L' ECLISSE

The third of the trilogy which includes Lavventura and La notte, this is Antonionis ultimate comment on the alienation of man in contemporary society. It is best exemplified by the last part of the film, one of the great sequences in film history. Repeatedly excised by various distributors as «irrelevant», this is, in fact, the films monstrous
climax. The two protagonists have failed to «connect» and do not appear for their date. Instead, in 58 shots lasting seven minutes, we are subjected to an astonishing succession of empty streetscapes (at times referring back to earlier episodes in the film), signs, pavements, shadows, traffic lights, a darkening sky, and then night: a visual metaphor for the eclipse of man. (Amos Vogel)