If anyone adapts the comic book 慗immy
Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on
Earth?it should be Antonioni. If you don抰 believe me than check this movie
out. There are plenty of lonely adjectives one can throw at this early
example of Antonioni. An existential road drama about a man searching for
a home that was likely never there. It抯 a poignant drama that may be to
dreary affair for others.
The American Steve
Cochran effectively portrays an Italian mechanic who enjoys is present
state of life: a steady job, a loving woman, and lovely child. However he
and his woman played by Alida Valli are not married. Her terminally ill
husband has just died and she begins to rethink her relationship. She
wants nothing to do with him. In what begins as Valli抯 story suddenly
shifts to Cochran. He moves out with his daughter to see his past flame.
All goes well until Valli throws water on his fire by wanting to reclaim
her daughter. It must be noted that she does so with coldness and
compassion for both of them. Putting as huge weight on ego as he is
questioned about his love and as the other girls make eyes at him (ala
that daughter of his current girlfriend). From there he ventures into the
lonesome Po Valley (the director抯 childhood region) for a series of towns,
jobs, and women. As it progresses he loses his grip that makes him a
father and a man. Each town becomes starker as if he is strutting through
the milieu of Ian Curtis. As he returns home he finds time has flown. The
town is now zoned for government redevelopment. Isolation indeed. By the
then one isn抰 sure if he was in love with Valli or his shattered concept
of his home.
Seamless transitions abound as
his confidence drains with each woman. His motivations are draped in
mystery instead of resorting to soul searching and melodrama. He never
seems to stay with anyone who responds to him. Although I抎 hoped he was
going to stay with the gas station woman. I was rooting for this one to
work out. He just never seems to make up his mind. As he says in the
movie, 慖 have run out of willingness? He never stays if it clashes with
his perfect past. That poor dumb bastard.
The daughter is a quiet standout for the movie. She is very
effective as showing blind faith in her father. Her virtue may be a fault
in this example of 慛eo-Realism? Aren抰 kids supposed to be noisy in real
life? She does provide plenty of turmoil by being the curious one. She
quickly leaves when he needs her and runs when wanted. There is an almost
tearful moment when he sends her back to her mother. Of course he clutches
her hands protruding from window while the train is leaving. We have seen
it a million times but it almost never fails. You抎 think that without a
child to care for that he would be in better shape. No way.
Cochran is very good and slightly different this time out. Usually
he is a walking bottle of piss and vinegar. Now that his sting is gone he
walks without purpose. He has been many a foul-tempered souls for the
silver screen. Now he抯 a lost soul that finally realizes that he is out of
place in life: a significant performance from a guy who usually serves
knuckle sandwiches.
Antonioni was never an enjoyable force before but now feels like I抦
ready to immerse into his movies. I tried before with BLOW UP and ZABRISKI
POINT but they had worked better as sedatives. I always woke up to an
explosion after attempting to the latter when I taped it from TNT in the
late 80s. I think I still have that copy. Perhaps I was to young to enjoy
them then. This time around I slipped right in to the movie without
looking back. Suddenly, it was done. His visual scheme must be seen. This
isn抰 black and white, its gray. The black and white merely provides some
shading along the trip. He shoots the landscape as a character too. It
even seems to foreshadow Cochran抯 actions and results. Each area becomes
more barren than before. What few trees that stand are cut (like his ego)
in the name of progress. He does alot out of what should have very little.
If only I could write about what was so moving about this tale.
Sometimes it takes months to figure out what or why a movie is evocative.
This one is a reward worth keeping and revisiting.
The movie is available on video from Kino. The print seemed slightly
speed up at times. Has anyone ever noticed this?
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