Writers: Michelangelo Antonioni, Elio Bartolini, Tonino Guerra
Cast: Monica Vitti, Gabriele Ferzetti, Lea Massari
Language:Italian
Anna, who is conflicted about the relationship she has with her lover Sandro, disappears during a boating trip. Her lover and he best friend (Claudia played by Monica Vitti) become attracted to each other as they try to find her.
The story sounds like a cliched one but the way the film is made makes it very good. There are plenty of scenes where nothing really happens in terms of plot but a lot happens underneath the surface. When it was screened first at Cannes, it got booed because of which Antonioni and Monica Viiti fled the theater. On the subsequent screening it was received well and it went on to win the Jury Prize.
The film is primarily about the guilt that Claudia feels in having a relationship with her best friend's lover. Whether Anna died or just ran away is not made clear in the film and her shadow looms over Claudia throughout the film. What makes the film great are the random sequences that are there throughout the film capturing the moodiness of the characters. In the last sequence of the film, Claudia catches Sandro cheating on her and I thought it was really an unnecessary turn for the film. But it makes up for it by showing the way Claudia reacts finally by consoling Sandro and thereby feeling less weight from her own guilt.
Rating: 5/5
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