Review for L'Avventura

I’m ashamed to say that I’d never seen Michelangelo Antonioni's "L'Avventura" a.k.a. "The Adventure" (1960) until now. I was aware of it by reputation. After all, it appears in just about every ‘100 films to watch before you die’ list and is often referred to as a major influence on other directors work too. But maybe it’s as well that I hadn’t seen it before because it’s unlikely that, unless I’d been present at its original theatrical run, with a pristine print on a big screen, that I would ever have seen it looking quite so visually stunning.

L'Avventura is the first film in the Antonioni’s so-called ‘trilogy of alienation’ (alongside the later La Notte and L'Eclisse) and, despite its length and slightly surreal narrative, it’s an incredibly impressive film by almost any yardstick. It’s also a film that is much, much bigger than its narrative. So much is conveyed in the performances of its cast, whether a momentary look or gesture or a long silent pause, or a heart-felt speech, as well as by its often breath-taking, often quite (technically) complex cinematography, or by its soundtrack, often devoid of any music for long periods. It’s a potent combination that leaves you in no doubt of the ingenuity of its director whose influence is still felt powerfully today.

The film opens with a difficult dialogue between a father and daughter (Anna – Lea Massari) about the suitability of her current boyfriend, who the father thinks is a waste of time. Nonetheless, Anna goes over to his apartment and makes love to him with both a curious abandonment and detachment, as if she is trying to assess the validity of the exercise.
She, and he, set off with a dear friend of hers and a troupe of other like-minded dilettantes’, on a yacht trip to a tiny island off the Sicilian coast in order to bathe and swim. However, following some strange, attention-seeking behaviour from Anna (she claims to have spotted a giant Shark in the waters) she disappears shortly after a brief argument with her lover, Sandro (played by the suave and typically Italian Gabrielle Ferzetti).

The island is tiny so the group set off to find her but she cannot be found on any part of the island; not even within a small inhabited shack that they discover. Having been ostensibly the leading lady and principle focus of the film for the first 45 minutes, she has simply disappeared.



Sandro, along with her best friend Claudia (played by the stunning Monica Vitti) decide that they should remain on the island all night to see if she returns – although no one is holding out much hope. A third member of the group, a wealthy but aging businessman, also volunteers to stick around, at the suggestion of his wife. But there are no break-throughs, even when the local lifeboat team arrive to progress the search in the island’s surrounding waters.

Despite having lost a lover and a best friend, Sandro and Claudia seem drawn to one another and before long, enter into a headstrong affair against Claudia’s better instincts. It seems, that despite all the macho bravado, that Sandro needs a replacement for Anna to return some equilibrium into his life. But Claudia wants to know that he loves her, as she loves him, entirely in her own light.

The film is stunningly shot by cinematographer Aldo Scavarda, who had also worked extensively with Bertolucci and, as stated, looks incredible. Whether staged set pieces, or loosely help hand held shots aboard swaying boats, the imagery never fails to impress. The new 4K digital restoration is exquisite, with no signs of any damage and sharp, satisfyingly flawless imaging throughout

The soundtrack has also been painstakingly upgraded to remove background noise and any hisses and crackles.

As this is a Criterion release, the contextual extras are both plentiful and very worthwhile.

Trailer – An original English-language trailer for L'Avventura. (3 min, 1080p).

•Olivier Assayas on L'Avventura - Olivier Assayas (French Director,Something in the Air) presents a three part critical analysis of the film. This was originally produced in 2004 but relicensed by Criterion and is presented in original French with subtitles. Expect lots of analysis of narrative flow, camera angles and choice of location.

•Jack Nicholson Reads Essays by Antonioni - Jack Nicholson (who collaborated with Antonioni on ‘The Passenger’) reads two essays by Antonioni himself, and then reflects on his own experiences working with the man. (Audio only – approximately 20 min. in total).

•Antonioni: Documents and Testimonials – A really excellent hour-long archival documentary produced by Gianfranco Mingozzi in 1966. It was endorsed by Antonioni and paints a detailed portrait of the man from his childhood in Ferrara to his eventual death in Rome). It also reflects on his working style and methodologies (using archival footage of Antonioni in action). It also houses a number of interviews with other directors including Fedrico Fellini who worked with Antonioni on his first film, The White Sheik).

•Commentary - Gene Youngblood, a film historian, reflects on many aspects of the film as it trundles through – including the nature of Claudio and Sandro’s relationship, as well as technical aspects of how the film was shot.

•Leaflet – Finally, you get a short leaflet which features a short essay by film critic Geoffrey Nowell-Smith.

L'Avventura really is an incredible film. From its naturalistic dialogue, through to its sometimes surreal narrative and artfully shot visual sequences, it’s pure class and thoroughly enjoyable as a result. It’s also one of the finest looking Blu-Rays I have been lucky enough to see.
An essential edition of an essential film which you’ll want to add to your collection. Quite brilliant.