlike Poiccard though, Vittoria is no criminal. In L’Eclisse, Vitti’s Vittoria is a literary translator, who struggles with connecting to the world she lives in. A very credible argument can be made that her charisma lies in how relatable her ailment is to any viewer, who has ever felt alienated in their lives. Believe me, we all have.
At the same time, dyed-in-the-wool alienated and hospitable fans of L’Eclisse are probably still trying to solve the mystery as to why Vittoria is so aloof. The answer is best summed up by a line said by Vittoria to Piero consisting of I don’t know. Let’s face it, most (If not all) of us have probably uttered this whenever anybody asks us why we feel alienated. After all, If we can’t give a proper answer, why should we as viewers expect one from Vittoria? This is precisely what makes Vittoria not only a fascinating character, but an authentic one as well. Not unlike her, in real life, some people are simply unable to justify their alienation.
–Playfulness and Sex Appeal–
Fortunately, based on my experiences with some others, those who suffer from alienation (occasionally or otherwise) have been able to get through life in their own ways. Half of the time in L’Eclisse, Vittoria displays a playful streak when it comes to her relationship with her neighbors (Anita and Marta) and later, stock broker Piero. The former is characterized by comedic irreverence when Vittoria dons blackface during a small party with Anita and Marta. The lighter moments of her romance with Piero is the film’s purest expression of playfulness.
Though I never donned blackface (or any other kind for that matter) when it came to amusing myself during my occasional alienation period, I would resort to nonsensical humor (quoting lines from Aqua Teen Hunger Force among others) or doing an impersonation of a popular figure by making them all sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger. All privately of course. To put it in other words, this is me being silly. When it comes to that last example, all of you would have to see it to know what I am talking about. Other times, it comes through my trademark gentleness. For example, I always wanted to be like the late great Fred Rogers and since none of us can, I do the next best thing. I rise to the occasion to be as kind and caring as I possibly can in spite of my then alienated state. Other times, I will go swimming at my fitness center’s pool, write a blog entry or just talk to myself in private. I am by no means comparable to Vittoria, but she is someone we can all debatably relate to.
Along with the handsome Alain Delon as Piero, the beautiful Monica Vitti oozes sex appeal as Vittoria. Team these two European cinematic icons together and you get one of (If not) the sexiest romantic duos ever depicted in an Italian film. Perhaps the most erotic scene comes when Delon’s Piero accidentally tears part of Vittoria’s dress and soon enough, the two have sex in a bedroom. The other sex scene is set in an office and blends eroticism with playfulness. Other times it is through communication during day and night (inside and outside). When it comes to clothing, Delon and Vitti could not be more stylish. Dressed in a tie and a suit, Delon looks every bit as cool as his hitman character Jef Costello in Le Samourai. Whether she is clad in a blouse, dress or otherwise, as usual, Vitti stands out as the epitome of elegance.
When Vitti died close to three years ago in 2022, Italy’s then Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini called her the Queen of Italian cinema as well as a great artist and a great Italian. Italy’s then former Prime Minister Mario Draghi said that Vitti made Italian cinema shine around the world. In addition, Draghi added that she was an actress of great wit and extraordinary talent, she conquered generations of Italians with her spirit, her bravura, her beauty (read here). Neither of these sentiments have ever been expressed more poetically than in Vitti’s four collaborations with Antonioni. L’Avventura, La Notte, Red Desert, The Mystery of Oberwald and here in L’Eclisse.
Chapter 4: The Vision of L’Eclisse
Alienation is a recurring theme in Michelangelo Antonioni’s work and in L’Eclisse, it (as usual) coincides perfectly with the aforementioned Italian director’s mise en scene. Architecture, compositions and long takes serve as the three standout aspects here.
–Architecture–
In L’Eclisse, modernism contrasts with everyday people through Antonioni’s use of (more-or-less) modern architecture. In one scene, we get an extreme wide shot of Vittoria walking down the sidewalk. Divided by a post and rail fence, the left side of the screen is dominated by a large tree and under it is Vittoria. The right side is dominated by a large modernist tower hovering over trees that are smaller by comparison. Considering that Vittoria is presented as very small in this frame, it can be argued that this whole image is a metaphor for the everyday individual’s struggle to cope with modernity. Vittoria comes off as tiny in another image of her staring outside a window and to the left, the screen is filled with giant buildings (apartments or otherwise). When Vittoria is out at night looking for her dog, on the left, we get streetlights and a fence the size of a baseball stadium and in the center is Vittoria tinier than everything else once again. Another image features Vittoria with Piero sitting on the grass and facing them (from a distance) is a building. This is the scene where Piero gets quietly frustrated in trying to understand Vittoria. Given that Piero represents modernism himself (he is a stock broker), that alone might explain Vittoria’s reluctance to maintain a longterm romance with him. I mean let’s face it, modernity barely holds Vittoria’s interest. I can think of many more, but I will limit it to these perfect examples, which are executed similarly in the film’s much discussed final sequence.
