Fandor Italian Style: Michelangelo Antonioni

For some, watching Michelangelo Antonioni’s “Alienation Trilogy” — L’Avventura (1960), La Notte (1961), and L’Eclisse (1962) — might not feel like a fun weekend activity. These films depict characters navigating a cold world full of Italian cities that feel almost futuristic, as the director emphasizes architecture, emotional sickness, and psychological detachment to create a commentary on the failures of interpersonal communications. But there are lessons to be learned, and a strange sense of visual rhythm reveals how and why people choose to flee rather than fight under difficult circumstances, and vice versa. By examining the landscapes, the narrative subtext, and the visual themes in the “Alienation Trilogy,” one can better understand how these films apply to life in 2018. This video examines character staging in Antonioni’s iconic trilogy, and how the director makes meaning through the use of physical space and mise-en-scène.

Say “ciao” to our new series on series, Fandor Italian Style, and be sure not to miss our video on director Vittorio De Sica. We also have great explorations into the cinema of Pedro Almodóvar, Jim Henson, Luis Buñuel, and Alejandro Iñárritu.

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i have now seen 5 of his films and i am a film critic and i have reviewed all of his films and love the themes he explores. This trilogy is great I was lucky enough to Blow Up in a theatre recently.