Don’t start with a film just because it’s “accessible”, whatever that means.
Antonioni’s style and thematic concerns definitely change over his career and most of his pre-60s films are heavily influenced by the Italian neorealist style. I recommend either Il Grido or L’avventura as they both establish his conception of time and how the characters move within the world.
I definitely do not recommend watching Eros first; probably last.
And just as a note, if you are going to watch The Passenger, I suggest watching Zabriskie Point before, even if it does have a “bad reputation.”
Eros is actually a really great place to start since he only has a short piece in that one. After that, I would say Blow Up and if you dig that one as well, then just pick up any other of his films.
His segment of Eros is likely the worst thing Antonioni ever made, but of course it can be excused regarding the conditions under which he made it. I would argue though that one wouldn’t be keen on further exploring his filmography after starting with that piece. If you want to start with an Antonioni short film, then make it People of the Po Valley which is his very first work, but definitely not his horrible Eros segment.
I’m really sorry to say this, but to be perfectly and brutally honest, his segment on Eros is only good for masturbating to it. Yes, it’s that bad from an artistic perspective, and yes, there are lots of hot naked girls jumping up and down in it.
what’s his 80’s work like?
my favs are La Notte and Red Desert. I agree with Polaris that Passenger is difficult to follow if you know nothing of Antonioni, but so is L’Aventure.
I agree, the Eros compendium itself, not just Antonioni’s segment, is really not worth it.
—PolarisDiB
I’m still puzzled by the amount of hate Eros gets on this site. I don’t really see anything wrong with it at all. And honestly, I didn’t find Antonioni’s segment that far removed from L’Avventura, only it was in color and had more nudity. The tone and feel of it felt strikingly similar and that is why I liked it.
Personally, I think L’Eclisse, La Notte, L’Avventura, or Red Desert are good starting points. Those are some of his most well known, but they are my personal favorites.
I also enjoyed The Passenger, Il Grido, Blow Up, and Zabriskie Point (yes, I like this one). That’s all I’ve seen by Antonioni so far, so I can’t comment on the others. I plan to check out Le Amiche soon.
I haven’t seen any of Antonioni’s films after the late 70’s. I’ve never heard great reports about them, so not in a rush to see. I will get around to them eventually though.
As it stands, i can’t say i liked what i saw of his pre-Il Grido work.
Blowup is probably the most accessible. If you still don’t “get” it, watch it again with the Peter Brunette commentary on.
Antonioni is a filmmaker who benefits from multiple viewings anyway. The first time I watched L’Avventura I thought it was one of the most pretentious and boring films I had ever seen. The second time, I started to get it. The third time, it moved me in ways I hadn’t been moved by cinema before.
@ROBERT W. PEABODY III – “Blow-up”? Obscure?!? In what sense? It’s an Oscar-nominated film and it’s often been parodied and cited in mainstream pop culture (“Austin Powers”, anyone?) I wouldn’t call that obscure.
doublepost
Blow Up is one of his more obscure films – I GUESS people like it because it depicts hipsters and they get a warm/fuzzy from that alone.
Is that what it is about? Hipsters?Austin Powers?
99.99% of those viewing had no idea what Blow Up was about – for them it is
dark, vague, enigmatic, cryptic, ambiguous, equivocal, not clearly understandable.
In a word, obscure.
dp
Irvin Contreras, he means “obscure” in relation to its meaning and themes, rather than its level of recognition. A writer like Hegel may be considered “obscure” – not because he is unheard of, but because he is rather difficult to fully appreciate or comprehend. Blowup is a viscerally exciting picture, due to it’s flamboyant 60s costume design, rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack, lush colour cinematography, but it’s also an extraordinarily substantial picture with many layers, making comment on the nature of meaning itself.
Although, discounting entry points to Antonioni on the basis of obscurity doesn’t sit too well with me. Practically all of his greats, at least of those I have seen, are satisfying because they’re subtle rather than explicit.
Start with Blow-Up or L’Aventura.
If you start with Blow-Up, then you watch L’aventura, followed by La Notte, followed by L’Eclisse.
If you start with L’aventura, then watch La Notte, then L’Eclisse, THEN Blow-Up.
The Trilogy of Incomunicability (L’Aventura, La Notte and L’Eclisse) is amazing.
Antonioni is amazing, no other director trusted so much in the spectator’s sensibility and intelectual capability such as Antonioni.
You can also start with Zabrisky Point, it is probably the lightest of his movies.
Start with his early films which are very more linked with Italian Neorealism [“easier” stuff]. Whichever filmmaker you’re exploring, I really recommend you do the same: start with the earliest material you can get.
Another thing not an insult but try to not be lazy from the outset. Really put yourself into it and don’t do this “which is easier?”. The first question should be, am I really interested in this?
NOTE: Some punctuation marks are missing because this thing keeps erasing them! Please bear with me…
Nancarrow
Eros.