–Compositions–
As with all of Antonioni’s work, L’Eclisse is shaped by it’s visually expressive compositions. Vittoria’s breakup with Riccardo as one example. In that scene, Vittoria is standing on the left side of the screen in front of a messy painting of sorts and on the right side features Riccardo next to the painting. He stands in front of a background with a window and furniture. A companion to this shot is when Vittoria stands in the back of a door with a square window and sitting on a comfy chair to the far right side of the screen is Riccardo. This might symbolize Vittoria as an independent woman and Riccardo as a member of the bourgeoisie, which he is. . Another frame features Vittoria standing behind a steel gate, which emphasizes her isolation. Vittoria staring by the right window as opposed to in between the two at the dark room from across is a metaphor for her alienation. During the mock African tribe dancing sequence, a bed is placed in the middle of the screen and Vittoria (in blackface) standing on a bed with the traditional spear and Marta sitting down on a chair on the right edge of the screen. Shortly after, we see Marta standing in the background of the bed (Vittoria is nowhere in sight) and she is shaped by dark lighting. This frame illustrates white Kenyan Marta’s fear of Kenya’s blacks by debatably asking us viewers to visualize how she sees them. In the case of Marta, she basically sees them as savages. Is her view wrongheaded? Of course it is. The scenes inside and outside the Rome stock exchange hilariously (albeit, in a dry sense) illustrate chaos. With the exception of Vittoria, everybody wants to partake in the Italian economic miracle. In between a tuscan order, lies Piero on the left and Vittoria on the right. What does this symbolize? Well, If one is an independent thinker and the other a conforming stock broker, it means that this romance is bound to fail. For every close (close-up or otherwise) shot of Vittoria and Piero together, we get as many distant shots. An outside evening scene features communicating with Vittoria from a distance. Piero is standing talking to her, but she is making eye contact from her house and he is far away compared. A house door stands in between Vittoria and Piero when they are kissing in another scene by pressing their respective mouths against the glass window. My theory is confirmed when the two break their promise of meeting at their usual spot near the end of the film. I can name plenty more examples, but these are the ones I want to limit it to.
–Long Takes–
L’Eclisse’s use of long takes is in synch with the film’s deadpan tone. Since the film serves as a metaphor for emotional emptiness within modern society, it is only fitting that Antonioni would utilize long takes to visually depict the drama. At first glance, it may look unfitting in a film about the chaotic contemporary world, but once viewers take into account that alienation is it’s primary theme, everything starts clicking together. Vittoria can’t connect with it and as a result, the slow pacing is intentional on Antonioni’s part. Each and every sequence is not only elegant, but relaxing as well.
Epilogue
Not unlike Journey to Italy before it, L’Eclisse dramatically and stylistically redefined narrative film for a future generation of cinephiles and filmmakers. Three examples of the latter include esteemed directors like the aforementioned Scorsese, Richard Linklater and Wong Kar-wai (read here and here). As for the former, I count myself among Jake Cole and Jonathan Rosenbaum (read here and here) as the three of many cinema enthusiasts championing L’Eclisse. As the third film in Michelangelo Antonioni’s trilogy on modernity and it’s discontents, L’Eclisse serves as his thesis. In this one, the alienated relationship between modernity and everyday society really hits close to home in every single way imaginable. Featuring one of (If not) the most talked about ending in cinematic history, L’Eclisse emerges as quite possibly the boldest Italian film of it’s decade.
Click here to watch a 50th anniversary trailer
Click here to watch Scorsese’s commentary on L’Eclisse
Let me conclude this blog entry with two questions for my dear readers.
What parts of my L’Eclisse essay stood out for you readers in particular?
What links in my L’Eclisse essay did you readers love the most?
cinematiccoffee 
Loved reading your take on this film, I remember reading and you pointed out it’ part of a trilogy. Have you seen the others? I watched this film myself recently and did Iike her and Delon’s playful rapport in their relationship in the movie; it seemed such a contrast to those opening scenes as her then relationship breaks up. I am keen to see her now in more movies so will check out your list. Added you to my Day 1 post, and sent your link onto Kristina. Thanks for joining us in this blogathon.
