Published by Shlomi Ron on 18 Jun 2007 at 04:21 am
The Girlfriends – Le Amiche (Michelangelo Antonioni - 1955)
Do you see your friends as sources of support or anxiety?
More often than not, friendships provide us with mirrors through which we can interpret and validate our reality. In this film, Michelangelo Antonioni explores the intricate, at times fragile relationships between four women in Turin. The story is based on a 1949 article published in La Bella Estate (”Tre Donne Sole” by Cesare Pavese), and effectively delivers a classic masterpiece that informs Antonioni’s future works, especially Il Grido and L’avventura.
This psychological drama, loaded with ten characters, long dialogs placed against the backdrop of Turin’s rainy streets - tells the story of Cleila (Eleonora Rossi Drago) that comes from Rome to her hometown Turin to start a fashion salon. Next door in her hotel room, Rosetta (Madeleine Fischer) tries to commit suicide and this way draws Cleila into her life and circle of friends.
Antonioni’s has a keen eye for creating what I call accurate reality chunks that do not put actors front and center, but as guests in a living and breathing reality comprised of sub-plots and various other objects that take precedence. For example, the luncheon scene with Cleila and Carlo starts with unrelated patron that complains about his pasta. This independent sub-plot has no direct relevance to the plot, other than to create a richer picture of the place and people. Exquisite!
In this context, the score by Giovanni Fusco delivers a delicate and minimalistic rhythm that brings the friendships stories into a higher level, where it’s easy to identify with and appreciate the human drama.
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Dan Harper on 13 Aug 2007 at 3:43 am #
I read in an essay by Stanley Edgar Hyman that Antonioni was asked by an interviewer what advantage he thought he had over the author of the story, Cesare Pavese (who had committed suicide in 1950). Antonioni answered simply: “I’m alive!” Antonioni would develop formally but not thematically after this film, which I agree is his first (and most overlooked) masterpiece. But I have to remind myself that he was 43 when the film was released - not exactly a foundling artist.
Story of a Love Affair - Cronaca di un amore (Michelangelo Antonioni - 1950) « Pellicola - window to fine italian cinema on 31 Aug 2007 at 11:28 am #
[...] Antonioni’s future films such as The Girlfriends (1955) and L’avventura (1960), the story examines the intricacies of Italy’s upper social class. Paola [...]