Biography of Michelangelo Antonioni

Social conscience, immortalized September 29, 1912
July 30, 2007

Who is Michelangelo Antonioni?


A contemporary of many neo-realist filmmakers (Luchino Visconti, to name one) Michelangelo Antonioni was born in Ferrara on September 29, 1912. Arrive at the cinema after a long and meaningful experiences in the years ' 50 and more than others so it is to be witness to the passing from one era to another. At her school have reported important directors such as Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Wim Wenders.

Antonioni, often referred to as bourgeois Director and author of crisis, having collaborated on the screenplay of "Un pilota ritorna" (1942) by Rossellini and worked as Assistant Director to Marcel Carné, directs "Gente del Po" (1943-1947) his first documentary. His debut feature film is "Cronaca di un amore" of 1950, acute crisis analysis of torque. Follow, among others, "La signora senza camelie (1952) and" Le amiche "(1955), distressed reading the beautiful story" Among women "by Cesare Pavese.

In his early work clearly outlines the key features of the work of Director: the difficulties in establishing interpersonal relationships from real, elusiveness, the disorientation of the individual struggling with a cold and little human society.

His research addresses issues that need a cinematic language capable of expressing the times and spaces of human psychology.

The break with the neo-realism can be seen in "the cry" (1954), which moves from the bourgeois to the proletarian environment the themes of existential malaise, electing to a worker who died in the suicide conclusion of a long love affair.

The road taken from Antonioni is to focus on the characters, to talk about their behaviors rather than the facts. From the analysis of these behaviors Director comes to the critique of society, and through the conflicts of the characters describes the environment in which bourgeois aseptic move. Antonioni focuses on changes in social reality, trying to understand its complexity, tension and developments.

From here the path of Michelangelo Antonioni proceeds sent on a renewal, and content is linguistic: "l'avventura" (1960), "La notte" (1961), "l'eclisse" (1962), "red desert" (1964), the Central female characters stories marked by loss and dismay. Sometimes the dialogues collapse in ridicule, the famous "hair ache", pronounced by Monica Vitti in the last mentioned title. At this stage of his career, Antonioni's research becomes more pessimistic. The behavior of the characters becomes a cool Act, less and less human expression "to understand".

In 1967 he moved to England to film "blow-up", then it was the turn of "Zabriskie Point" (1969), where highlights a civilization dominated by consumerism and repression, destined to self-destruct. The film was opposed by many, but that doesn't prevent her from Antonioni's path, which sought to put his characters in contemporary reality, observed as possible in different contexts. With these intentions was conceived "Chung kuo, Cina" (1972), a trip-over 4 hours-across China by Mao Zedong, and "Profession reporter" (1974, with Jack Nicholson), careful consideration on relations between the West and the third world, whose conclusion themselves signs of ancient craftsmanship.

His latest efforts were "beyond the clouds" of 1994 (with Kim Rossi Stuart and Ines Sastre, Sophie Marceau), directed with Wim Wenders, and "Eros" (2004), divided into three chapters directed by Antonioni, Wong Kar-Wai and Steven Soderbergh.

He died at the age of 95 in his home of Ferrara on July 30, 2007-the same day that died also another great Director, Ingmar Bergman.

Today the revised Michelangelo Antonioni film can still look modern and innovative, also taking a few pictures, but for other aspects may appear dated, as devoid of heirs who have managed to develop his lecture.