La Notte

La Notte follows a single day and night in Milan in the life of Giovanni Pontano, a successful writer, and his wife Lidia. The two visit a dying friend, Tommaso, in hospital, then drift through the city as their marriage quietly comes apart. Giovanni attends a reception for his latest novel, where a businessman, Gherardini, offers him a job, while Lidia wanders alone through places from her past. At an evening party in the Gherardini mansion they separate again: Giovanni pursues Valentina, Gherardini's daughter, and Lidia is drawn into the attention of a young man. News of Tommaso's death reaches the guests, and the couple's estrangement surfaces at last.

Michelangelo Antonioni directed, and wrote the screenplay with Ennio Flaiano and Tonino Guerra. The film is the fifth of the thirteen he directed, following L'Avventura and preceding L'Eclisse. Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau play the couple, with Monica Vitti as Valentina and Bernhard Wicki as Tommaso. Emanuele Cassuto produced.

Released in 1961 and running 122 minutes, the film is rated 7.9 out of 10 on IMDb from 26,000 votes and 7.9 out of 10 on TMDB from 756 votes. A film critics' rating of 8.5 out of 10 from 31 reviews places it slightly above those audience scores, indicating strong critical standing alongside broad approval from viewers.