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Blow-Up director Antonioni dies Blow-Up director Antonioni dies
(30 minutes later)
Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni, renowned for his 1966 release Blow-Up, has died aged 94.Italian film director Michelangelo Antonioni, renowned for his 1966 release Blow-Up, has died aged 94.
He gained two Oscar nominations for the iconic release, and was awarded an honorary Academy Award for his life's work in 1995.He gained two Oscar nominations for the iconic release, and was awarded an honorary Academy Award for his life's work in 1995.
His Italian language films, including La Notte, also won recognition during his career, which began in the 1940s. He was also nominated for the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, the Palme d'Or, five times between 1960 and 1982.
The director died peacefully at home on Tuesday night, according to his wife, actress Enrica Fico. The director died peacefully at home on Tuesday night, his wife, actress Enrica Fico, told La Repubblica newspaper.
Film critic Kim Newman paid tribute to the director, calling him an "important and fascinating film-maker".
Newman said Antonioni's best films were all concerned with "how awful Italian post-war society is, and how trivial and superficial everybody has become".
"But the films are so beautiful and the people in them are so gorgeous, you can't but feel, well, it would be really great to be alienated, lovelorn and miserable like that."
Savage critic
Antonioni was born in 1912 in Ferrara, a small town in the north-east of Italy.Antonioni was born in 1912 in Ferrara, a small town in the north-east of Italy.
He studied economics at the University of Bologna, but came to attention as a film critic when he savagely criticised the Italian comedies of the 1930s.He studied economics at the University of Bologna, but came to attention as a film critic when he savagely criticised the Italian comedies of the 1930s.
In the 1940s, he enrolled at Centro Sperimentale, Italy's national film school, and soon began working as a scriptwriter, collaborating with directors such as Roberto Rossellini and Enrico Fulchignoni.In the 1940s, he enrolled at Centro Sperimentale, Italy's national film school, and soon began working as a scriptwriter, collaborating with directors such as Roberto Rossellini and Enrico Fulchignoni.
International success
His debut feature film, Story of A Love Affair, was released in 1950, but he did not achieve international success until L'avventura (The Adventure) in 1960.His debut feature film, Story of A Love Affair, was released in 1950, but he did not achieve international success until L'avventura (The Adventure) in 1960.
The film, which won the special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of a group of couples who take a boat trip to an island off the coast of Sicily.The film, which won the special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival, tells the story of a group of couples who take a boat trip to an island off the coast of Sicily.
One of the party, a young woman called Anna, wanders off and becomes lost. Its premiere at Cannes was a disaster, with the audience jeering the film, but the critics loved it, and L'avventura went on to be acknowledged as a classic.
As they search for her, Anna's boyfriend and best friend become attracted to one another and eventually forget about their former companion. Paralysed
The film's premiere at Cannes was a disaster, with the audience jeering the film when they found out the mystery of Anna's disappearance would never be resolved. One of Antonioni's key themes was man's inability to distinguish between appearance and reality, and his films largely dispensed with traditional narrative structure.
But the critics loved it, and L'avventura went on to be acknowledged as a classic. In 1966, he signed a deal to make a trilogy of films for the English market with legendary Italian film producer Carlo Ponti.
The first of these was Blow-Up, in which a photographer appears to have uncovered a murder in his photos.
Shot in London, and starring David Hemmings and Vanessa Redgrave, it was his biggest international hit.
In 1985, the director suffered a stroke that left him partially paralysed, but he continued to work behind the camera.
"Filming for me is living," the director said.
His last cinematic release was 2004's The Dangerous Thread of Things, one part of a trilogy of short films released under the title Eros.
A funeral will be held for the director in Italy on Thursday.