Much of the film feels quietly melancholic, until finally the film reaches an ending that is poignant, startling and completely and utterly heartbreaking. Antonioni is also able to render his characters alienated visually, he has this remarkable ability to make a character seem completely seperate from all the people and goings on around them. The film is visually sumptuous, elegant and I loved its slow ambling mood avoiding the truth for as long as possible in its own cool, laidback manner.

The alienating aspects of the modern world is a gong that Antonioni bangs in many of his films. While one could say that nothing happens in the story, Antonioni's style shows how much happens when nothing happens. That is, the internal lives of the characters are expressed through mise-en-scene. This is most apparent in the way characters are framed in the corner or to the side of the shot, often against an imposing blank edifice or divided by barriers.

224

moments of antonioni greatness but ultimately kind of boring

Visually splendid, though one film was more than enough to uncover his films' greatest attribute. What's amazing is how much he's able to communicate with so little. As a relationship is standing on its last legs, we still come to care about the main characters (Giovanni and Lydia), despite their selfishness and alienating behavior, respectively. Definitely better than its predecessor.

There's something about Antonioni's direction that makes him able to capture the shifting mood and tone of an upper-class all-night party. An interesting inspection into infidelity and marital control that was reeling in my mind the minute it finished.

A fine examination of how boredom, depression, and detachment sully both relationships and single lives, and how wealth, fame, and beauty exacerbate these problems. It's a very modern and "hip" pessimism (and I guess it's what Antonioni is known for), but it is still effective, and it is pretty to watch.

Exquisitely beautiful cinematography -- one of the most visually effective black-and-white films I've ever seen. Every frame is packed with meaning, and the film is slow enough to give the audience time to mull over what's on screen, but not so slow as to be boring. More than L'avventura, La Notte is about it's characters, their relationships, and their emotions -- it's a more intimate film. Ultimately, it succeeds in being richly compelling and gorgeous.

#238

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Is this film done better. I mean, I get it, a lot of people and relationships are actually petty, bland, lifeless and kinda BS...but where does that leave films that look to take on these same "realistic" qualities? Like most "relationships" (and people), they aren't worth your time.

It's hard to enjoy something that makes you feel dead inside, even when you respect how Antonioni achieves it. Each part of his "alienation trilogy" is interesting in its own way. They all compel me to return to them, despite finding them sometimes hard to sit through. This one allows the deepest connections with its characters, with less of a distancing effect than the others. The way Antonioni works mood and meaning into the film is remarkable... but again, a little dull at points, too.

Difficult to fully absorb, but at times intensively stimulating.

# 177