Thank you for your thoughtful analysis of L’Eclisse. My interpretation differs from yours, although I am in agreement with most of your insights. I think Antonioni is drawing parallels with the emotional highs and lows in a love affair with the fluctuations of the stock market. There is certainly a recurring theme of alienation in his films, but perhaps more significant than the alienation between people is the alienation between man and his environment. I find the opening sequence more experimental than the final one, with the quiet failure of communication between former lovers contrasting with the passionate noise of the stock market floor during a market upsurge. antonioni has the best endings and it is hard to choose a favorite, but mine is Red Desert, which I just happened to watch for the umpteenth time yesterday. This is my favorite of his films, for more reasons than i have (to quote hamlet) thoughts to put them in ,imagination to give them shape, or time to act them in. You make an excellent case for L’Eclisse, which I have only seen half a dozen times, so my appreciation of it is not as fully experienced as your own. Of all the films from Il Grido to Profession Reporter, there is no film of his I would willingly exchange for another. He is my favorite of the Italian directors, and the day he and Bergman died was the saddest day in cinema history.You are so right when you mention that so few young filmgoers today will catch a film closely enough to appreciate and enjoy the masterful strokes in Antonionis work. It is such a tragedy that more cannot thrill to the genius of films such as Red Desert and L’Eclisse.
Thank you for the kind words Gill 🙂 Yes, I have seen L’Avventura and La Notte and both of them were equally masterful 🙂 So yes, go check them out I think the ending signifies (and I am not the first to suggest this) that the world has moved on from Vittoria and Piero.
Thanks, I know someone is reviewing the forst of those films for the blogathon so it will be interesting to see where it fits in… now it’s my turn to enter one of your blogathons. Have you more planned?
You are quite welcome Bill 🙂 Your interpretation of L’Eclisse is correct as well 🙂 I never thought of it being a metaphor for the highs and low of a romance and that of man and the environment. Also, the comparison between the former with that of the stock market is truly inspired on your part 🙂 That is the genius of Michelangelo Antonioni, his films are open to all sorts of interpretations. Now this is true of all directors in some way shape or form, but never more explicitly than in Antonioni’s films. This might explain why his films are wrongly seen as out of touch now. A justifiably celebrated filmmaker like Stanley Kubrick (among others) are still revered today and while their films are open to all sorts of interpretations, they do not openly explore an alienated society as Antonioni does. This is just a theory though. Red Desert is another masterpiece and as you probably know, it was Antonioni’s first film shot in color. I am thinking of actually upping Red Desert to number three on the list of my favorite Antonioni films after L’Eclisse and L’Avventura. I remember when Antonioni and Ingmar Bergman died. It was back in 2007 and the date was July 30th. A truly sad day for cinephiles, whether one seems oneself as such or not. Coincidentally, L’Eclisse and Persona both rank within my top 100 favorite films of all time. I think young viewers today really should open their minds to directors like Antonioni because deep down, his work actually says a whole lot about society. If it were not for Roberto Rossellini’s Journey to Italy, L’Eclisse would be my number one favorite Italian film of all time.
Tell me something Bill, what are some more images of Red Desert that stand out for you. Also, I read somewhere that Jack Nicholson may have been responsible for the hiring of Antonioni to direct The Passenger. I do not know If that is true or not, but that is sometimes speculated because after the critical and commercial failure of Zabriskie Point (another film I love), Antonioni found it hard to get mainstream funding.
I will let you know when one comes up Gill 🙂
Looking forward to it.
nicholson must have had something to do with the film, as he assumed control of it and was responsible for a dreadful re-edit that ruined at least one scene. regarding red desert, i could go on about shot after shot, but in general i loved his use of out-of focus shots, his placing of monica vitti against inhuman landscapes, the tour of the factory in the beginning was so frightening i felt i was there and was very happy that i wasnt. i like the fragmentation of the bodies in the red room, the various proximities of passing ships, of course the entire pink sands sequence, and the devastating image of the yellow smoke at the end. it was such a thin line of smoke compared to previous blasts of steam that sometimes enveloped the entire screen, yet was the only one signified as deadly. one reason i love red desert so much is that the alienation factor is harmonious with both person to person alienation and person to environment alienation. in l’aventurra, he uses buildings and landscapes symbolically, in l’eclisse, he uses the apartment and the stock market realistically, while in red desert. everything from color and focal length to approach and rejection dances between vitti and harris to emphasise her isolation from everything.
