If the 18th century was the century where poetry was the dominant narrative art form, the 19th century was dominated by the novel, and last century was owned by the film — especially those of giants like Antonioni. What art form will take the mantle this century may not have even been developed, but it will have a hell of a long way to go to match the greatness of a film like this, for, with each successive art form, the complexity of the narrative increases, even if poetry today is almost solely lyrical, thus not even competing in the same area.

The Red Desert stands not only as a triumph in the master’s oeuvre, to equal his other masterworks, La Notte and Blowup, but as one of the great films and art works of all time, equal to the very best, and superior to most, be they the best plays of Shakespeare, the best symphonies of Beethoven, or the best paintings of Picasso. Trust me on this, for time will avail both this work of cinema, and my assessment.