Time with Antonioni

Author: Wim Wenders
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: Michelangelo might be difficult to deal with, sometimes even emotionally hurtful, but he was never lenient with himself. I remember a frequently quoted line of his—no one knows when he said it—"Life means only one thing to me: making movies." He proved this to us, and the way he proved it demanded that each of us do the same, at least during the making of this film. Perhaps it's a, but I feel as if Michelangelo's vocabulary grew with this film. Wenders is one of the "Four Masters of German New Cinema," and Antonioni (1912–) is a world-famous Italian director and a representative figure of 20th-century cinema. From the 1940s to the early 1980s, Antonioni directed nearly 30 films, including classics such as L'Avventura, La Notte, L'Eclisse, Red Desert, and Blow-Up. A stroke in 1985 left Antonioni physically unable to move and robbed him of the ability to speak or write, forcing him to rely on sketches. As a result, he withdrew from the film industry for a decade. In 1994, he reignited his creative passion, and with Wenders' assistance, returned to the director's chair for Beyond the Clouds. This book is Wenders' diary written during the filming of the movie, filled with his meticulous insights and deep admiration for Antonioni. It truthfully and movingly documents the completion process of a renowned contemporary film. It's a book by a film master about another film master, but it's not just a description or critique of the person and their work. Instead, it's a unique record of the intellectual, spiritual, and technical exchanges, collisions, and eventual fusion between the two masters during their collaboration. In the history of cinema, such a record is unparalleled. At the same time, Wenders provides a detailed account of the many details involved in bringing a film to life—from every on-screen and off-screen aspect, the relationships within the entire team, the friction and communication between people, the handling of certain filming techniques, and how to respond to unexpected situations. Without complex theories or concepts, anyone with even a slight understanding of film terminology can easily and enjoyably read it, learning how a film is born.