Michelangelo Antonioni, one of Italy’s great filmmakers

The following excerpt is from an online BBC obituary released yesterday (link):

Michelangelo Antonioni, who has died at the age of 94, was seen as one of the great Italian film-makers whose iconic films have entered into cinematic history.

Directing was in his sights from an early age. He studied film at the School of Cinema and briefly wrote for the Fascist journal Cinema – at the time edited by Benito Mussolini's son.

His films were known for their slow pace, sparse dialogue and lack of a structured narrative, which did not always appeal to mainstream audiences but captured the imagination of critics and fans of the avant-garde.

But he refused to change his style to secure box office success.

Asked who he made his films for, he said: “I do it for an ideal spectator who is this very director.

“I could never do something against my tastes to meet the public. Frankly, I can't do it, even if so many directors do so.”

Michelangelo Antonioni died on 30 July 2007 in Rome. To know more about Michelangelo Antonioni’s controversial but nevertheless iconic art, please visit ITALICA and littlerabbit.