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Film: Le amiche
Release date: 21st March 2011
Certificate: PG
Running time: 104 mins
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Starring: Eleanora Rossi-Drago, Gabriele Ferzetti, Franco Fabrizi, Valentina Cortese, Yvonne Furneaux
Genre: Drama/Romance
Studio: Eureka!
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
World renowned filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni will forever be remembered for his masterpieces of the 1960s, most notably L’Avventura and Blow-Up, among others. Before then, the 1950s saw Antonioni developing his style and moving away from neo-realism. An example of this period is Le amiche (1955), an adaptation of the 1949 novella Tra Donne Sole by Cesare Pavese. The result is both moving and alluring.
The film centres on Clelia, who has moved to Turin from Rome to manage a dressmaking store. Through chance, she becomes involved with a group of rich women after finding one of them, Rosetta, in a neighbouring hotel room attempting suicide. Friendship blossoms between Clelia and the women, including Momina (separated from her husband), Nene (a talented artist, engaged but unhappy) and Mariella (flirty and fun-loving).
We follow the ladies, first as they investigate the reasons for Rosetta’s attempted suicide, and then as they all struggle with their relationships, marriages, affairs and unrequited love…
Though Le amiche (The Girlfriends) follows the (mis)fortunes of five women, it would be a mistake to think of it as feminist cinema. Antonioni masterfully portrays a period in the lives of these women, and the struggles they face with their relationships (or lack thereof), but at no point does a male audience feel alienated. It’s true that it is the female characters in Le amiche that are truly three dimensional and the men could be interchangeable, but it feels as though this is intentional, and it doesn’t make the drama any less compelling.
The girlfriends of the title are all superbly cast, perfectly drawn characters. Clelia is as confident in her career as she is unsure about love, particularly with the working class Carlo. Momina devours every scene she is in with her cynicism, wit and masked insecurity. Nene is vulnerable but talented, eclipsing her husband-to-be. Rosetta is weak and naive, and possibly manipulative. Mariella is beautiful and fun loving and despises boredom. Each of them adds layers to the unfolding drama, and their similarities and differences are perfectly portrayed by a truly excellent cast.
The men in the film are portrayed almost as archetypes, each one weak in his own way, and never fully developed as a character, but played to perfection. The notable male roles are the alpha-male Cesare, architect for Clelia’s dressmaking store; Carlo, the working class assistant; and Lorenz, an artist who doesn’t know who he loves, which has tragic consequences.
This mix of archetype and fully rounded characters makes for some truly compelling drama, and they all seem to dance with their dialogue, offering some wonderful on-screen chemistry and tense exchanges.
Character driven as Le amiche may be, Antonioni is still a tangible presence behind the camera. It is as elegant a film as you’re likely to see, with long takes allowing the interaction between characters to flow and draw us in, as the camera moves almost imperceptibly around the scene, giving the whole film a casual pace. The movements of the characters themselves are very deliberate and never does any one character eclipse another during a scene, with subtle shifts and changes of position occurring almost without being noticed. Every shot is very densely populated, either by people or scenery - whether it is a social gathering, an art studio or simply two people in a room, there is plenty to look at with each shot lovingly framed so the characters are not drowned out by the crowded background. The opening titles, appearing over a slow pan of the whole of Turin, are beautifully contrasted with the final, bare and empty shot of a train leaving for Rome. It’s easy to see Antonioni is in the early stages of his career, and developing his style with moments like this.
That said, the subtle camera work and dialogue-heavy scenes do not always make for a very cinematic film. There are times that one can imagine the drama unfolding on a stage, so reliant is the film on dialogue rather than cinematic technique to drive things forward. It is only a minor complaint, however, as Antonioni affectionately handles each character, and allows the drama to unfold in such a way that we follow them all without really missing any groundbreaking behind-the-camera flair or any moments of breathtaking visuals. With Le amiche, what we can see is a truly unique talent in development, and to watch the film after his later works, such as Blow-Up, is a very interesting experience.
Le amiche is a rich and enthralling drama which deals with relationships and the problems faced by very ordinary people, where class and background are as much an issue as whether or not two people are truly in love. Clelia and Carlo’s story is one that is never portrayed as tragic, merely a consequence of the fact they come from different social backgrounds. While this is still relevant today, albeit far less of an issue, there are some themes and moments in the film that definitely feel a little old fashioned, particularly Momina’s declaration that any woman who outshines their man is a “wretch.” This is not so much a complaint as an observation that Le amiche does not stand up to the test of time in the way other Antonioni films have, and neither is it a perfectly captured period piece, which holds the film back from being a classic in the same way we think of Blow-Up and L’Avventura as classics. It is a great film nonetheless, and deserves attention from anyone who wishes to know more about this influential director.