i first saw l’aventurra at a theatre 20 miles from my home and the friend i went with, who was driving, threatened to leave me stranded at the cinema when the film was over, he hated it so much. the first time i saw red desert was on a double bill with juliet of the spirits and the perso i saw it with loved the fellini but hated red desert. a review of zabriskie point was so ill considered that i was moved to write a letter to the newspaper that published it. my interpretation of blow up is that the whole thing is the fantasy of a factory worker dreaming of what life would be like were he a high fashion photographer. i saw identification of a woman in montreal where it had no subtitles so i miisunderstood it as the story of a man who kept falling in love with the same kind of woman, when it fact it was about a director auditioning several women for a part in his film,
I had a feeling about Jack Nicholson’s control of the film Bill 🙂 I think I recall hearing that the film was restored in 2005 or finally got a home video release. Everything you just said about Red Desert could not have been stated any more eloquently 🙂 The minimalist (I think that is the correct word) use of color there and especially that of the smoke is characteristically Antonioni. Interestingly enough, Red Desert is sometimes labeled the epilogue of his alienation trilogy, which is why it is not called a quartet.
So sorry that your friend threatened to leave you stranded because you loved L’Avventura and he did not. I love both Red Desert and Juliet of the Spirits. I too would write a letter If somebody from some newspaper greatly misunderstood something I loved. Zabriskie Point is a truly underappreciated film. Your take on Blow Up is insightful as well given Antonioni’s then past films. While I do know that we are not the only ones, how comes it seems that we understand Antonioni, but others do not want to make that valiant effort. As I said in the essay, it may be challenging at first, but once you rewatch them, the journey proves to be a rewarding one. Subtly or otherwise.
Same here Gill 🙂
i think the problem people have with antonioni is that they do not watch the film, they are expect to be entertained by a story told in moving pictures, but antonioni is not interested in comic-book storytelling. watching red desert yesterday, i was enthralled with each image. and the montage of incredible beauty never faltered. also, the details that revealed so much about each character were fascinating. i have to admit my mind has wandered a bit at some points in the middles of both l’aventurra and zabriskie point but not for long, and certainly returned to sharp focus for the brilliant climaxes of each film.
an aside. i find it fascinating that both hitchcock and antonioni , in 1960 and without any knowledge of what the other was doing, killed off their apparent heroines in the first third of the movie.
Your essay is thorough, complex and moving.
The only Antonioni film I’ve seen is Blowup, which, I assume, is his most commercial. I liked it.
I started La Notte but couldn’t finish it; I became frustrated. I could compartmentalize it and enjoy sequences, but didn’t have the patience for it as a whole.
I know Antonini is an innovator of slow cinema, which I appreciate more than like. Theoretically I should like it as I love slow burn cinema and I appreciate characterization over plot, but, for me, there has to be more than “it was a day like any other day and I left.” I like it as a concept…the rumination…the unanswered questions…the mystery of life, but for me it’s an itch I cannot scratch. But I did really enjoy your essay. I thought it was brilliant.
Why thank you for the kind words Pam 🙂 BlowUp is probably Antonioni’s most commercially successful film as you just implied 🙂 Glad to hear that you liked that one 🙂
La Notte as you probably know is the second film in Antonioni’s alienation, which also consists of L’Avventura and this one L’Eclisse. Back in the early 2000’s, I too found Antonioni a tough watch, but once I started maturing as a cinephile, I started to understand what his films were trying to say. The journey eventually proved to be a rich and poetic one for myself, but again, I can only speak for myself.
Another director, who was often associated with slow cinema was late Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira. Your summary of “it was a day like any other and I left” is a valid one and that is precisely why Antonioni is an acquired taste. It is not even so much that one has to be adventurous to love Antonioni’s work, as much as one needs to have the patience to adore them. So you might have given an answer as to why Antonioni may be not be everyone. What are some slow films for you that you actually love out of curiosity Pam? 🙂
You hit the nail on the head Bill 🙂 I understand that people want to be entertained when they watch a film (all of us do), but sometimes there is more to cinema than just that. Let us also not forget that European cinema is a far different breed from American cinema. Speaking of Zabriskie Point, The Smashing Pumpkins referenced it in that music video of theirs entitled Today 🙂
What a coincidence Bill 🙂 I almost forgot about that 🙂 The heroines of both Antonioni’s L’Avventura and Hitchcock’s Psycho. Hitchcock even wanted to introduce American audiences to Antonioni’s visual style (Red Desert in this case) for the unrealized Kaleidoscope. I find it interesting that you sensed some of that with The Birds.
Well, these are what I consider to be slow burn films and one of them falls into slow cinema, but, then again, what I consider slow cinema inspired may not be what you consider it to be.
