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Summary: Best Criterion Collection DVD Thus Far; Excellent Commentary
Review: L'Avventura is one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen and this DVD does it perfect justice. The transfer is pristine reflecting the breathtaking cinematography, and the commentary by film historian Gene Youngblood illuminates Antonioni's revolutionary genius by offering awe-inspiring insight into nearly every scene of the movie. Of all the commentary offered so far by criterion this is by far the best though the film is not necessarily for everyone. The pacing is a bit slow at times for the moviegoer who enjoys films with more action and overt sexuality(though the two lead actresses have beauty enough to leave you enchanted), but L'Avventura is always interesting for fans of film who want to learn more about the technique and art of moviemaking. The documentary provides a good overview of Antonioni's career and Jack Nicholson reads documents that provide knowledge of Antonioni's philosophy of art. If you have enjoyed prior Criterion Collection editions of great films this DVD is perfect for your collection.
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Summary: One of the Most Important Films of All Time
Review: What can I say ? L'Avventura is a landmark, groundbreaking , cinematic masterpiece. It's one of the (very) few films in history to change the narrative form in filmmaking. Now, knowing that and that this film is on a Criterion Collection DVD is enough reason to own it. Criterion's double disc set is incredible !! The transfer is stunning. The extra material is great. To top it off Gene Youngblood's commentary is very insightful, so much so, it will help you to really understand this film and why it's such a milestone in film history.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Most Important Films of All Time
Review: What can I say ? L'Avventura is a landmark, groundbreaking , cinematic masterpiece. It's one of the (very) few films in history to change the narrative form in filmaking. Now, knowing that and that this film is on a Criterion Collection DVD is enough reason to own it. Criterion's double disc set is incredible !! The transfer is stunning. The extra material is great. To top it off Gene Youngblood's commentary is very insighful, so much so, it will help you to really understand this film and why it's such a milestone in film history.
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Summary: Criterion DVD - 2-disc, anamorphic, new transfer & subtitles
Review: ...this Criterion DVD edition of L'AVVENTURA is a widescreen anamorphic 2-disc set, with the first disc movie-only and the second containing extras. I applaud putting the movie on its own disc, so that there could be less video compression and the picture quality could be at its best (whenever I see a single-disc DVD fully loaded with extras, I immediately wonder if the higher degree of compression needed would cause any compression artifacts on the picture). The picturesque photography of L'AVVENTURA really demands as perfect a video transfer as possible. I'm glad Criterion has delivered on that regard, for this DVD has simply one of the best black-and-white transfer I've ever seen. Efforts have been made to eliminate blemishes frame-by-frame, so this DVD is significantly better looking than Criterion's own laserdisc version made in 1989. There is a "restoration demontration" among the DVD extras that shows how the picture looks before and after the clean-up.Subtitles have been significantly rewritten compared to the LD. With my limited knowledge of Italian I'm of the impression that the new translations are more literal, closer in meaning to the original dialogs, and have less paraphrasing and abbreviation. For instance, in an early scene where Anna confides to Claudia, the LD subtitle reads, "These separations are awful, believe me." On the DVD it becomes, "It's harrowing having to be apart, really." The use of "harrowing" seems more suitable than "awful" in conveying the connotations of the the Italian word "mostruoso" (atrocious), and "really" is the exact translation of "verimente". In another dialog later in the same scene, the LD subtitle is abbreviated into, "It's not easy to keep going like this...at a distance," whereas the DVD's translation is accurate almost word for word, "It's difficult keeping a relationship going, while one is here and the other there." The best extra on the DVD is a terrific 1-hour documentary about Antonioni's work. It has numerous interviews of his collaborators (including Fellini) and acquaintances, all of whom give insightful answers about the genius of the director. It mentions a wonderful anecdote: several reporters and writers at Cannes signed a letter of support in reaction to the hostile reception of L'AVVENTURA by others (the full letter is reprinted on the DVD booklet). There is also a wonderful clip of a deleted scene from L'AVVENTURA. My minor quibbles are none of his films is dealt with in any length or depth, and not too many of clips of his films are shown. Three extras from the LD have been retained on the DVD: the English theatrical trailer, Antonioni's eloquent statement on science versus moral (reprinted on DVD booklet), and the audio commentary by Gene Youngblood. Not on the DVD is the LD's photo gallery of then-and-now comparisons of the locations seen in the film. The DVD also has 3 audio segments: 2 of Antonioni's writings read by Jack Nicholson, and one of Nicholson himself lavishing praises on the director. Of the two Antonioni writings, the first is almost a duplicate of his "science versus moral" statement, and the second is an analysis of the purpose of a film actor.
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Summary: still relevant and 'modern' after all these years.
Review: Is there a more apt film made that represents modernism? This story of a woman's disappearance, two people's search for her throughout the duration of the film... sound familiar? It's still being echoed in fiction and film, especially in the latest of the post-modern offering of a Japanese master of fiction: Haruki Murakami's "Sputnik Sweetheart." The barebones of the book resembles the plot of 'L'Avventura'. The themes of the instability of modern-day existence, and the moral bankruptcy/irrelevance are still haunting. Antonioni's direction is architectural and masterful. The vistas are captured in a ghostly sparse way. Movements and shots are resolutely metaphorical - We see people moving away in the distance in divergent directions after a conflicting discussion. Moments of beauty abound throughout... the way a woman's neckline slopes, a crowd of people spilling out from the church to the street... Everything is so well executed, yet doesn't feel clinical. A masterpiece of modernism.
