L’eclisse – Eclipse (Michelangelo Antonioni – 1962)

With the spirit of experimentalism Antonioni was known for as exhibited in this film that serves part of his existential trilogy – I figured we could try a new post format today. Interested? Well read on. The following paragraphs will all have two common characteristics: 1) they all answer a simple question; what I liked about the film and 2) they’re all in a tweet bite size (140 characters), so any piece you particularly like, you can easily share on Twitter by simple copy & paste.

Ready? So here we go!

#Eclipse opens up in a long scene with minimal dialogs. Only facial expressions and interplay with objects.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

L'eclisse - Eclipse (Michelangelo Antonioni - 1962)Sea of human greed and shouts coupled with low-tech you’re amazed how this 60’s
Roman stock exchange functioned at all

#Eclipse Rare capture of Rome’s stock exchange. Greed and havoc mixed with 1 minute silence for a passing member.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Vittoria (Monica Vitti) represents past values, looking for true love. Piero (Allan Dellon) – modern greed.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse film shot during period of revolutions students, feminist etc. Antonioni warns against blinded by consumerism.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

L'eclisse - Eclipse (Michelangelo Antonioni - 1962)Riccardo (Francisco Rabal) and Vittoria (Monica Vitti) and EUR’s menacing Fungo in the background

#Eclipse outdoors scenes shot in EUR – an upscale Roman neighborhood Mussolini built in 1935 for 42nd World Fair.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Shooting bottom-up the Fungo, mushroom shaped tower in EUR, symbolizes period menacing Cuban atomic crisis.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse director uses his signature themes of alienation and miscommunication: kissing through glass, ringing phones.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Piero’s car (Lancia Aurelia) same as Roberto in Il Sorpasso drove represent modern world, but with price.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse #MonicaVitti is great as she can portray 12 conflicting facial expressions at one glance. Amazing!http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse funny scene with 3rd flr neighbor that is asked to shoot a balloon Vittoria releases. Quite unreal!http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Vittoria’s mother (Lilla Brignone) represents even such old family institution falls victim to modern avarice.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse Antonioni is director of images not words. His notable #FinalScene is a collage of artificial objects no words.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse #FinalScene vacant streets, outwardly close-ups, clean architectural, shapes, blinding lamp = apocalyptic.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse #FinalScene nature wins: water rivulets, wind turning leaves, and darkening skies.http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

#Eclipse with this hot tweet-size format are we fulfilling Antonioni’s prophecy of over communicating and not at all?http://bit.ly/gnwM0o

By Shlomi Ron

Visual marketing guy with a penchant for fine Italian cinema.

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