L'Eclisse
A haunting masterpiece of modernist cinema where love dissolves into the architecture of Rome. Amidst the noise of the stock market and the silence of empty streets, Antonioni captures the eclipse of human feeling in the atomic age.
L'Eclisse
L'Eclisse

L'eclisse

"… the ache and ecstasy of love…"

13 April 1962 France 126 min ⭐ 7.7 (522)
Director: Michelangelo Antonioni
Cast: Alain Delon, Monica Vitti, Francisco Rabal, Lilla Brignone, Rossana Rory
Drama Romance
Incommunicability and Alienation Materialism vs. Spirituality The Atomic Threat Modernity and Architecture

L'Eclisse - Movie Quotes

Memorable Quotes

Due persone non dovrebbero conoscersi troppo se vogliono innamorarsi. Ma forse non dovrebbero innamorarsi affatto.

— Vittoria

Context:

Spoken to Piero during one of their intimate moments, highlighting her hesitation to fully commit.

Meaning:

Expresses the film's cynical view on relationships: that mystery is required for attraction, but connection ultimately leads to pain or boredom.

Non bisogna che capirci per volerci bene? E allora non occorre che ci capiamo affatto.

— Vittoria

Context:

Vittoria discussing the nature of their relationship with Piero.

Meaning:

Translated as: "Must we understand each other to love? Then we don't need to understand each other at all." It underscores the theme of incommunicability—love exists separately from intellectual understanding.

Vorrei non amarti o amarti molto di più.

— Vittoria

Context:

A moment of vulnerability where she admits her inability to feel with the intensity she desires.

Meaning:

"I wish I didn't love you, or loved you a lot more." A perfect summation of her ambivalence and the "lukewarm" nature of modern affections.

Ci sono dei giorni in cui avere in mano una stoffa, un ago, un libro, un uomo, è la stessa cosa.

— Vittoria

Context:

Vittoria explaining her sense of detachment and alienation.

Meaning:

"There are days when holding a fabric, a needle, a book, or a man, is the same thing." Highlights the reification of people—men are just objects among other objects.