Recently I watched Zone of Interest. I loved it…very profound. Then there’s a film I recently reviewed, Revanche…to me it’s classic slow burn, bordering on slow cinema, but it does have a plot. McCabe & Mrs. Miller is slow burn and it’s my favorite film of all time. Let’s see…Slow West is a great slow burn film, I think…Wendy and Lucy…Electra Glide in Blue, I know it’s considered an action film, but I don’t see it that way. I think of it as a slow burn character drama with existential elements…In the Bedroom…Carol. These are the ones off the top of my head.
Actually, all of these are valid examples of slow cinema Pam 🙂 The way all of these great films unfolded makes them qualified 🙂 Another thing that helps viewers connect to these films is that they do revolve around a central plot, whether it be loose or not. Kelly Reichardt’s (Wendy and Lucy and First Cow among others) films are known for their long takes. Carol is a perfect contender for that as well. Fantastic choices Pam 🙂
Thanks, John.😊
You are quite welcome Pam 🙂
i always thought of a slow burn as a story comprised of a series of minor events building to an explosive climax. as for slow movies, unless the projectionist is drunk, they all run at the same 60 frames per second. with digital, speed may be more variable. i dont know. for me, the problem in variable speed is only a problem when silent films are run at sound speed. which speeds up the movement within the frame. i think a movie is boring when it fails to engage the viewer. for me the nonstop action movies are not engaging on any level and i fall asleep as the carnage rages on. also, i find pixar films incredibly dull. antonioni seldom bores me. there is always so much to look at and think about that i become unaware of the passage of time while watching them.
Gotcha Bill 🙂 Your thoughts on this are very insightful as well 🙂 Given that City Lights was made after sound came in, do you think it moves at the speed of a sound film as opposed to that of a silent? 🙂
oddly enough, i am watching city lights at this moment, having just rewatched l’eclisse after rereading your article. more on that tomorrow. city lights was filmed at roughly 24 frames per second (silent speed) and people are moving much faster than they should be on my copy. somebody should correct this.
L’Eclisse. The ending bookends the beginning. both last ten minutes. both are without dialog. The first begins the morning a love affair ends. The second beings the morning a love affair begins. The first is much like Noh Theatre and reminds me of a Japanese Noh interpretation of Othello that I saw. It lasted 60 minutes, was silent and consisted of the final scene in which Othello circles Desdemona on her bed/ We know the sense of the dialog so there is no need for speech. In L’Eclisse there is no dialog, yet we can hear what the characters are saying to each other. Its all in the mise en scene. The ending begins with a promise to love each other forever, and from that point on, the are not seen together. The camera dies a slow death and the film ends in montage.
I dont think Vittoria is alienated. I think she is indifferent or, as you write, aloof. Alienation implies an inability to collaborate with the society in which one is engulfed. In Red Desert, Giuliana is alienated from everything except her son. Tragically alienated, She makes several attempts to integrate herself into the landscape and her society, but is unable to do so. Vittoria, however, is a functional member of her society. she is simply indifferent to others. She is the embodiment of Sartre’s I-It narcissism (as opposed to Buber’s I-Thou ideal) She doesnt care about love or money, the two things that motivate the people in her world.
Capitalism. The floor of the stock market has replaced the bedroom. Society at large is imprisoned in this orgy of profit and loss. Antonioni famously said that eroticism is the disease of the time. In L’Eclisse, capitalism has replaced sex, and both his cast and his audience are imprisoned in this hellish world for longer than we can bear. Vittoria, however, is indifferent to money, as lust for it has destroyed her mother and its manipulation has drained Piero of his humanity. He is little more than an over-animated cyborg, able only to strike the poses of a romantic lead. Vittoria is also indifferent to love, although out of boredom she enjoys playing the game while disbelieving in its reality.
I dont believe alienation is Antonioni’s theme here. Rather, it is the corruption of core values that has led to an existential worthlessness of life. Everything is a sham. There is no real money behind the profit and loss sham of the stock market. And there is no love behind the relationships between man and woman. You summed it up well by quoting Vittoria when she says she wishes she could either love him more or love him less. She has no emotional investment in her relationships. She is aloof, indifferent to everything, an empty shell acting out a facade of a human being.
The ending is the end, not of the world, which continues to turn, but of humanity. We see snatches of meaningless activity as movement itself comes to a halt and we are left with a montage of stills, life was nothing more than an album of frozen moments in a live that was never lived.
