L’avventura marks the first part of Antonioni’s modernist trilogy on alienation and is widely regarded by critics as one of the greatest films ever made. Few canonical arthouse films are as essential and influential as this one.
During a sailing trip off the coast of Sicily, a young woman (Lea Massari) mysteriously disappears. Her fiancé Sandro (Gabriele Ferzetti) and best friend Claudia (Monica Vitti) set out to find her. Their search takes them across a rocky, windswept, and desolate island, where the memory of Anna gradually begins to fade into the background. The premise may seem simple, but viewers expecting a traditional mystery will need to radically adjust their expectations.
Not only in its narrative but also in its visual language, this masterpiece was radically innovative. Instead of relying on dialogue or action scenes, Antonioni lets the images speak: the beautifully stylized shots of the raging sea, Sicilian landscapes, and volcanic activity say more than words ever could.