Antonioni's first Italian film in nearly two decades (he did, however, shoot THE MYSTERY AT OBERWALD for video in 1979), offers his familiar treatment of the relationship between a man and a woman--or, in this case, a man and two women. Milian is a middle-aged film director (not unlike
Antonioni) who gets involved with Silverio, an upper-class woman. He receives anonymous threats to terminate the relationship, which he ignores. Before long, Silverio moves away without telling Milian. He then starts seeing avant-garde stage actress Boisson, but this relationship also ends after
she informs him that she is pregnant by another man.
This is a respectable return by Antonioni to familiar thematic ground--the impossibility of maintaining relationships in the contemporary world--helped by a fine ironic underpinning and smoothly assured visuals. leave a comment
