Monica Vitti, who was born in Rome in 1931, began her career as a stage actor before starring in the 1960 film L’Avventura, which catapulted her to stardom. Her fame and accomplishments are inextricably linked to that of Michelangelo Antonioni, the director who was also her boyfriend in the 1960s.
The pair developed a new look for post-war Italy during the next four years. Their films not only introduced a new narrative style, but also a new level of elegance. Vitti’s kitten heels and informal blouse-and-skirt ensembles exemplified modern femininity while also having a significant impact on the Italian fashion industry.
Below are some of the extraordinary films of Monica Vitti to admire.
1. L’Eclisse (1962)
Director- Michelangelo Antonioni
After an interminable dead-end debate, young literary translator Vittoria leaves her tempestuous affair with her writer fiancé Riccardo’s residence in Rome. Vittoria finds herself falling for the charms of self-absorbed young stockbroker Piero.After breaking free from an uncomfortable and useless relationship. Only to find herself in yet another ill-fated romantic connection. Finally, against the backdrop of an almost deserted city, the two reluctant lovers will face a terrible, unbearable reality: human connection isn’t always possible.
2. Red Desert (1964)
Director- Michelangelo Antonioni
Giuliana, a deeply dejected young mother on the verge of an existential breakdown. She seeks solace with one of her neglectful husband’s handsome associates, Corrado Zeller, against the bleak backdrop of Ravenna’s barren industrial wastelands. It is brimming with flame-belching factories and deleterious chemical fumes. Alienated and entirely disarmed by him after that terrible automobile accident, Giuliana starts on a short, shallow romance in the hopes of overcoming the insurmountable difficulties of her profound, yet quiet, mental suffering; nonetheless, her spiritual catharsis still appears so far away.
3. L’Avventura (1960)
Director- Michelangelo Antonioni
Anna, who is wealthy, is undecided about her feelings for her lover Sandro. On a yacht vacation around the Sicilian coast with her upper-class pals. All including her best friend Claudia, the group decides to visit a barren volcanic island. They notice Anna has vanished when the weather changes and they must leave the island. While the rest of the group returns, Claudia, Sandro, and another buddy stay on the island all night looking for Anna. They bring the coast guard the next morning, but Anna is nowhere to be discovered. Over the next few days, Sandro and Claudia hunt for Anna in various locations throughout Italy. Also developing feelings for each other and eventually becoming lovers.
4. La Notte (1961)
Director- Michelangelo Antonioni
Lidia leaves the hospital room in floods of sorrow, unable to come to grips with her friend Tommaso’s unquestionably severe situation, leaving her distinguished literary husband Giovanni with the patient. Later, the couple attends an elaborate cocktail party to celebrate Giovanni’s book release in an affluent villa in Milan, but Lidia, still reeling from the news, decides to stroll around the city’s deserted streets, returning to their former neighbourhood. As a result, over the course of a single day, the emotional distance, aloof indifference, and irritating inability to communicate will inevitably lead to the harsh and terrible truth: love alone isn’t always enough to prevent catastrophe.
5. Polvere di Stelle (1973)
Director- Alberto Sordi
Mimmo Adami and Dea Dani are two local professional dancers in post-World War II Italy. Their lives are turned upside down when American soldiers arrive in town in the hopes of being entertained in the Broadway style. They effectively fulfil their responsibilities. However, because the army soldiers must march north, Mimmo and Dea’s triumphant moment is cut short.
5. Modesty Blaise (1966)
Director- Joseph Losey
Modesty Blaise (Monica Vitti) is a secret agent whose hair colour, hair style, and mod attire change with the flick of a finger. She is getting deploy as a decoy by the British government to stop a diamond robbery. She’s being set up by the feds, but she’s smart enough to figure out what’s going on and enlists the help of her sidekick Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) and a few other friends to help her outsmart them. Meanwhile, Gabriel (Sir Dirk Bogarde), the diamond thief, is plotting his revenge on Blaise and Garvin from his island hideaway.
6. The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
Director- Luis Bunuel
Napoléon Bonaparte’s troops, earthly monks, dangerous snipers, and the strange disappearance of a beloved one metamorphose into banal instances of our daily existence as unusual, eccentric, and bizarre vignettes of mundane and seemingly innocuous conventions of our social and private lives succeed one another. With this in mind, the abnormal becomes normal, the apparent becomes hazy or even invisible, and the extraordinary becomes commonplace under such bizarre conditions. Is everything, however, always black and white? Is the spectre of liberty as real as it seems?
7. Accattone (1961)
Director- Pier Paolo Pasolini
Vittorio, the repulsive layabout and disgusting procurer, has earned his horrible reputation of “Accattone” by enduring a terrible, hand-to-mouth existence in the poor streets of an invisible Rome. Accattone is narcissistic and abusive, having never worked a day in his life and relying on easy prey to exploit; however, his world comes crashing down when Maddalena, his prize streetwalker and wretched breadwinner, becomes unable to work. Soon, sweet and wide-eyed Stella will take Maddalena’s place, and unscrupulous Vittorio will be able to pick up where he left off, but times have changed.
8. State Reasons (1978)
Director- Andre Cayatte
Professor Marrot discovers confidential documents providing evidence of unlawful weapon sales between the French government and two African governments, despite the presence of high-ranking official Leroi. Marrot finds himself under surveillance before to making the public announcement. Angela, his Italian companion and partner, steps in to save the day, and the game proceeds.
