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Displaying wall posts 1 - 30 of 59 in total
ramosbarajas
25Jan13
An interesting mix experimentalism and existentialism. I think of it as a companion piece to Solaris and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even though it takes place in Italy and not in space, it's definitely an alien environment, filled with industrial noises and mysteries. The production design and the cinematography are very good. I need a second viewing to decide if I like the story, but overall, I liked its effect.
Gylfi
30Dec12
A masterpiece, plain and simple. The use of colour is fantastic here, expressing feelings of alienation, sadness and hope. Antonioni's first colour film is even more striking then Fellini's Juliet of the Spirits. I recommend seeing Godard's 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her soon after watching this, both are great films about women trying to adjust to modern life with all the constructions and noises of the city.
Rita Nobre and 2 others like this
KublaKhan
14Sep12
L'innocenza e la sensibilità, la natura e il colore, elementi vitali distrutti e espulsi come il fumo dalle ciminiere! Il petrolio vince sull'immortalità del mare, rapporti promiscui distruggono l'armonia dell'amicizia, unica difesa: la follia! Cosa è il deserto quindi per Antonioni? Forse la libertà utopica derivante dalla fantasia di Giuliana o il paesaggio industriale che ha spazzato via ogni forma di vita?
d sparky
25Aug12
The colours here really are amazing—they definitely jump out at you in a unique way—and the sound design is another highlight. The film is another tough nut to crack, but its themes still resonate today. Thus far, I've really enjoyed what I've seen of Antonioni, although his films aren't something you can just pop into the BluRay player when you're bored. Serious art for serious people, perhaps?
Omer Syed likes this
Sneerwell
18Aug12
Mesmerizing picture of people's loneliness and eternal yearning for love and understanding. A great ending for the "uncommunicativeness" pentalogy.
Cbarky99
14Jul12
Brutal and beautiful. Am I crazy though, or is Richard Harris in this channeling some kind of mid-50's Brando energy? (or at least some mid-50's Brando eyebrows)
menencorio likes this
GaffordKINO
8Jun12
Antonioni's film delivers an experience like one would have after looking at a master painting for an extended period of time. So much ground is covered within 117 minutes. From his normal themes of spiritual insecurity to the images of human progress and manmade "forests," if you will. Red Desert is a feast for the eyes and trip into the emotions of two characters, yearning to find the answers to their problems.
Michael Harbour
31Mar12
That's two hours that could have been better utilized. An Eric Rohmer movie about people talking can be interesting. A Mike Leigh movie about people talking can be absorbing. Michelangelo Antonioni's "Red Desert" is only of interest when the actors shut up and we can enjoy some good industrial cinematography.
Langston Young likes this
DT
11Mar12
The narrative is typically introspective but there are several sides to this that make it especially engaging: the piercing industrial soundscape, the grey concrete and chemical wasteland which engulfs the characters’ lives, and the overall sense of alienation which is subsequently captured so clearly, with Monica Vitti’s bubbling psychosis personifying this in a subtle tour-de-force. A strangely sensual and sensuous experience, which I’m surprised so many here reacted poorly to - I’d say it’s actually one of Antonioni’s more immediately satisfying films.
mannequinlegs and 2 others like this
Franz Walsch
17Feb12
i think this film is one that needs a few watches to take it in completely, my first viewing oscillated between being completely enthralled at times and feeling ambivalent at others.
Slow Immersion likes this
Matt Keane
16Feb12
Incredible composition and colour. No discernible plot or character development. As exciting as watching a beautiful painting dry. I didn't care about any of the characters, particularly the self-pitying Vitti. Pretentious doesn't even begin to cover it. Strictly for film students only.
Francisco R.
20Dec11
Red Desert picks up where Antionioni's informal trilogy left off, the aftermath in the life of a socially disoriented woman who hits rock bottom. A story that follows an anarchic, almost impenetrable series of events desperately trying to find some sense in a world of quiet madness.
Leah Giblin
12Sep11
a haiku for RED DESERT: new world nature hums, mist and color overtake, a gorgeous breakdown
Mark Johns
10Aug11
Visually stunning surreal psychological drama set in post-war industrial Italy. Brilliant use of color to create a metaphor for the main character's sense of isolation.
Ace Craven
30Jul11
The most visually stunning film I have yet to see. Every frame is worth printing, framing and hanging on the wall. BEAUTIFUL. Told at a distance, ethereal and foggy. The 'stacks & tracks' MASTERPIECE. A slow dive into sickness. My only complaints are the non-vibrant characters and pauses between dialogue drive -which of course are also two things that make the film work in many ways. Steady beats -not loud ones.
mannequinlegs and 2 others like this
E AP
18Jul11
To claim that Red Desert is predominantly about any 'landscape' other than Giuliana's own mental landscape is a disservice; Giuliana is the "red desert," we are traversing her passionate, yet ultimately barren existence.
Max Slobodin and Товарищ Петя. like this
Waterloo Sunset and The Kid like this
Zachary George Najarian-Najafi
28Jun11
One of the most anxiety riddled films I've seen. It was like walking through my own mind. It made me nervous just sitting there and watching it. I love films that can do that to me. This is also one of the most visually beautiful films I've seen. God, Antonioni, you knock me out. Why did you never make another film like this?