- Directors: Michelangelo Antonioni
- Format: DVD-Video, PAL
- Language Italian
- Subtitles: English
- Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: PG
- Studio: Mr Bongo Films
- DVD Release Date: 19 Nov 2007
- Run Time: 98 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B000X9MFHY
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 24,977 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Product Description
After making highly regarded documentaries, Story of a Love Affair was Michelangelo Antonioni's first feature length dramatic film. It also signalled a significant change in the direction of post-war neo-realism. Antonioni, the future director of L'Avvetura, L'Eclisse, and Blow Up had already begun to set down the fundamentals of his future films, exploring the uneasy emotions that lie between the gazes of his characters. Groundlessly jealous of his wife s romantic past, Enrico Fontana hires a private detective to finally determine whether she is faithful or not. Ironically, his suspicious attitude unconsciously brings his wife Paola (Lucia Bosé) together with Guido (Massimo Girotti), a man with whom she had once been in love. Paola and Guido s past was clouded in tragedy. Guido had been involved with Paola s close female friend s death. Their passion rekindled once again, the lovers even get to the point where they are thinking about murdering Enrico...
Review
The unsurpassed beauty of Antonioni's visual art lifts his two-penny story and hollow people into the exalted realm of the senses --Slant Magazine
A remarkable formal effort involving a detective, an adulterous trio, a murder plot, a choreographic mise en scene, and an extended flashback --Chicago Reader
A remarkable formal effort involving a detective, an adulterous trio, a murder plot, a choreographic mise en scene, and an extended flashback --Chicago Reader
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film by Michelangelo Antonioni was entirely charming in its deliverance and atmosphere. Anotonioni's depiction of this beautifully shot film is as ever laden with his trademark signs of unconventionality and symbolism and shows an incredibly personal snap shot of a mans life as he struggles to overcome his jealous nature and suspicious prejudices towards his wife.
A fantastic performance by Lucia Bose is perfectly balanced by the character of her lover, Guido (Massimo Girotti) which ensures that the film ropes the viewer into the dark and twirling worlds of clashing emotions and stark, vivid imagery.
A deeply enjoyable film, and a stirring performance from all makes this film a delightful addition to all who relish the cinematic compositions of the renowned director Michelangelo Antonioni and his unique style.
A fantastic performance by Lucia Bose is perfectly balanced by the character of her lover, Guido (Massimo Girotti) which ensures that the film ropes the viewer into the dark and twirling worlds of clashing emotions and stark, vivid imagery.
A deeply enjoyable film, and a stirring performance from all makes this film a delightful addition to all who relish the cinematic compositions of the renowned director Michelangelo Antonioni and his unique style.
Format:DVD
More often than not we influence the cards we are dealt in life. Worst of all is when we do something that starts a chain of events that cause us misfortune. Story of a Love Affair is a classic Italian film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni that is exactly about this subject.
When a wealthy businessman finds some old photographs of his wife Paola (Lucia Bose), he gets to wonder about her past. They have been married for seven years, since they met in 1943 during the war, but her history was always a mystery. Instead of asking her directly, he hires and investigator to look into what kind of woman she was before they met. He is partially motivated by curiosity, but mostly just jealousy.
And Paola's past certainly is mysterious. The story slowly unravels her past by the details the investigator uncovers by interviewing her former friends. The investigator's inquiries alert Paola's old boyfriend and actually brings him back into her life after all these years. Ironically, Paola's husband brings about trouble for himself with the investigator and helps his wife find the road to infidelity. We cannot help but see how much Paola must have changed in these seven years. She now lives the life of luxury and has no financial obstacles, while those she knew still struggle with daily living.
There are some subtle details that give this movie a deeper meaning weaved throughout the entire story, giving it a sophistication that will make this film appealing to those with fine taste. There is a strange balance of opposites in nearly everything that happens. When Guido reaches for Paola, she withdraws from him; when Paola reaches for Guido, he withdraws from her. Their love for each other always seems to be a beet or two off and they are never in synchrony. Their love for each other may be deep and strong, but it is a tormented one that never finds peace.
There is also a greater irony to the story. Paola can have the life of extravagance, but not a life with happiness. Paola could have a life with love, but not with lavishness. She is faced with these choices and it isn't too difficult to figure out which path she chooses.
While there are crimes of action or omission, is just thinking of a sin a crime as well? As we find out, Paola and Guido commit al three, but are any one of them less traumatic on their psyche? As you will see, Story of a Love Affair isn't a simple tale of adultery.