I hear that Bill 🙂 I wonder If the copy that you are watching of City Lights was done at a higher fps (frame per second)? 🙂
The first time I saw City Lights was in a cinema and it was run at silent speed. The final closeup on Chaplin lasted so long that it brought me to tears. On the copy I own, everything is speeded up, but not as much as other silent films. Still, that last shot ends too quickly for it to have the emotional impact Chaplin intended (and Woody Allen appropriated to elicit pity at the end of Manhattan)
I love your insightful analysis Bill 🙂 Though I am aware that the beginning was a long sequence, I forget that it lasted 10 minutes long. Speaking of Japanese Noh Theatre, it has been said that Akira Kurosawa’s Ikiru may be his most Japanese influenced film. I say this because Japanese critics often dismissed Kurosawa due to his considerable western influences. As for Antonioni’s approach to the opening scene, his decision to emphasize mise en scene over dialogue is a truly inspired one given how in real life, their seems to be silence among couples when their relationship hits rock bottom. Those last two sentences could not have been interpreted any better 🙂
I think the reason that Monica Vitti’s Vittoria is often seen as alienated might be due to two things. L’Eclisse is considered part of Antonioni’s alienation trilogy and the second might be her isolation from Italy’s then booming economic era – as you probably know, L’Eclisse was made during a period that was often summed up for them as the Italian economic miracle. During that time, it was considered status quo to see tons of Italian urbanites (or suburbanites) to involve themselves in it in some way shape or form. Personally, I think Vittoria’s indifference to it all makes her alienated in a metaphoric kind of way. I totally agree with you on Giuliana in Red Desert.
Your view of how capitalism related to the drama of L’Eclisse is flawless 🙂 You probably noticed a scene and Martin Scorsese talked about it too in that link is that during a stock exchange announcement, we hear that a worker had passed on and instead of long silence to pay respects too that individual, it ends up very brief and everyone resumes their stock exchanging (for lack of better word) on the floor. This is a truly remorseless society.
I understand your thinking regarding alienation Bill 🙂 I think it might serve as a metaphor for Vittoria’s indifference to the Italian economic miracle. I could not have stated anything you wrote about how the corruption of core values (as you so eloquently state) leads to the end result.
Everything you say hear about the ending bill is pitch perfect. Do you think the ending has proven to be prophetic given how timeless I have viewed it? 🙂
the ending is certainly prophetic, and you understand why. but for reasons antonioni could not have predicted. today alienation is the new social contract, again, i have to say that i dont believe she is alienated from the society riding high on the economic upswing. consider how well she fits into the journey in the private plane, and how she enjoys the vacation as much as any wealthy person. she is simply indifferent to wealth, as many wealthy people who did not labor for their wealth tend to be. she enjoys her meaningless life. Giuliana would never have suggested they fly into a cloud..she would have jumped out of that plane… i really dont know why critics called this the alienation trilogy. i think antonioni would agree that the subject that ties the three films together is a condemnation of eroticism in its many forms. i wonder how the films would have been received at the time had marcello played ugo and riccardo. amd monica played lidia. that would have securely tied the three films into a trilogy.
I hear ya Bill 🙂 Either the ones who named it the alienation trilogy might have two definitions for it. Either that, or they get it confused with aloofness. I suppose calling it the trilogy of aloofness would have incited laughter, so why not stick to alienation, rightly or wrongly, fairly or unfairly 🙂 Given that one debatably interpretation that Vittoria might desire to be an African tribeswoman (the blackface sequence), it is possible that If Vittoria feels relaxed on vacation, it could be because Kenya actually appeals to her. A far-fetched theory maybe, but it is possible because at home, she mostly comes off as isolated. I truly believe that Vittoria’s wallowing in her meaningless (as you so eloquently imply) may be her way of coping with isolation, which she is inflicting on herself. Poor Riccardo does not even know why Vittoria does not want him as her lover anymore. Your take on why the alienation trilogy should be focused on the condemnation of eroticism in different forms is a valid one. I wonder If it is because Antonioni said that only about L’Avventura whereas with L’Eclisse, he got the idea for the plot after viewing an eclipse in Florence. I also agree with your view on how it would have been had Marcello Mastroianni and Monica Vitti played Ugo and Riccardo (the former) and Lidia (the latter).
Btw, I actually think that Roberto Rossellini’s Journey to Italy would make a great double-bill with L’Eclisse. The only difference is whereas the former ends on a hopeful note, the latter ends on a downbeat (subtle or otherwise) note. What are your thoughts? 🙂
A wonderful review of an academic standard, John. I have never seen this film, but if I do, your review will serve to guide me through it.
Best wishes, Pete.
considering how you like the films of Abbas Kiarostami, i was wondering what you thought of Certified Copy, his revisionist remake of Voyage to Italy?
From the few I’ve seen, Antonioni’s movies are complex but rewarding, the mystifying enigmatic feel of them is often telling us much about what it is to be human and interacting with the materialistic world. And the emptiness that can cause. I find a lot of Japanese horror is similar in the way it addresses deep loneliness and alienation. Enjoyed reading your thoughts (and the comments too) about the style and technique shaping the themes. I liked the link to the reception and Scorsese’s comments. Thanks so much for joining us for the blogathon.
