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Michelangelo Antonioni’s tetralogy of alienation on cinema screens in the People’s Republic of Poland: A study of the critical reception
- Source: Journal of Italian Cinema & Media Studies, Volume 12, Issue 4, Oct 2024, p. 559 - 574
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- 06 Jan 2024
- 10 May 2024
- 17 Oct 2024
Abstract
The People’s Republic of Poland, an undemocratic state that existed from 1947 to 1989, was politically dependent on the Soviet Union. It relied on its cultural policy of heavily rationing access to products made in capitalist countries; few exceptions were made to this policy, but of them, Italian director and filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni’s filmography was one of the most important, even though not all of his films were released to the Polish public until 1989. This article focuses on the critical reception of Michelangelo Antonioni’s ‘tetralogy of alienation’ in the People’s Republic of Poland during the 1960s and 1970s. Antonioni’s tetralogy comprises L’avventura (The Adventure), La notte (The Night), L’eclisse (The Eclipse) and Deserto Rosso (Red Desert). In this article, I examine how Polish critics grappled with the differences between the cinematic world depicted in these films and the realities of the ‘people’s democracy’ in Poland. I focus on the cultural reception of these films, utilizing reviews published in film magazines, cultural magazines and the daily press from the period.
Funding
- The Research Development Fund