Perhaps the best example of a tenaciously creative director, who refuses to succumb to age or illness, is Italian master Michelangelo Antonioni. A stroke felled Antonioni in 1985, but instead of sinking into despair, he went back to work, reaffirming his motto, “To direct is to live.”
At 83, Antonioni showed his creativity in Beyond the Clouds, a film that flaunted a young glamorous cast and dealt with tangled sexual relationships. What made Beyond the Clouds notable was the fact that Antonioni directed it in the first place.
When insurance companies refused to guarantee the project, the producers hired director Wim Wenders as a standby. But from the very first day, Antonioni was in full control, angry at any interference.
It became a totally and singularly Antonioni film, reflecting his uncommon vision, detailed camera setups, unique sense of color, distinctive composition of frames.
