A recent video essay on the collaborations of Michelangelo Antonioni and Monica Vitti failed to mention their final film — a rather embarrassing error that, I admit, can make some sense when that work has failed to pierce the canon in virtually any way. But what if that’s still not half enough? What if it’s a major step forward in cinematographic expression and one of the most visually pleasurable films ever made?
I could, but, thankfully, Scout Tafoya has updated his series, “The Unloved,” with a video essay on that 1980 picture and Zabriskie Point, another underappreciated Antonioni effort that’s probably just some little nudge away from becoming a favorite of many cineastes. More than a worthwhile bit of critical discourse, this piece benefits from its moving images. The allure of Antonioni’s cinema can be difficult to summarize in just about any form when their mood and movement are things to surrender to; that’s permitted herein. I do hope it encourages seeking out Zabriskie (which is available on DVD) and Oberwald (for which you’ll have to navigate some back channels), and proves further that there’s so much more to this genius than a handful of closely connected works.
Watch the video essay below, along with one on the lines of division in L’Eclisse.