Highly individualistic and innovative, Italian modernist film auteur Michelangelo Antonioni left an indelible imprint on global film firmament. Redefining the concept of narrative cinema, the auteur challenged accepted notions of storytelling, realism, drama and the world as a whole. Aesthetically complex, critically stimulating, Antonioni’s celluloid creations are known for their ambiguous nature defying simplistic conclusions while throwing up difficult questions.
Central to Antonioni’s characters is their abject sense of alienation, who unable to solve their own personal mysteries, often disappear, submit or die. Like the characters he portrays, Antonioni’s films are as enigmatic as life itself wherein boundaries between reality and illusion crumble as they reach their denouement. Suchitra, with LACEFilms, is paying homage to the maestro who passed away recently by showcasing Antonioni’s films as part of their Weekend with Masters series.
Based on a short story — Las Babas del Diablo – by Argentinian writer Julio Cortazar, Antonioni’s ‘Blowup’, is set in the swinging London of the sixties. The film, about reality and how we perceive it, examines changes in society through the lense of a fashion photographer.
At a mundane level ‘The Passenger’ is a typical suspense story about a man trying to escape his own life. A haunting portrait of a drained journalist on the verge of burnout, who, disillusioned with work, marriage and life, switches identity with a mysterious dead man, ‘The Passenger’, is a fascinating, probing study of human condition, full of metaphor and cynicism. Unlike ‘Blow-Up’ which probes the possible, ‘The Passenger’, is a search within.
Based on Antonioni’s book of stories, ‘Beyond the Clouds’ speaks of many ways in which men are fascinated, compelled and confused by their attraction to women. Structured as four part ensemble piece, it spotlights on a filmmaker trying to sort out his plans for next film and considers several stories about women and men who love them. The films will be screened on Sept 29 (6.45 pm) & Sept 30 (4 pm) at Suchitra, Banashankari II Stage. For details call 26711785.
