From director Michelangelo Antonioni (L'Avventura, Blowup), this film listed in the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die sounded interesting enough, I obviously had no idea about the concept or what it would be about, in a way that was a good thing, I like to surprised. Basically the tale sees Vittoria (Monica Vitti) having an imperfect relationship with staunch intellectual Riccardo (Francisco Rabal) and suffering a breakup, and soon after attracting romantic feelings from stockbroker Piero (Alain Delon). She eventually gives in to her feelings for him as well and they begin a careful but uncertain love affair, her new man may not be intellectual but he is free of any complications, and he feels this is the same for her. But inner fears befall Vittoria and Piero, this draws them apart and any attempted expression of trying to recover the relationship just causes more problems and go against it lasting, it mainly comes from the lack of communication and long periods of silence. Also starring Lilla Brignone as Vittoria's Mother, Louis Seigner as Ercoli, Rossana Rory as Anita and Mirella Ricciardi as Marta. The acting is as good as you could expect, the direction is certainly well done as the plot flows in a different kind of way, I will confess that the story is confusing and it almost seems like there isn't one at all, but this is I suppose a draw because it relies on the silences to punctuate that sometimes couples cannot communicate at all with each other, so while it was slightly long and a little bleak it is a watchable alternative romantic drama. Good!
Review of L'Eclisse
