L'Eclisse (1962)
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni

Drama / Romance

Film Review

Abstract picture representing L'Eclisse (1962)
With its emphasis on inward reflection and stark, ambiguious photography, L'Eclisse is not a particularly accessible film.  Like many of Antonioni's films, it makes great demands of the spectator.  Despite that, the film offers many pleasures. Monica Vitti is spell-binding as the wraith-like Vittoria, a tragic heroine figure looking for an unattainable fulfilment in a barren universe.  The film is perfectly constructed around her performance, to the extent that the spectator shares every minute of her angst, frustration and uncertainty.  Her French co-star Alain Delon is nearly as alluring, embodying a chilling blend of god-like beauty and sordid human  materialism.

Despite its lack of conventional drama, this is a stirring and almost tragic film.  Human existence has been all but subjugated to modern technology, leaving little of genuine value and meaning.  The film's final sequence, when Vittoria realises her fate, is both haunting and intensely disturbing, painting a shockingly believable picture of a future world which has no soul, individuality or purpose.

© James Travers 2001
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Michelangelo Antonioni film:
Blowup (1966)

Film Synopsis

In Rome, Vittoria has grown tired of her tepid love affair with Ricardo, a strait-laced ambassadorial aide, and suddenly decides to end the affair after three years of living together.  She is collecting her mother from the stock exchange when her gaze is suddenly drawn to a dishy young stockbroker named Peiro.  They get to know one another and immediately discover a strong mutual attraction.  For the first time in her life, Vittoria feels that she has found true love.  But what promises to be the great affair of her life proves to be just another terrible disappointment.  Peiro's love of money and cynicism jar with Vittoria's longing for fulfilment of a more spiritual and abstract nature.  Realising that Peiro is not for her, the unfortunate young woman finds herself cast adrift in a tawdry and superficial world where she feels unable to connect with anyone...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.


Film Credits

  • Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
  • Script: Elio Bartolini, Ottiero Ottieri, Michelangelo Antonioni (dialogue), Tonino Guerra (dialogue)
  • Cinematographer: Gianni Di Venanzo
  • Music: Giovanni Fusco
  • Cast: Alain Delon (Piero), Monica Vitti (Vittoria), Francisco Rabal (Riccardo), Louis Seigner (Ercoli), Lilla Brignone (Vittoria's Mother), Rossana Rory (Anita), Mirella Ricciardi (Marta), Cyrus Elias (Intoxicated Man)
  • Country: Italy / France
  • Language: Italian / English
  • Support: Black and White
  • Runtime: 125 min

The best French Films of the 1910s
sb-img-2
In the 1910s, French cinema led the way with a new industry which actively encouraged innovation. From the serials of Louis Feuillade to the first auteur pieces of Abel Gance, this decade is rich in cinematic marvels.
The best French war films ever made
sb-img-6
For a nation that was badly scarred by both World Wars, is it so surprising that some of the most profound and poignant war films were made in France?
The very best period film dramas
sb-img-20
Is there any period of history that has not been vividly brought back to life by cinema? Historical movies offer the ultimate in escapism.
The Golden Age of French cinema
sb-img-11
Discover the best French films of the 1930s, a decade of cinematic delights...
The greatest French film directors
sb-img-29
From Jean Renoir to François Truffaut, French cinema has no shortage of truly great filmmakers, each bringing a unique approach to the art of filmmaking.
 

Other things to look at


Copyright © filmsdefrance.com 1998-2024
All rights reserved



All content on this page is protected by copyright