Before seeing "Antonia," I knew nothing of the life lived by Italian poet Antonia Pozzi. As someone who has read and written poetry his entire life, I selected the film merely for the opportunity to see someone else work the craft. Little did I know what laid before me. The film was both tragic and distant. I won't speak too much about the tragedy lurking toward the end of this film, but I will address the distance put between the audience and what was happening on screen. Poets, like most artists, are gifted at documenting both life's ups and downs. To be really great at this craft, one often needs to possess a tortured soul. While a quick Google search will reveal the torture felt within Antonia, the film makers didn't do a superb job of opening the door for us. Instead, we are left to view minor upsets in her life with no real thought to the impact they were making. To me, this was a critical error and one that failed to make this film something that stays with you.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan