I can understand why this film has received 10/10 - it's excellent.
Perhaps the most surprising element is the ending - it's in such strong contrast to the rest of the film, that it is akin to a psychological 'splitting off' by the main character, Niccolo. As he gazes into his own imaginary world, he experiences, in imagined dialogue with his nephew, a scenario from a film he may direct - a spaceship flies towards the sun, which appears to explode or expand, and fantasises about receiving the answers 'to so many things'.
It links in with the 'sun expanding' headline glimpsed from a newspaper earlier in the film, and works well for this ground being set for it.
I cannot decided whether this ending is bleak or hopeful - whether he escapes into a world of fantasy because of his inability to face up to the pain involved in looking at his impotence in resolving the relationship issues in his life; or whether it is a transcendental ending, in which he uses his situation to plunge into a creative world.
It's this ambiguity (and lack of didactic intent from Antonioni) which gives the film its quality and power.
Perhaps the most surprising element is the ending - it's in such strong contrast to the rest of the film, that it is akin to a psychological 'splitting off' by the main character, Niccolo. As he gazes into his own imaginary world, he experiences, in imagined dialogue with his nephew, a scenario from a film he may direct - a spaceship flies towards the sun, which appears to explode or expand, and fantasises about receiving the answers 'to so many things'.
It links in with the 'sun expanding' headline glimpsed from a newspaper earlier in the film, and works well for this ground being set for it.
I cannot decided whether this ending is bleak or hopeful - whether he escapes into a world of fantasy because of his inability to face up to the pain involved in looking at his impotence in resolving the relationship issues in his life; or whether it is a transcendental ending, in which he uses his situation to plunge into a creative world.
It's this ambiguity (and lack of didactic intent from Antonioni) which gives the film its quality and power.