The casual pace and the lack of any truly distinctive flair make Le amiche a bit of a strain, at times, but the excellent performances, superb script and Antonioni’s masterful handling of the drama make for a beautiful and moving statement on relationships. For fans of Antonioni’s later work, it’s definitely worth watching to see where he started. For those who have never seen an Antonioni film, start here and work forwards. You won’t regret it. RM
Film: La signora senza camelie
Release date: 21st March 2011
Certificate: PG
Running time: 105 mins
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Starring: Lucia Bosé, Gino Cervi, Andrea Checchi, Ivan Desny, Monica Clay
Genre: Drama
Studio: Eureka!
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy/France
Having already released two of Michelangelo Antonioni’s films onto DVD, Il Grido (1957) and La Notte (1961), the Masters of Cinema series has now endeavoured to showcase his earlier works, including 1953’s La signora senza camelie. Long before the days of Oscar nominations and Jack Nicholson, Antonioni was busy building a career by making films about women thrust into social circles that they aren’t familiar with. This is particularly true of La signora senza camelie, which follows the career of a shopgirl-turned-actress propelled into the enticing new world of Rome’s Cinecitta film studios.
Shop Assistant Clara Manni (Bosé) has been handpicked by movie executive Gianni (Checchi) for his new film, ‘Woman Without Destiny’. When test screenings reveal that the public are enamoured with Clara, but less enthusiastic about Destiny itself, producer Ercole sees an opportunity to take advantage of his actress’ shapely presence and spice the film up a bit, with less attention to detail and more overt displays of passion.
Clara becomes compromised when she marries Gianni, who subsequently gets jealous at how provocative the marketing for her film is, and categorically states that he doesn’t want her involved with it anymore. She reluctantly agrees, and after requesting a more serious avenue of filmmaking, they set about on a new version of the daunting trial of Joan of Arc, with Gianni in the director’s chair. Suffice to say, the film fares terribly when premiered at the Venice Film Festival, and with both their reputations in tatters, Clara is forced to evaluate their marriage and the career that she has embarked upon…
La signora senza camelie actually begins as a more brisk, satirical jibe at the movie business in its opening act, as the producer commands his bewildered director to change the feel of the film with very little regard to authenticity. A year after Hollywood’s own insular critique, The Bad And The Beautiful, it is as scathing a depiction of art versus commerce – if much more comic and resigned about the whole enterprise. Filmmaking is promoted as a fun but altogether shallow experience, defined by money, jealousy, and other trivial external factors that have nothing to do with artistry. If nothing else, Antonioni feels contemptuous of this brand of cinema – a suggestion to film on location is lambasted despite neo-realist cinema being presented as an example of how it can work – and La signora senza camelie represents a commentary on the regressive and opportunistic nature of the film world.
The opening shot of the film stalks Clara as she tentatively waits outside a test screening of the film for a general reaction, unsure of herself, questioning whether this is the right path for her. We feel her pressure and her uncertainty even at this early stage, weighing up the situation as if to say: can things really be this easy? It’s remarkable how Antonioni evokes an era in order to expose the emotional solitude of his characters; whether that takes the form of the espionage revival of the 1970s, the voyeuristic sexuality of the ‘60s, or the cosmopolitan distraction of the ‘50s. He’s so in touch with how these worlds can engulf and impress upon people, create a faux sense of belonging, and cajole them into giving too much of themselves.
Nicknamed La Manni, Carla’s newfound fame turns the heads of many men, but particularly Nardo, who comforts her after Joan of Arc is trashed by Venice critics. Although key in Carla’s grand journey of discovery, her romance with Nardo represents the dullest portion of the film – largely because there’s very little chemistry between them, and partly because it feels so far removed from the rest. This section of La signora senza camelie is more attuned to the feel of later Antonioni films, but doesn’t really sit well amidst the more biographical elements. This is not a compact narrative by any means. But while it lulls somewhat, there’s always a lingering curiosity towards Carla; why she’s acting so recklessly different to her earlier, studious outlook on romance. Bosé charts Carla’s self-awareness deceptively astutely through the film’s second half, to the extent where the more sudden, bleaker realisations of the character feel like a natural culmination of where this woman has been heading.
