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Plot:
Before becoming the poster child for the extreme arty, slow paced foreign films of the '60s, Michealanglo Antonioni actually developed his craft on very straightforward, neo-realistic films. Story...( read more 
) (1950) was Antonioni's first feature-length dramatic film, and much to his critics' chagrin, it is extremely linear, it has limited drawn out, "real time" shots, and his actors actually project more emotion than the typical "Antonioni apathy." Enrico (Ferdinando Sarmi) is an extremely wealthy and jealous husband who suspects his young, beautiful bride, Paola (Lucia Bosé), is unfaithful. Instead of confronting her directly, he hires a private detective (Gino Rossi) to investigate her past. While checking up on the mysterious death of Paola's friend, the private dick indirectly puts one of Paola's old lovers (Massimo Girotti) back in contact with his client's wife. Though originally separated due to the death of their close friend, seeing each other sparks up some buried passion that ironically will put Enrico and Paola's marriage to the test. Like his contemporaries' earlier works, Story of a Love Affair is a must for cinephiles who love to see all those "Antonioni-style" trademarks in their infancy. Of particular note is the typical Antonioni shot, in which where the two main characters have a full conversation with their backs to the camera. Though Story of a Love Affair does not pack the historical punch of L'Avventura or Blow Up, it is definitely more approachable for the general public and an excellent neo-realistic film in its own right. --Rob Bracco
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:September 16, 2008
A film auteur,literally and profoundly.Anything that goes against him,will probably go against the post-modern cinematic language.The debut feature shows promise and mystery,taunting the wealth of the era and feeling sympathetic to low-life characters,including the detective.Action is replaced by spiritual hesitation,a well-maintained picture,too accessible for an Antonioni film.
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MCT:October 5, 2007
Antonioni's films aren't the most accessible, and in that respect, Story of a Love Affair with its genre-film machinations and linear plot is a lot easier to get into than, say, L'Eclisse (which I've never finished watching, but I want to). It's not an art film, by any means, affecting a noir-ish plot and a relatively faster pace than your typical arty movie. Some over-the-top acting (I thought) by Lucia Bosé as miserable socialite Paola Fontana also makes this movie a lot less high-falutin.
That isn't to say that this is your typical genre film, though. Although the aesthetic didn't appeal much to me personally, there are some very attractive shots of the sensual from-the-back variety that made me stop and think. I also really liked the opening shot of the polaroids of Paola being tossed onto a table, showing us a quick into a girl's life as she grows up. I guess I don't "get" Antonioni, because at first blush I didn't see that much to look at in this film.
Where the movie is most interesting is in its examination of Paola and Guido's sad lives through their desperate relationship with each other, most notably in the scene where they talk about their happiness and then in an instance realize that their joy is a shallow and empty one. Antonioni doesn't play their misery for melodrama; he doesn't have any lingering shots of Paola or Guido sitting and staring and obviously feeling sorry for themselves. But their conversations reveal their insecurities and failure to grasp fulfillment despite material comfort and "love."
I thought it was also interesting how it looked like Paola's husband's suspicions of her infidelity actually drove her towards reuniting with Guido, since Paola and Guido have no contact until after the detectives are hired, and Guido only comes to warn her that someone is looking into her past. Nevertheless, that detective thread doesn't really go anywhere, even to the climax.
Still, though, it's kind of a boring movie, and I found Paola's flouncing and hysteria a bit annoying. On the other hand, I enjoyed the character of Guido much more because he seemed more realistic and moderate to me, struggling with his emotions and commitments and the fact that he's not happy despite being with the woman he desires.
I found the rest of the movie a bit of a mess, and the music is God-awful, that's for sure, completely ruining the tone of the movie.
Meh. Not a great movie by any stretch of the imagination, and doesn't convince me that I could be an Antonioni fan.
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