A Brief Intermission

At the risk of disrupting narrative flow, I'd like to call attention to a pair of powerhouse retrospectives featured in the Sunday NY Times.

• The first is a look back at Michaelangelo Antonioni's career, and L'Avventura in particular, through the eyes of Martin Scorsese.
• In the second, Woody Allen gives a personal account of his encounters with Ingmar Bergman in true, but sincere, Woody style. He reveals Bergman to be somewhat more down-to-earth, and funnier, than one might imagine.

If you've already sat through my sentimental reminiscing, you should do yourself a favor and take it from two guys who know what they're talking about.

Further recommendations on the subject: Scorsese made a documentary a few years back called My Voyage to Italy. It's about his own personal experience with Italian film, both classic and obscure. The scope of his knowledge is borderline obsessive, and his attention to detail is well beyond that border. To hear the man talk about film, though, is absolutely riveting, and his enthusiasm is contagious.