- Sadly it’s Antonioni’s last film before his stroke—and although it’s not amongst his best works there’s a lot here
- Apparently Vincent Camby from the Times killed it so much so that it didn’t get a release here
- DP is Carlo Di Palma (Red Desert, Blow-Up)– very good work
- Ambiguities
- Chic parties like La Dolce Vita– but it’s about a director with writer’s block like 8 ½
- In the worst spots it gets very dialogue–y- lots of bemoaning
- The best sequences (fog set piece sequence is a standout)
- focus more on the paranoia—people leering, jealously, fidelity—these are the same obsessions Antonioni has had for 30+ years- using architecture (god the fog is good) as character and metaphor
- Rarely does your pulse get going in a Antonini film but there’s a sequence when he speeds up the car and she’s horrified
- There’s his summer house that is beautiful and it’s literally sinking into the ground “void”- another metaphor— we also end in Venice with the sea
- Very sexualized
- Neons in the mise-en-scene
- Again the character drops- L’Avventura– she disappears and he picks up with the others but this is not like Persona or Bunuel’s (or Lynch for that matter) with the dueling women and identity
- Paced
- Great shot of her looking out of the door and he’s in the window frame
- Some of the dialogue is trying—“it’s the water that’s so sad” and “I feel so impotent”
- I adore the sci-fi ominous ending bringing back the colors that have been formally so well set up—the sound is like from Vangelis (it is not thought probably inspired by- Chariots is 1981 and Blade Runner is 82’)- it’s great— but I hate the execution with the tin foil- it’s a bit embarrassing
- R/HR border leaning HR with another watch
[…] Identification of a Woman – Antonioni […]
I think the whole Christine Boisson(Ida) part could have been cut from this movie. And make this totally focused on the two main protagonists. I would have also liked to have seen more scenes added between the first phone conversation between these two and this scene in front of the window where they suddenly know each other to develop their relationship. Also this phone conversation is a bit unrealistic. Another thing is there is a flashback sequence of the female engaging in life-saving activities(rowing etc.) but this is only used once. More flashbacks like this would be welcome. This is quite similar to the Island escape story in Red Desert. This film is also filled with these gorgeous light blude shade lighting that is pretty spectacular. Even the fog scene is very similar to this colour. Also there is a stunner of a frame again draped in this colour when the Protagonist and Ida kiss in front of their apartment.
Also the chic party definitely reminded me of the party near the end in in Blow-UP where our protagonist struggles to communicate and feel isolated. I thought the actress who played Mavi was surprisingly good here. And pretty much stole the show when she was on screen. Hard to believe she is very little known other than this film. And the idea of the sci-fi ending is superb too. But the execution is not great. Although I loved the dialogue at the end there.