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Summary: "Adventure" of Existence
Review: For Antonioni, life is an "adventure" a quest for identity and meaning. It is no accident or inconsistancy that the initial group of characters seem to forget all about their friend who suddenly vanishes on a barren volcanic island. The unexpected absence seems to open a void of speculation, which the balance of the film proceeds to explore. It should always be remembered that the VISUAL aspect in Antonioni is as important as the verbal; and, often, it is more important. The characters continuously gaze at a landscape, run their hands along a rock or some other surface as if trying to see or feel what is under the veneer. There is something almost Eastern in Antonioni's aesthetic. His films seem to view the material world as an enormous surface illusion. People, the director has said, have lost touch with their true origin, as part of the natural world. Large cities and technology have cut us off, and isolated us from nature. The modern individual is constantly in search of a primal connection. This explains the preoccupation with sex in some characters, something Antonioni calls "serial monogamy". Since sexuality, as Huxley has said, is the only remaining link to the mystery of life, humans turn more and more to it as their world achieves greater sophistication and technological advancement. Through a poetic use of black & white image and spare dialogue, Antonioni creates a world of strangely compelling and sympathetic characters. The viewer is compelled along with them on their "avventura". The Criterion DVD release of "L'Avventura" is pretty much what it should be. The film itself looks better than ever, with the technology's ability to represent black level so well, it looks more like a 'film', not a video. The supplementary documentary doesn't offer many insights, but is completely fascinating as a document of a great period in Italian cinema. The behind-the-scenes footage is priceless, as is a short interview with Giovanni Fusco, Antonioni's composer for several key films. Jack Nicholson reads some interesting texts, but it's too bad only one image is displayed throughout the readings. As for the audio commentary, it is mainly useful for information. Youngblood's interpretation seems too generalized at times, while he passes over important moments without any comment. Simply saying a technique or a type of shot is "typical" of the director is not enough. What does it mean? Or how does it figure in the film as a whole. Still, Youngblood's enthusiasm must not be discounted: his commentary can spark the viewer's own imagination about the film. Highly Recommended.
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Summary: A landscape of emptiness and boredom.
Review: An affluent trio of a girl, her boyfriend and best friend go on a boating trip, then embark on an island where girl mysteriously disappears. Sounds like a mystery/thriller? If you're looking for just that, you'd be pretty disappointed. This film goes beyond that and slashes through a great character study of the film's characters. I've never seen the pangs of longing and emptiness so vividly portrayed on screen and the film is just as visually stunning. Monica Vitti as the girl's best friend is so achingly beautiful. The much-awaited DVD loaded with features is finally here. This first of Antonioni's trilogy of emptiness is followed by "La Notte" and "L'Eclisse", both equally breathtaking masterpieces.
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Summary: A great edition of a great film
Review: The film is, of course, one of the supreme masterpieces of world cinema. More than even that, it is one of those revolutionary works of genius, like James Joyce's "Ulysses", that tear down boundaries no one else even knew were there and blaze dozens of new trails for an art form. And, since movie revival houses have pretty much gone the way of the adding machine, there is currently no better way to attend its majesty than with this DVD edition. The all-important images have been meticulously restored to their pristine state of dazzling subtlety and beauty and the insightful commentary track is a virtually ideal primer in learning to understand and appreciate Antonioni's pioneering film language. Criterion has performed a noble service for cinema with the creation of this DVD. Why not reward them - and yourself - by buying it right now?
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Summary: A classic treasure. One of the all time Greats!
Review: I really don't know where to begin. This film is as nearly perfect as you can get. Every facet of great filmmaking is flawlessly displayed to absolute perfection in Michelangelo Antonioni's, L'Avventura. This is one of the greatest motion pictures ever made. L'Avventura is all about relationships. The relationships between the main characters and also the territory they inhabit. Needless to say, topography plays an important role in this film and thus becomes an outside character in of itself. When viewing for the first time, pay special attention to the deliberate pacing of the film. It's very bold and lyrical in its approach. Motion pictures aren't made like this anymore and you'll be pleasantly surprised that there is very little intrusion or manipulation by the director. Antonioni really lets this film breathe naturally; nothing is hurried or out of place. This is really the perfect film. I won't talk anymore about this landmark motion picture; it would be sacreligious to ruin a great experience for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Masterpiece Schmasterpiece
Review: The same people who love this movie also probably enjoyed Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" which is another piece of meaningless drivel. As far as I'm concerned, Fellini's work is pure genius until the 60's--probably influenced by Antonioni's work on "L'Aveventura". The scenery is certainly beautiful and the camera shots are very well done, but I found the actors to be wooden at best, and the story to be uninteresting. The best part of the film--the Hitchcockian disappearance--is never resolved, and it seems like a weak plot device to get the two lead characters together. Save your money and buy some of Fellini's work from the 50's..."La Strada" and "Nights of Cabiria" are worthwhile films with moving stories that have a definite beginning, middle and end. L'Avventura never ends...at least until I hit "STOP" on my VCR..I just couldn't sit through this 2+ hours.
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