Thank you for the kind words Pete 🙂 You can’t go wrong with Antonioni or Monica Vitti and Alain Delon Pete 🙂
As Certified Copy Bill, I loved it 🙂 In fact, Certified Copy is my second favorite Abbas Kiarostami film after The Wind Will Carry Us. Both film rank within my top 100 favorite films of all time. I think the comparisons to Journey to Italy are apt. As you probably know, Journey to Italy is my number one favorite foreign film of al time, even though a majority of it is in English considering that the lead characters on vacation in Italy hail from England. The two are played of course by Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders. Though you already knew that 🙂 One of the things I really loved about Certified Copy is how Juliette Binoche’s character plays along with being mistaken for William Shimell’s wife and then he plays along for a while too. I think it was the cafe owner, who suspected it 🙂
Why thank you for the kind words Speakeasy 🙂 Your thoughts are spot on regarding Michelangelo Antonioni. The journey might be challenging at first, but once one takes into account all the metaphors, everything starts to make sense. Insightful thoughts about Japanese horror as well. Interestingly enough (though you probably knew this already), Audition deals with a widower. I too loved hearing and reading Martin Scorsese’s comments on it 🙂
even more than attaching the label ‘alienation’ to antonioni’s films, early critics coined the word “antoniennui,” which caused potential audiences to stay away for fear of being bored. i dont think either critics or audiences knew how to watch his films in the early sixties, so they grabbed at fashionable words from popular psychologists to explain them. your essay on l’eclisse demonstrates a deep understanding of the film that comes from knowing how to watch and interpret the film. i love your use of the word “aloof” to describe Vittoria’s relationship to people and the environment. i think it important in analyzing classic films to detach oneself from the insights of previous writers. i remember when i was a contributing editor to the video eyeball magazine, it was suggested we do a collective piece on val lewton. i gave it the green light under the condition that no one mention the subtle horror created by mood and inference, which forced the writers involved to see the films with fresh eyes. i feel like im hammering on about my own rejection of vittoria as being alienated, but truly i am not trying to change anybodys mind about this detail. i just cant help but continue to wrestle with my own interpretation of her character. sorry if i am running this into the ground, but i cant stop thinking about it. and your essays always inspire in me the critical obligation to rethink my views. i likely would not have rewatched the trilogy at this time were i not inspired to do so by your essay.
Intriguing Bill 🙂 Was it the European critics who labeled similar films “Antoniennui” because here in the US (Or at least based on my knowledge), American, British or Canadian ones would have used the term “Antonioniesque” or “Antonionian.” I really loved hearing your story about when you were contributing editor to Video Eyeball magazine. Are they still around? Speaking of which, do you ever get annoyed when people refer to the practice of scaring through suggestion as Hitchcockian because I do? Make no mistake, I love every film Hitchcock made, but I think Val Lewton was the granddaddy of that trademark not Hitchcock. What is your take on that? Also, I love it that you wanted your writers to see Lewton films as If one was seeing them for the first time and come to their own conclusions regarding metaphors. In fact, their are those who view Cat People as one of sexual repression and The Seventh Victim as a horror thriller with a hint of lesbianism. Whether one agrees or disagrees with those assumptions is not the point, the point is that it is rich in meaning and can interpreted in many different ways. As for your disagreement on Vittoria being alienated, you have nothing to apologize for. I love hearing you talk about why alienation might not be the case. The environment plays a big role (as you have eloquently stated) as to why these characters in L’Eclisse behave the way they do. Since Vittoria will not make the valiant effort to find meaning in her life, she dooms herself by continuing to wallow in aloofness (or as you say meaninglessness) and Piero has no interest in elevating himself to anything more than what he is, which is a bourgeoisie stock broker. He allows the economic boom to shape him as nothing more than as you imply a handsome face. I am happy to hear that my essay inspired you to watch Antonioni’s trilogy again. I also rewatched The Birds recently and I noticed some of the Antonioni trademarks that were present in there (subtly or otherwise) 🙂 I do not think I would have rewatched The Birds back in early November, If you did not mention it cause like yourself, I not only love The Birds, but the films of Antonioni 🙂
I like Piero because his aloofness keeps him on an even keel as a stockbroker. He doesnt care about loss and gain. The world around him crumbles and he knows it will reassemble itself. He is more than a handsome face sitting atop an expensive suit. And he takes (like Ray Danton as Legs Diamond) his sex appeal in stride, while Vittoria resents the fact that her beauty is what draws men to her. I find Sandro much more of a cipher than Piero. How would you differentiate the anti-hero from the existential hero? I find more depth in Antonioni’s male-female relations than in Fellini’s. Perhaps because Antonioni is handsome, he doesnt use handsome actors as alter-egos, but rather as potential rivals. And of he isnt indulging in a hatred for his male character, i certainly am.
