L'Eclisse (1962) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Drama	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1962
Running Time	125:47
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Programme
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Michelangelo Antonioni
Studio Distributor	Umbrella Entertainment	Starring	Monica Vitti Alain Delon Francisco Rabal Lilla Brignone Rossana Rory
Case	Amaray-Opaque
RPI	?	Music	Giovanni Fusco

Video (NTSC)		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (256Kb/s)
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.85:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	480i (NTSC)
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No
Subtitles	English	Smoking	Yes
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

     Michelangelo Antonioni’s L’Eclisse concludes with a dialogue free sequence of images lasting over 7 minutes that so confused or bewildered some US exhibitors of the film that they cut the sequence out entirely. This is missing the point of the film, for this sequence encapsulates L’Eclisse perfectly for it is a film about disconnection, ennui, aimlessness and the meaningless of modern life.

     As L’Eclisse commences Vittoria (Monica Vitti) has decided to terminate her relationship with her fiancé Riccardo (Francisco Rabal). Vittoria is bored and listless, unready for commitment; she is aimless and for the next hour of the film we follow her as she walks through the semi-deserted suburbs of Rome, takes a light plane flight with her friend Anita (Rossana Rory) and visits the chaotic and frantic stock exchange where her mother (Lilla Brignone) spends her time. After an hour of the film Vittoria meets stockbroker Piero (Alain Delon) and the two drift into a sparse, and rather meaningless, relationship. Life goes on.

     L’Eclisse was the third film in Antonioni’s “Incommunicability Trilogy” or “Trilogy of Alienation” following L’Avventura (1960) and La Notte (1961), all of which featured Monica Vitti. L’Eclisse was nominated for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1962; it did not win but the film tied with The Trial of Joan of Arc for the Jury Special Prize (something similar happened with L’Avventura, which was also nominated, but lost, the Palme d’Or but won a tied Jury prize. Antonioni would, of course, win the Palme d’Or for Blowup in 1966).

     In sync with its themes, L’Eclisse is a languid film where nothing much happens. It is a film of long, static takes with sparse dialogue and characters trapped within the frame of doors or windows, or partially hidden behind walls, or Vitti walking, isolated, in almost deserted streets and parks interspersed with long, loud, frenetic sequences within the stock exchange where the shouted calls and voices are so jumbled as to be meaningless. Individual people are there but there is little connection, a mood that the film captures effortlessly. Within this scenario Monica Vitti is the distant and listless blonde, beautiful but unconnected, sometimes seeming encouraging Delon’s more materialistic Piero, sometimes pushing him away, still afraid of connection.

     L’Eclisse is not a film for those seeking action, or indeed as resolution. Like life, L’Eclisse is unpredictable, wandering and open ended.

Video

     L’Eclisse is in the original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, 16x9 enhanced and NTSC.

     This is the last film Michelangelo Antonioni made in black and white. Detail is sharp and crisp, greyscales are good, blacks solid and shadow detail very good, brightness and contrast consistent. There are occasional small white marks but otherwise artefacts are absent. Film grain is present and pleasant.

     English subtitles are provided in a cream text. They can be removed.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio is Italian Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 256 Kbps. The film was released with mono audio at the theatre.

     Dialogue is clear although on a couple of occasions a sentence or two faded or increased in volume. Effects such as high heels on tiled floors are crisp and sharp. This is a film with lots of silences and the music by Giovanni Fusco is used sparingly. Hiss and crackle is not present. Obviously there is no surround or subwoofer use.

    Lip synchronisation looked to be occasionally off.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     Nothing. There is no menu, the programme starts when the DVD loads.

     The US Region 1 Criterion DVD of L’Eclisse has a range of extras – see the DVDBeaver comparison here.

     L’Eclisse is not for all tastes as it is filmmaking that all too accurately reflects the ennui and emotional disconnect of its characters. It is an art-house film, certainly not for those who require structure, narrative, plot or a conclusion, but it is very well regarded and currently boasts a critic’s score of 92% and an audience score of 90% on rottentomatoes.com. Monica Vitti is perfect and the film will reward those who are prepared to be patient.

    The print is very good for a 55 year old film, the audio is the original mono. No extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall