La Notte (1961)

7.9Not Rated122 minDirector: Michelangelo Antonioni

1961 film by Michelangelo Antonioni

La Notte ([la ˈnɔtte]; English: "The Night") is a 1961 drama film co-written and directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and starring Marcello Mastroianni, Jeanne Moreau and Monica Vitti. Filmed on location in Milan, the film depicts a single day and night in the lives of a disillusioned novelist (Mastroianni) and his alienated wife (Moreau) as they move through various social circles. The film continues Antonioni's technique of abandoning traditional storytelling in favor of visual composition, atmosphere, and mood.

Grossing 470 million lire and receiving acclaim for its exploration of modernist themes of isolation, La Notte received the Golden Bear at the 11th Berlin International Film Festival. The film also earned Antonioni the 1961 David di Donatello Award for Best Director. Although selected as the Italian entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the 34th Academy Awards, it was not nominated. La Notte is considered the central film of a trilogy beginning with L'Avventura (1960) and ending with L'Eclisse (1962). It was one of Stanley Kubrick's 10 favorite films, received 4 votes from critics and 6 votes from directors in the 2012 Sight & Sound greatest films poll, and ranked as the 52nd greatest film of all time in the 2022 director's poll with 12 votes.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is La Notte about?
La Notte (1961) — In Milan, after visiting dear friend Tommaso Garani who is terminally ill in a hospital, write Giovanni Pontano goes to a party for the release of his latest book, and his wife Lidia visits the place where she lived many years ago. That night they go to a nightclub, then to a par
Is La Notte based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is La Notte scary?
Content rating: Not Rated. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.