This movie is nothing short of an artistic and visual triumph. Apart from being a fine example of the greatest era of European art cinema, I like to consider it an artistic statement in photography, music and architecture. The modernist, functionalist spirit of booming 1960s Milan is captured marvelously as the stars walk aimlessly around apartment-buildings and state-of-the-art houses under the sounds of cool cocktail-jazz. In fact, I think that there are at least 10-15 scenes that, if 'frozen', could be seen as high-quality artistic photographs in and by themselves. It's the marvelous cinematography and the divine stars that render such movies immortal, even though they tackle such dated issues as the relation of intellectuals with politics and money, the role of art in overcoming modernity's excesses and the vulgar conduct of the bourgeoisie. Of course, the movie is rendered timeless because its main theme - alienation and intra-marital fatigue -is equally timeless. Marcelo and Jeanne go through one night flirting with other people and trying to hurt each other as much as possible because, in fact, there is no other way one can impact on the other's life any more. They fail to do this but this is not necessarily good: They end up back where they started, indifferent and apathetic. That they finally become conscious of this development is their only gain from the night. The dying friend is the catalyst for the couple to start examining its situation, but it is the ravishing Valentina that first shook them and forced them to go out of their way, finding alternative routes and employing other people in their doomed efforts to instill some new life in their relationship. What Valentina teaches them is that accepting your existentialist apathy is a good first step in dealing with your situation. But when she bids farewell to the audience with the words 'You have exhausted me you two' while the light goes gently down, we understand that even a young, inquiring person like her has already been surrendered to the boredom of modern life. For all the confessions that follow, the main issue of the movie is already resolved: It is more of an issue if the couple will face their situation, not if they can remedy it. Their feelings have disappeared, just like Valentina's lust for life and the dying friend, who passed away during the night.
Review of La Notte
