La Notte

1961

2h 2m

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

718

YOUR RATING

Rate

POPULARITY

Play trailer

8 Videos

93 Images

Drama

Romance

A day in the life of an unfaithful married couple and their steadily deteriorating relationship in Milan.

Directors

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers

Ennio Flaiano(story by)

Tonino Guerra(screenplay by)

Tonino Guerra(story by)

Stars

Marcello Mastroianni

Jeanne Moreau

Monica Vitti

See production, box office & company info

Top cast

Giovanni Pontano

Lidia

Valentina Gherardini

Tommaso Garani

Rosy

Un'invitata

Fanti

Mr. Gherardini

Cesarino

Signora Gherardini

Roberto

Beatrice

Man at the Party (uncredited)

Directors

Michelangelo Antonioni

Writers

Ennio Flaiano(story by)

Tonino Guerra(screenplay by)

Tonino Guerra(story by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

I have always thought Jeanne Moreau to be one of the most striking of actresses. He expressions with her smile and her eyes would have made her a fantastic silent film star. Here she portrays "Lidia", married to "Giovanni" (an equally potent Marcello Mastroianni), with whom she has a pretty open relationship in what is a rapidly deteriorating marriage. It's only after they visit a terminally ill friend "Garani" (Bernhard Wicki) that she becomes distraught, leaves the hospital and her thoughts start to focus a little. She visits the home of her youth, he goes to a party to celebrate the release of his latest tome then they both end up at a lavish soirée where they are as if independent of each other - both pretty shamelessly flirting with other, younger, people whilst maintaining just about enough of a façade to remember that this is all about business. Michelangelo Antonioni has created the ultimately crafted fly-on-the-wall film, here. The photography is intimate, almost invasive, at times as we watch these two people heading on a crash course to marital oblivion taking a great deal of themselves with them too. Though at times outwardly superficial, the characterisations are actually quite complex and both play with a subtle, nuanced charisma that compliments the more obvious symptoms of their declining interest in each other. What also adds a richness to this is a distinct paucity of dialogue. Giorgio Gaslini has provided us with a score that allows the photography to tell us great swathes of the story using imagery only - the lack of needless conversation between the characters helps it to showcase the ostentatiousness of their ball or the use of the Milanese city-scape in the darkness illuminated only by the occassional street-light - and that frequently creates a compelling atmosphere as sterile and barren as is their failing partnership. By the end, we know that something has to give, but what might that be? For two hours it just flies by. It's Golden Bear was well won.

Geronimo196706 Sep, 2022