Michelangelo Antonionis LEclise - 785 Words

Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’eclisse is a quiet and sad film with a theme of human detachment and alienation. He shows the difficulty of connection in an alienating modern world by focusing on the environment and isolation of characters. One of the first things that is strikingly noticeable in L’eclisse is Antonioni’s set-up of the environment. With the discordance of the music in the opening credits and the long shots that emphasize the empty space, we immediately get a sense of uncomfortable isolation in the beginning of the film. Antonioni throws us into the middle of an ending of a relationship. He starts the scene with a still shot of a lamp, then pans over to Riccardo sitting in silence, almost like another object. Then he quickly cuts to a shot of Vittoria on the opposite side of the room. This editing makes empty space a defining factor for this environment. Antonioni uses this focus on spacial distancing to alienate and isolate the characters. The t wo are clearly separated from each other, showing both a physical and emotional disconnection. Also, the motion of the camera seems to illustrate the disconnect in their relationship. The lack of dramatic movement by the camera represents the lack of emotional connection between them. Therefore, the motion of the camera illustrates the emotions of the character as much as what is actually framed within the image itself. There is also an obsession with touch, mostly on Vittoria’s part. With the constant lack in communication