Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Avventura (1960) — Movie Discussion

One of modern cinema’s trailblazing works, L’Avventura (The Adventure) was famously booed then fêted at Cannes, winning the Special Jury Prize ​“for seeking to create a new film language.” Antonioni’s ​“adventure” has a yachting party of wealthy Italians landing on a deserted island, where Anna (Lea Massari) mysteriously disappears after quarrelling with her fiancé Sandro (Gabriele Ferzetti). Sandro and Anna’s friend Claudia (Monica Vitti, in her most iconic role) then spend the rest of the film looking for her — and falling for each other. Reimagining the use of cinematic time and space to impart psychology and metaphysics, Antonioni’s controversial international sensation is a gorgeously shot tale of existential ennui and spiritual malaise.

“Changed my perception of cinema and the world around me… L’Avventura gave me one of the most profound shocks I have ever had at the movies.” (Martin Scorsese)

"A melancholy moral desert." (Roger Ebert)

"As Antonioni’s handsome characters wander through desolate vacation sites, they all seem to be thinking about what to do next — but no one takes action." (MoMA)

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Let's discuss one of the most controversial classics of cinema L’Avventura (1960) directed and written by the Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni, recently voted the 38th greatest movie of all time in Sight & Sound's international survey of filmmakers, and the 72nd greatest movie of all time in the related poll of film critics and experts. We have previously discussed Antonioni's 1975 movie The Passenger in this group.

Please watch the movie in advance and bring your thoughts, reactions, and queries to share with us at the meeting.

You can stream it here (check the player settings for English subtitles) or rent it on various platforms online.

A trailer.

Check out other movie discussions in the group every Friday and occasionally other days.