After the post-war neoliberalism movement, which saw Italy become a leading player on the world stage, there was a huge gap to fill. Along with a spree of lighter comedies, two major figures stepped into the breach; Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni. The latter is best known for the L’Avventura, La Notte, and L’Eclisse trilogy, The Passenger and Blow-Up. The maestro made his feature debut back in 1950. The remarkably assured Story of a Love Affair.
A wealthy industrialist, Enrico Fontana (Ferdinando Sarmi), has been married to a beautiful young woman, Paola Molon Fontana (Lucia Bosè), for seven years now, but is frustrated that she never talks about her past. Suspicious, he hires a private detective (Gino Rossi) to uncover the truth. After visiting her home town it raises the alarm for her old sweetheart, Guido Guido (Massimo Girotti) who travels to Milan in order to warn her.
Story of a Love Affair is an impressive first film which visits many of the themes and ideas that were prevalent throughout Antonioni’s career. There’s the trade-off between extreme wealth, unhappiness and ennui. There’s an atmosphere of fatalism which resonates throughout, as if the characters are doomed to sabotage their own happiness. Story of a Love Affair charts jealousy, guilt, lies and love through the lens of faded glamour.
Extras:
- Premiere presentation of the restored film, with Director Antonioni, Star, Lucia Bosè + filmworld VIPs,Tornatore, Dario Argento et..
- Principal Italian Critic and friend of Fellini, Tullio Kezich interview When a 1st Work Is already a Masterpiece
- The genesis of the film by Assistant Director and co-writer Francesco Maselli
- The making-of the film with When a 1st Work Is already a Masterpiece by plus interviews
- Restoring a masterpiece by Giuseppe Rotunno Fellini s cinematographer
Story of a Love Affair is on Blu-ray and Digital on demand 27 July from CultFilms