The resounding success of La signora senza camelie is in the impact of its heroine’s Ophulsian arc, and Antonioni, in his ability to show how the movie business uses people, colours their sense of self-worth, and exploits their aesthetic qualities to pigeon-hole them into archetypal signifiers. Antonioni has made a film that’s largely understated yet remarkably effective. Joan of Arc may be used as an example of a legacy leagues ahead of the fickle talent in this filmmaking world, but the final shot of La signora senza camelie is one that almost references the Maid Of New Orleans in its harrowing indictment of male regulation of the female form. It’s hard out there for an actress. CR
Clelia (Eleonora Rossi-Drago) embarks from Rome to set up a fashion-salon in Torino. Shortly after arrival, she finds herself caught up in the (melo)dramas of a bourgeoise circle of acquaintances (including the iconic Valentina Cortese), and their attendant attempts at suicide, their class prejudices, and the romantic alliances that threaten to transform the social clique into an emotional tar-pit.
Le amiche represents the epitome of Antonioni's '50s period, and although it lays the groundwork for such '60s breakthroughs as L'avventura and La notte, it proves itself no less brilliant.
The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present this stunning '50s masterpiece by famous Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni (L'avventura, La notte, Blowup, Zabriskie Point). Released for the first time ever in the UK on home video.
This new Dual Format Edition (DVD & Blu-ray) features a beautiful new transfer of the film in its recent restoration by Cineteca di Bologna, L'Immagine Ritrovata, and Martin Scorsese's Film Foundation, in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio, and presented in a 1080p AVC encode on the Blu-ray. The package includes a lengthy booklet containing newly translated critical pieces about the film, excerpts of interviews with Antonioni, and more!
Film: Le amiche
Release date: 21st March 2011
Certificate: PG
Running time: 104 mins
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Starring: Eleanora Rossi-Drago, Gabriele Ferzetti, Franco Fabrizi, Valentina Cortese, Yvonne Furneaux
Genre: Drama/Romance
Studio: Eureka!
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
DVD Special Features:
•
A new and exclusive video introduction to the film with critic and teacher Gabe Klinger
•
A new and exclusive video featuring Gabe Klinger discussing the arc of Antonioni's entire career
It's the story of a shop clerk named Clara (played by the captivating Lucia Bosé, also of Antonioni's brilliant debut feature, Cronaca di un amore) who finds a chance casting in a small movie role develop into a full-blown career as screen-siren. Tension erupts when her husband can no longer tolerate watching her frivolous cinema escapades, and pushes her into a "serious, artistic" production of the life of Joan of Arc... whereupon she is castigated by the critical establishment.
A riveting 'behind-the-scenes' show-business drama, La signora senza camelie explores themes that would haunt its director from L'avventura through La notte and The Passenger - the tenuous hold of an individual on her identity, and the dangers inherent to performance, in life and on-screen.
Eureka’s The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Antonioni's masterful, highly personal La signora senza camelie in a Dual Format Edition (DVD & Blu-ray). This release has a beautiful new transfer of the film in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio, presented in a 1080p AVC encode on the Blu-ray, and is packaged with a lengthy booklet containing newly translated critical pieces about the film, excerpts of interviews with Antonioni, and a lengthy debate between Antonioni and critic Luigi Chiarini on the subject of the film.
Film: La signora senza camelie
Release date: 21st March 2011
Certificate: PG
Running time: 105 mins
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Starring: Lucia Bosé, Gino Cervi, Andrea Checchi, Ivan Desny, Monica Clay
Genre: Drama
Studio: Eureka!
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy/France
DVD Special Features:
•
A new and exclusive video introduction to the film with critic and teacher Gabe Klinger
•
A new and exclusive video featuring Gabe Klinger discussing Antonioni in the context of the Italian production system of the 1950s
The Barbican Theatre, London is presenting a focus on three films by Italian modernist director Michelangelo Antonioni between Saturday, 5th and Sunday, 20th February 2011.
The themes of all three films concern the alienation of man in the modern world, and their stylistic similarities demonstrate a radical style of filmmaking, which challenged conventional forms of narrative cinema in the early 1960s.
L’avventura
Antonioni’s first international success, L’avventura proved popular with audiences around the world. A wealthy Italian woman goes missing on a yachting trip to a deserted Mediterranean island, and while her boyfriend and best friend search for her, they fall in love.
La Notte
Following his breakthrough success in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, Marcello Mastroianni plays a sophisticated Milan-based author, and Jeanne Moreau his wife, in this tale of a middle-aged couple whose relationship is suffering a crisis of apathy. La Notte, which follows them through a day and a night in the glamorous post-war city, won the Golden Bear at Berlin.
L’eclisse
Winner of the Special Jury Prize at Cannes in 1962, L’eclisse is the most aesthetically daring of Antonioni’s work of the early 1960s. It centres on Vittoria (Monica Vitti), who leaves her lover to begin an affair with Piero (Alain Delon). In this subtle and artistic film, it is not so much the action that counts, as the events and non-events with which it is interspersed.
More information on these films, as well as screening dates/times, can be founded by clicking here.
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