Antonioni, or, The Surface of the World (Paperback)

~ Seymour Chatman (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Michelangelo Antonioni is one of the great visual artists of the cinema. The central and distinguishing strength of Antonioni's mature films, Seymour Chatman argues, is narration by a kind of visual minimalism, by an intense concentration on the sheer appearance of things and a rejection of explanatory dialogue. Though traditional audiences have balked at the "opacity" of Antonioni's films, it is precisely their rendered surface that is so eloquent once one learns to read it. Not despite, but through, their silences the films show a deep concern with the motives, perceptions and vicissitudes of the emotional life.
This study covers films not dealt with in any other book on the great director, including Il mistero di Obertwald (1980) and Identificazione di una donna (1982), which have not yet been seen in the U.S. Its coverage of the early documentaries and features, when Antonioni was forging his new and original stylistic "language," is especially full.
In a free-ranging analysis of the evolution of Antonioni's style that quotes liberally from Antonioni's own highly articulate writings and interviews, Chatman shows how difficult it was for the filmmaker to liberate his art from the conventional means of rendering narrative, especially dialogue, conventional sound effects, and commentative music. From his first efforts to his triumphant achievements in the tetralogy of L'avventura, L'eclisse, and Il deserto rosso, Antonioni's acute sensibility struggled to achieve the mastery that has won him a secure place in film history.
Chatman's study is the only complete account of Antonioni's work available in English. Its novel visual approach to the films while attract not only film scholars but also readers interested in painting and architecture--both important elements of Antonioni's work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (November 3, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520053419
• ISBN-13: 978-0520053410
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #745,388 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars great critical review, June 8, 2001

By	Boris Aleksandrovsky (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This book is a critical review of the movie career of Antionioni. It helped me to understand the Great Teatrology of the Antonioni's work - L'Aventurra, La Notte, Eclipse and Red Desert much better. Director is researching the same themes of loneliness, impossibility of love and connections in the modern world full of dehumanizing technology. Landscapes and architecture, subtle variations of mood, breeze and movement ... and sadness.

I was amazed by Chatman's bibliography list. He'd read anything and everything there is to read about Antonioni. The books follow movies frame by frame with critical acclaim given to all aspects of Antonioni's art. Must read!!!

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Não precisava ser tão caro, January 26, 2009

By	Marcos T. N. Andrade "Marcos Thanus" (Rio de Janeiro) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Amazon Verified Purchase

Comprei esse livro pra dar de presente para a minha mulher. Não entendi como um livro com um papel tão vagabundo, ilustrações tão pouco nítidas e encadernação tão porca pode custar tão caro... quanto ao conteúdo, não tenho a menor idéia. As 3 estrelas são pelo preço vs. qualidade da edição.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best critical review of Antonioni's art, June 11, 1998

By A Customer

I was amazed by Chatman's bibliography list. He'd read anything and everything there is to read about Antonioni. The books follow movies frame by frame with critical acclaim given to all aspects of Antonioni's art. Must read!!!