Il Grido (1957)

Another week, another Antonioni film. Truth be told, this is one of his best, right up there next to L'Avventura. It's hypnotizing throughout. In true Antonioni form, it's not so much about events, but far more about the mood and the emotions expressed throughout.

Early on, we follow a woman around, Irma, as she learns about her husband's death and fights with her current beau about the status of their relationship. She wants to break it off, despite the fact that they've already had a child. The man, Aldo, simply does not understand. This is fairly typical of Antonioni, as he seems to be fond of showing the differences in attitudes between men and women. Irma needs a change, she needs to do what's best for her, pursue what she wants. Aldo simply CANNOT comprehend this. He comes off kind of stubborn, but after years, who would be hasty to let go of such a deep relationship?

Aldo decides to up and leave, taking their daughter with him. In typical Antonioni fashion, the film follows his journey instead of Irma's, who we've already been identifying with. Yup, Antonioni stuck us with the bum. The viewer, though, is drawn into his life on the road without realizing, and begins to identify with him and lends Aldo his own sympathies.

The breakup is obviously the catalyst for a change, but the change seems to be much deeper than that. It's made Aldo rethink everything in his life, especially his priorities, and doubt things that he once had so much faith in. He's now drifting around the barren landscape, searching for a new place, a place to start over and care for his daughter. He realizes he can't really care for her, so he sends her back home to her Mother and continues searching, as all Antonioni's leads do.

It's also where the basis for all of Antonioni's later, more mature works lies. Aldo can't connect with people, he's perpetually searching not only the landscape, but his own heart as well. The world is a cold, desolate place, and life is nothing but ennui on top of boredom on top of listlessness on top of despair. We can see Antonioni feeling his way around this world, and it's intoxicating. The later films may be more polished, but Il Grido is where it all started.