L'eclisse (1962)

 Michelangelo Antonioni's "L'eclisse"

After watching Michelangelo Antonioni's 1962 film "L'eclisse," I think it's safe to say that Antonioni is one of my all-time favorite directors. From what I understand, Antonioni can be considered a controversial director, as many consider his film 'too pretentious' or 'self-indulgent.' But while others choose to see the visual poetry of Antonioni as too frustrating to equate to something existential or artistic, I find it to be a totally elevated form of cinema, something worth reaching for even in our contemporary times. 

The film centers on a young woman named Vittoria, who begins the film breaking up with her longtime partner Riccardo. After the breakup, Vittoria begins to fall in love with Piero, a young stockbroker who assists Vittoria's mother with stocks. Vittorio is unsure if she wants the relationship with Piero, and the two remain playfully entangled. 

I think one of the reasons why people can't seem to really connect with the works of Antonioni is that Antonioni's works seem to meditate on disengagement all together. Antonioni's films, including "L'eclisse" seem to unravel in terms of plot as the film progresses. The longer the film progresses, the more Antonioni seems to meander. This meandering seems to have effects on audiences, as they begin to feel frustrated by what they're watching. But what Antonioni is doing is intentional. He wants you to feel the same sense of restless frustration as the characters, who are living boring and meandering lives. What Antonioni is able to communicate with his films is the modern malaise, the contemporary sentiments of isolation and existential meaninglessness. 

On top of this, Antonioni is very intentional about his framing. After all, Antonioni is also a painter. So, every single frame is created with a visual framing intention. I have found Antonioni films to be some of the most visually stunning films I've ever seen. 

I feel as though there can be so much discussed about "L'eclisse." There is so much I could personally say about, there's so much discussed about it already, and so much left to discuss about it. However, I am running short on time in this review and my brief assessment doesn't feel like much to chew on. However, "L'eclisse" is more than enough to chew on for any cinephile and it contains utter multitudes. It is perhaps one of the finest films I've ever seen in my lifetime.