When a wealthy businessman finds some old photographs of his wife Paola (Lucia Bose), he gets to wonder about her past. They have been married for seven years, since they met in 1943 during the war, but her history was always a mystery. Instead of asking her directly, he hires and investigator to look into what kind of woman she was before they met. He is partially motivated by curiosity, but mostly just jealousy.
And Paola's past certainly is mysterious. The story slowly unravels her past by the details the investigator uncovers by interviewing her former friends. The investigator's inquiries alert Paola's old boyfriend and actually brings him back into her life after all these years. Ironically, Paola's husband brings about trouble for himself with the investigator and helps his wife find the road to infidelity. We cannot help but see how much Paola must have changed in these seven years. She now lives the life of luxury and has no financial obstacles, while those she knew still struggle with daily living.
There are some subtle details that give this movie a deeper meaning weaved throughout the entire story, giving it a sophistication that will make this film appealing to those with fine taste. There is a strange balance of opposites in nearly everything that happens. When Guido reaches for Paola, she withdraws from him; when Paola reaches for Guido, he withdraws from her. Their love for each other always seems to be a beet or two off and they are never in synchrony. Their love for each other may be deep and strong, but it is a tormented one that never finds peace.
There is also a greater irony to the story. Paola can have the life of extravagance, but not a life with happiness. Paola could have a life with love, but not with lavishness. She is faced with these choices and it isn't too difficult to figure out which path she chooses.
While there are crimes of action or omission, is just thinking of a sin a crime as well? As we find out, Paola and Guido commit al three, but are any one of them less traumatic on their psyche? As you will see, Story of a Love Affair isn't a simple tale of adultery.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4 reviews
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Antonioni's Noirish Narrative Film Debut
5 May 2006
Format:DVD
Unlike what the other reviewer stated, Michelangelo Antonioni's "The Story of a Love Affair" is not an adaptation of James M. Cain's classic "The Postman Always Rings Twice." That film is 1943's "Ossessione," also starring Massimo Girotti, and which was the first film by another great Italian director, Luchino Visconti. (And which is actually a better film, Girotti is certainly much better in "Ossessione.")
"The Story of a Love Affair" is structured as a noir/thriller. At the beginning, a jealous wealthy businessman in Milan hires a detective to find if his wife (Lucia Bose) is unfaithful and by doing so unwittingly rekindles her love for another man (Massimo Girotti), who may have been complicit with her on the death of her former best friend (who was also his fiancee). As their love affair progresses, the reunited lovers ponder killing the husband.
Although set up as a thriller, Antonioni is less interested in crime than in the psychology of the leading couple: an unhappily married society wife (Bose) and a down-on-his-luck former WWII soldier (Girotti). Lucia Bose, then only 19, is not a very good actress, but she's striking to look at, and Antonioni makes the most of her beautiful face. Girotti is not that great either, but he's also perfectly cast. The merits of this film really have to do with great visuals, not with great acting, so in that respect they're both excellent in their parts.
While not as great as other noirish debuts by great European directors, like Visconti's Ossessione or Malle's Elevator in the Gallows, "The Story of a Love Affair" is definitely worth checking out for fans of film noir or Antonioni.
The film looks pretty good on the DVD, but the extras disc was somewhat disappointing for me, though, especially the cheesily edited and rather cruel (namely the moment when an elderly Lucia Bose hugs a wheelchaired Antonioni) short about the release of the restored film. I would have preferred to see and hear more from Antonioni himself in the extras.
"The Story of a Love Affair" is structured as a noir/thriller. At the beginning, a jealous wealthy businessman in Milan hires a detective to find if his wife (Lucia Bose) is unfaithful and by doing so unwittingly rekindles her love for another man (Massimo Girotti), who may have been complicit with her on the death of her former best friend (who was also his fiancee). As their love affair progresses, the reunited lovers ponder killing the husband.
Although set up as a thriller, Antonioni is less interested in crime than in the psychology of the leading couple: an unhappily married society wife (Bose) and a down-on-his-luck former WWII soldier (Girotti). Lucia Bose, then only 19, is not a very good actress, but she's striking to look at, and Antonioni makes the most of her beautiful face. Girotti is not that great either, but he's also perfectly cast. The merits of this film really have to do with great visuals, not with great acting, so in that respect they're both excellent in their parts.
While not as great as other noirish debuts by great European directors, like Visconti's Ossessione or Malle's Elevator in the Gallows, "The Story of a Love Affair" is definitely worth checking out for fans of film noir or Antonioni.
