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L’Avventura Movie Review

L’Avventura is a 1960 Italian mystery drama film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Monica Vitti. It’s a memorable, but ultimately pointless movie.

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“Believe me Anna,

words are becoming less and less necessary;

they create misunderstandings“

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Anna goes missing during a boat trip to a remote volcanic island with her boyfriend Sandro and best friend Claudia. Despite her disappearance, Claudia and Sandro get involved romantically. I know that this movie is widely acclaimed, and I certainly acknowledge its merits, but at the end of the day it is a movie about nothing, and I personally always have a problem with that.

Yes, it may be realistic that way as many mysteries in real life remain mysteries, but still the movie has no themes or message to it whatsoever apart from maybe alienation. It needed a stronger main theme to pull the viewer in. Without it, it feels very empty.

My main problem, though, lies in the characters that are all admittedly well developed, but still so not likable and so not interesting that the whole film suffered as a result. Especially the relationships between them really bored me, and the whole conclusion felt very soapy, and to me not all that realistic.

The acting is very strong nevertheless. Especially Monica Vitti delivered a very good performance, and Gabriele Ferzetti is also quite memorable. The two are good when together, and both are also charming and good-looking. The film is sensual for sure.

L’Avventura is to be seen for its technical aspects. The film looks absolutely gorgeous thanks to stunning photography. It is also very memorably scored, and simply quite atmospheric at times. The direction from Antonioni is also fine, but the pacing is very bad, and the film did not need two and a half hours to tell what is a very simple story.

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I loved the first act. It was very moody, wonderfully sensual and the remote location really appealed to me. It was both mysterious and highly atmospheric. But everything that came afterward was much less interesting and much less appealing visually. It’s thus very overrated, at least for now upon first viewing.

L’Avventura has a terrific first act with a beautiful setting, a strong atmosphere and a sensual approach to it, but everything that came afterward was much less interesting and less memorable. The movie is technically polished and authentic, but it lacks in themes, leading to what is ultimately a very empty, slow movie, especially in its prolonged, boring second half.

My Rating – 3