L’Avventura

Movie Information

Classic World Cinema by Courtyard Gallery will present L'Avventura at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, at Phil Mechanic Studios, 109 Roberts St., River Arts District (upstairs in the Railroad Library). Info: 273-3332, www.ashevillecourtyard.com
Score:

Genre: Drama
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Starring: Gabriele Ferzetti, Monica Vitti, Lea Massari, Dominique Blanchar
Rated: NR

When this ran in 2007, I wrote: “The four-star rating I’ve afforded Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Avventura (1960) is born of a desire to approach the film as objectively as possible. Objectively, this is an important film—maybe even close to a great film. The rich, detailed, deep-focus black-and-white images that make up the film are so striking that they alone make the movie worth the price of a ticket. I understand, too, the fuss that greeted this movie in 1960. The film’s daring choice to present a mystery that has no solution—the disappearance of a socially prominent young woman (Lea Massari) going through a bout of cosmic malaise on a deserted island during a posh boating trip—was just arty enough to capture the imagination. … However, from a completely subjective point of view, the movie—like most Antonioni—never engaged my emotions and frequently bored me. Still, I can’t deny the quality of the film, and I’d never suggest it shouldn’t be seen.” For the full review go to: www.mountainx.com/movies/review/lavventura

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About Ken Hanke
Head film critic for Mountain Xpress from December 2000 until his death in June 2016. Author of books "Ken Russell's Films," "Charlie Chan at the Movies," "A Critical Guide to Horror Film Series," "Tim Burton: An Unauthorized Biography of the Filmmaker."

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