The film looks pretty good on the DVD, but the extras disc was somewhat disappointing for me, though, especially the cheesily edited and rather cruel (namely the moment when an elderly Lucia Bose hugs a wheelchaired Antonioni) short about the release of the restored film. I would have preferred to see and hear more from Antonioni himself in the extras.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
I think they missed something
16 May 2008
Format:DVD
The Amazon editorial review and customer reviews wrongly state that a wealthy buiness man hires a detective because he suspects that his beautiful wife is unfaithful. In fact, he simply found some old photographs of his wife that were taken before they met and that made him think. They had a very brief courtship and married during the war. Now, seven years later, and after finding the photos, he realized that he really did not khow this woman and wanted to learn about her life before they met. Because she is so gorgeous, he probably suspected that she had lovers before him and wanted to know who they were and how serious the relationships were. Ironically, the investigation rekindled her relationship with a former lover resulting in a very interesting turn of events. To me, the fact that he merely wanted to know what kind of life she led before meeting him contributes strongly to the story line. Pay close to the first few minutes of this film and you will find nothing to suggest that her husband suspects her of being unfaithful. Great story, great cinematography, and great directing, all result in a great movie even though the acting was not top notch.
More often than not we influence the cards we are dealt in life
4 Mar 2012
Format:DVD
More often than not we influence the cards we are dealt in life. Worst of all is when we do something that starts a chain of events that cause us misfortune. Story of a Love Affair is a classic Italian film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni that is exactly about this subject.
When a wealthy businessman finds some old photographs of his wife Paola (Lucia Bose), he gets to wonder about her past. They have been married for seven years, since they met in 1943 during the war, but her history was always a mystery. Instead of asking her directly, he hires and investigator to look into what kind of woman she was before they met. He is partially motivated by curiosity, but mostly just jealousy.
And Paola's past certainly is mysterious. The story slowly unravels her past by the details the investigator uncovers by interviewing her former friends. The investigator's inquiries alert Paola's old boyfriend and actually brings him back into her life after all these years. Ironically, Paola's husband brings about trouble for himself with the investigator and helps his wife find the road to infidelity. We cannot help but see how much Paola must have changed in these seven years. She now lives the life of luxury and has no financial obstacles, while those she knew still struggle with daily living.
There are some subtle details that give this movie a deeper meaning weaved throughout the entire story, giving it a sophistication that will make this film appealing to those with fine taste. There is a strange balance of opposites in nearly everything that happens. When Guido reaches for Paola, she withdraws from him; when Paola reaches for Guido, he withdraws from her. Their love for each other always seems to be a beet or two off and they are never in synchrony. Their love for each other may be deep and strong, but it is a tormented one that never finds peace.
There is also a greater irony to the story. Paola can have the life of extravagance, but not a life with happiness. Paola could have a life with love, but not with lavishness. She is faced with these choices and it isn't too difficult to figure out which path she chooses.
While there are crimes of action or omission, is just thinking of a sin a crime as well? As we find out, Paola and Guido commit al three, but are any one of them less traumatic on their psyche? As you will see, Story of a Love Affair isn't a simple tale of adultery.
When a wealthy businessman finds some old photographs of his wife Paola (Lucia Bose), he gets to wonder about her past. They have been married for seven years, since they met in 1943 during the war, but her history was always a mystery. Instead of asking her directly, he hires and investigator to look into what kind of woman she was before they met. He is partially motivated by curiosity, but mostly just jealousy.
And Paola's past certainly is mysterious. The story slowly unravels her past by the details the investigator uncovers by interviewing her former friends. The investigator's inquiries alert Paola's old boyfriend and actually brings him back into her life after all these years. Ironically, Paola's husband brings about trouble for himself with the investigator and helps his wife find the road to infidelity. We cannot help but see how much Paola must have changed in these seven years. She now lives the life of luxury and has no financial obstacles, while those she knew still struggle with daily living.
There are some subtle details that give this movie a deeper meaning weaved throughout the entire story, giving it a sophistication that will make this film appealing to those with fine taste. There is a strange balance of opposites in nearly everything that happens. When Guido reaches for Paola, she withdraws from him; when Paola reaches for Guido, he withdraws from her. Their love for each other always seems to be a beet or two off and they are never in synchrony. Their love for each other may be deep and strong, but it is a tormented one that never finds peace.
There is also a greater irony to the story. Paola can have the life of extravagance, but not a life with happiness. Paola could have a life with love, but not with lavishness. She is faced with these choices and it isn't too difficult to figure out which path she chooses.
While there are crimes of action or omission, is just thinking of a sin a crime as well? As we find out, Paola and Guido commit al three, but are any one of them less traumatic on their psyche? As you will see, Story of a Love Affair isn't a simple tale of adultery.
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