The Lady Without Camelias – 1953 Antonioni

An impressive achievement from Antonioni
A long take opening lingering on Lucia Bosé through the credits along the street
Remarkable early scene that has the trademarks of Antonioni’s trademark mise-en-scene—a kiss on a bed, camera glides in and the image becomes a mural
Not just the opening- long takes throughout

Mise-en-scene detail- nothing is mistaken or accidental, flowers, Christ figures, some may balk at it being too on the nose but I love it (and he doesn’t dwell on it) but there’s an actual spider above the bed in a web- wow

Antonioni mostly, just decides not to cut, shows five people in the frame at once and different depth plane levels—or he’ll move and reframe—there’s a shot later where he reframes four times (much like Renoir)
He tackles film and the nihilistic world of the industry here- in the actual text he says “with neo-realism they film everywhere”
There’s an entire scene and debate in front of a gorgeous tapestry as they fight about her career in front of her (spider web, behind bars)

In the text they tackle Joan of Arc– they actually mention Ingrid Bergman (though not in relation to this) and at this time the narrative becomes somewhat meta—of course Rossellini (like a character here) directed his wife Bergman, she plaid Joan of Arc (in 1948) though not for Minnelli (it was Victor Fleming I believe)—they mention “Lido” or Venice as film festival
About the social upper class and wealthy like all of his works except for Il Grido
Shows her behind fences/bars again and again

Shot of Bosé reacting in the foreground to her lover calling—and there are two men talking about her husband’s suicide attempt walking downstairs in the background- gorgeous sequence
Another one with her on the phone in foreground- three layers behind her at different depths
Minor characters becoming major and vice versa is an Antonioni trademark
Two people walking together- adultery
Another nice shot- an entire conversation filmed form the back seat of a car showing only the back of heads in one take
Flowers in almost every scene
A devastating finale. She’s lost- selling out and without answers. Her Ex-husband in background looking on with ambiguity