The Mystery of Oberwald

Based on a play by Jean Cocteau, Michelangelo Antonioni's hitherto unreleased 1980 effort concerns a widowed queen (Monica Vitti) who falls for the man sent to assassinate her. But the real story here is the legendary director's early experimental use of video: shooting on tape, manipulating in post-production, and then transferring to film, Antonioni created bizarre color shifts--tinting whole scenes a ghastly green or blue--and ghostlike superimposed images. Between the melodramatic tale and stagy setting, though, the whole endeavor comes off like a cheesy soap opera. The real "mystery" is why the artist responsible for enigmatic classics such as Blow Up, L'Avventura and The Passenger would strain so much to such paltry effect. Strictly a curiosity piece for Antonioni fans. Not recommended. (T. Rich)