Michelangelo Antonioni on DVD

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One of Antonioni's most undervalued films is finally about to see the light of day. Story of a Love Affair (Cronaca di un Amore, 1950), which was the first feature film he directed (after making a handful of documentaries), is being released on DVD for the first time in the U.S.

The noirish premise involves rekindling of a romance between a bourgeois wife and her downtrodden lover, played by Lucia Bosé and Massimo Girotti, respectively. Bosé's husband (Ferdinando Sarmi) tries to keep tabs on the matter with help from a private detective not realizing that the tide may be turning against him. Story of a Love Affair is an exquisite and surprisingly entertaining film (perhaps accessible to a few more due to its linear narrative), and it's astonishing to see the command Antonioni displays right from the get-go with his austere, yet beautifully composed shots consorted by laconic camera movements. No "neo-realism" here!

No Shame Films will release STORY OF A LOVE AFFAIR in a newly remastered 2-disc set on June 28th.

Extras will include:

- Restoring a Masterpiece – interviews with cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno and post-production technicians on the restoration process. (8 Mins.)

- Poster & Still Gallery—including behind the scene photos.

- Story of a Peculiar Night – The screening of the restored print in Rome, featuring director Michelangelo Antonioni, interviews with various film business people, including star Lucia Bosè. (29 Mins.)

- Identification of a Masterpiece— with assistant director
Francesco (Citto) Maselli, film critics Tullio Kezich and Edoardo Bruno. (114 Mins.)

- Fragments of a Love Affair – on camera visit of the shooting locations with 1st AD Francesco (Citto) Maselli, reconstructing the genesis of the film. (5 Mins.)

- Collectible Booklet with talent bios, two original interviews with Michelangelo Antonioni and essay by Academy Award Nominee cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno on the restoration of the film.