La Notte
1961 / 122m - Italy
Drama
2.0*/5.0*
The Night poster

Watches

March 22, 2022

2.0*/5.0*

Not as bad as I expected. I'm not a big Antonioni fan, and the idea of an Italian couple spending the night at a rowdy party didn't sound too appealing. But the film is surprisingly restrained and though the drama itself didn't really do anything for me, there are some memorable moments here.

Lidia and Giovanni are a married couple whose relationship is slowly deteriorating. They promised to attend a party, but when they visit a dying friend beforehand it is clear things are going to spiral out of control. As the evening progresses, the vibe between then becomes increasingly toxic.

I didn't care much for the characters, nor their marital troubles, but Antonioni keeps things pretty subtle (which isn't my experience with classic Italian drama). The black and white cinematography is solid and there are some beautiful shots, the dialogues feel somewhat forced though, and the runtime is a bit excessive. Not the worst though.