Video Eyeball began as a guide to new releases distributed in Videosmiths. then we went glossy and were picked up by a distributer. After three years, we could not afford to continue publishing because of the long delay in getting paid by the distributers. We had to keep delaying publication because we often did not have enough money to cover printing costs. I think this is why so many magazines fold when their circulations grow. I was invited to join the staff for their second issue because the publisher had seen my coverage of Something Weird Videos (which had just been made available for renatal in a Boston used music store) ina local music rag. My work on the eyeball led to employment in the Videohound books.
I wound up at the Seattle PI for different reasons altogether. I was running a jazz club in Boston and when I moved back to Seattle, the jazz society there asked me to write for their Earshot newsletter. they were impressed with and wanted to exploit the contacts I had in the NY jazz scene. The jazz writer for the PI was quitting and they had offered the position to the editor of the Earshot newsletter. He turned it down because it would mean leaving his position with Earshot, and recommended me. In addition to covering jazz, I was given assignments to cover music related movies. When I showed them the articles on film I had written, they expanded my film assignments and eventually I stopped writing about music altogether and focused on film.
In answer to your first question, I heard the term Antoniennui in American and British media. I had never heard the terms “Antonioniesque” or “Antonionian.” used in reference to his films. I imagine those terms were used about films that the critics assumed as stylistic but boring. The discussion brought up in regard to Antoniennui was. “Can a movie about boring people be anything but boring?’
I actually hear the words “Antonioniesque” and “Antonionian” only occasionally, but I believe they were from Americans, Brits and Canadians. I will say that you are correct in this instance Bill regarding the first time you told me of Antoniennui 🙂 I would not call these people boring because such people do exist and they are made interesting due to the mystery of why they are so aloof or alienated or lack thereof 🙂
Precisely Bill 🙂 I only said that he was little more than a pretty face because you implied that when you talked about how L’Eclisse treats the theme of capitalism. Nevertheless, you taught me something new again that I had not even contemplated about L’Eclisse and this is what makes Michelangelo Antonioni a subtly rich filmmaker regarding content. He leaves the mystery of these characters for us viewers to interpret. I always had a hunch that their was more to Alain Delon’s Piero than meets the eye, but this film treated Monica Vitti’s Vittoria as the main character (though Delon was billed in the credits first).
Insightful story about the history of Video Eyeball 🙂 Everything you said here about why publications fold is on spot. I see that you were part of a jazz club. This took you from Boston and back to Seattle. Awesome 🙂 I was equally intrigued by how you how you covered music and film to eventually, just the latter. Was this before you worked for the Seattle Post, which as you told me, lasted from 1999-2009? 🙂
i started writing professionally in Boston in 1985, and for the PI i wrote about music and film from 1999-2009, starting in 2007 i wrote about films exclusively. i started a jazz club in bostn. i had a friend who was the librarian at the berklee school of music and he booked jazz concerts there, so when a noted musician got a highly paid gig at the school, he would bring them over to my place to play free for the people. we were named best listening room in cadence magazine one year. anyway, my contacts with these mostly new york based jazz musicians opened the door for jazz writing (and some promoting) when i moved back to seattle. and it was my reputation in the jazz world that opened the door into the seattle PI’s arts section.
I have never watched any 1960s Italian Cinema, but you are making me want to try it on for size.
Whitney, I can guarantee you that it is a truly involving experience 🙂
I agree with commenter Beetley Pete. Like him, I’ve never seen (or, embarrassingly) heard of this film, but if I ever come across it, your insightful review would be a terrific guide.
I did, however, watch the ending via the link you provided and I like your explanation of life Moving On.
What a beautifully written review. I have had this film in my queue for a while now. Time to watch it esp after reading your post-thank you! xox
Excellent review! This may be my favorite Antonioni movie. It’s a masterpiece. I have nothing to say… you said everything that needed to be said. You broke it down beautifully! Great job!
I’m ignorant of Italian cinema as well. This essay is amazing, though. I know you enjoy doing this for your blog, and possibly it remains there, but have you ever tried to get your essays/reviews/other writings published elsewhere? I think you would benefit an even wider audience!
Why thank you for the kind words Silver Screenings 🙂 Sorry for the late response, I have been busy these past few days 🙂 The ending really is symbolic as me and you imply 🙂