i have always struggled to connect with the work of michelangelo antonioni on a deeper and on a fundamental level despite the fact that he makes films that contain elements that are generally catered towards my taste in cinema. i faced a similar struggle with this film and i didn't have the revalatory or transcendent experience that a film like this could have provided for me. perhaps, i just don't get antonioni or the films that he makes. other people seem to enjoy them but i can't get past the level of simply respecting the craft of the film. i really wanted to connect with this film on a deeper level and to enjoy it but i couldn't get on its wavelength. there are a couple of sequences that are just spectacular to behold as they unfold on screen. the level of technical mastery and beauty in those moments are quite stunning. the first of these sequences occurs as antonioni blends the past and present seamlessly using a recording of a conversation as a bridge between the two. the scene occurs as david locke recalls his initial interactions with robertson shortly after the film starts. the audio represents the present and the past simultaneously as what we are hearing occurred in the past but is being played in the present, in terms of what is happening in the film. the camera glides between the past and the present providing some much needed context for the film and creating a dreamlike state of affairs that is quite entrancing. the other stand out sequence is the second to last shot of the film. this 7 minute long take tracks out the window of locke's hotel room and then circles back as critical and climactic events happen on screen. this was pulled off brilliantly especially given what had to be overcame to achieve the shot. but there is a silent beauty to this shot as we realize that the inevitable events are coming down on the main character. a situation that could have been overplayed and over-stylized in many ways pays off with a subtle, yet effective approach. but, other than those two moments in the film, there was nothing that really grabbed my attention. the pacing seemed off too me as the film never seemed to fall into any rhythm. perhaps, at least to me, the characters were not interesting enough to sustain a compelling experience throughout the film or reveal something deeper about human nature. the fact that i couldn't connect with the characters meant that i couldn't really connect with the central relationships of the film. while the dynamics of identity at the center of this film could be interesting, the nature of them remained elusive and slippery to me. in the end, i admire the technique and craft at work in this film but i couldn't get past that level with this film. it wasn't one that i particularly enjoyed or an experience that i could say was particularly transcendent or special. perhaps it's just because me and antonioni just don't mesh well and are not operating on the same wavelength. perhaps, i am better off with other directors who utilize more contemplative cinema in my opinion.