Attraction

Attraction, also known as Nerosubianco, is an iconic Italian film from the year 1969 that corners the genre of surreal avant-garde cinema. Directed by the distinctive and forward-thinking Tinto Brass, the movie presents a unique, unprecedented blend of social commentary, European arthouse style, and elements of pop art. The story primes center stage on its compelling albeit quirky lead characters played by Anita Sanders, Terry Carter, and Nino Segurini. However, it is essential to note that Attraction, much like its emblematic counterparts in the surreal and symbolic realm of cinema, stretches far beyond the conventions of believable, linear narratives.

Anita Sanders plays Barbara, an endearing blonde British tourist visiting Italy's romantic capital, Rome. Her character arcs eloquently into the movie's central narrative, where she becomes the focal point amidst a jumble of beautifully shot montages, groovy pop-rock music, and thought-provoking imagery. Terry Carter plays the role of the enigmatic 'Stranger,' an African-American man who befriends Barbara and shares with her a series of captivating adventures and experiences in the Eternal City.

One of the central themes underlying Attraction is the varying dimensions of love and attraction, often unconventional, unexpected, and confusing. The movie delves deep into the intricate labyrinth of human emotions and desires, exemplified through quirky and riveting scenes featuring Barbara and the Stranger. Their budding relationship is powerfully depicted through a wild melange of seemingly random yet profound sequences. This bromide of convoluted scenes tempt the spectator to perceive the film as an assemblage of individual moving pictures rather than a continuous storyline, though it covertly builds up a narrative that is as intricate as it is elusive.

While flirting with the sensuality and eroticism prevalent in Brass’s movies, Attraction also dives into the cultural and social upheavals of the time. It's an unconventional cinematic exploration of race, class, and societal norms, exuding wide spectrum liberalism. The choice of an African-American man as one of the protagonists symbolizes the imminent rise of the civil rights movement in the US during the 1960s while also commenting on the subject of racial harmony, prejudices, and stereotypes.

Nino Segurini, playing himself, conveys a semblance of a director's alter-ego in the film's ensemble, although his role on the surface appears markedly light-hearted and comedic. His incursion into the narrative seems to blend the distinction between fiction and reality, adding another layer to the movie's complex and allegoric oeuvre.

The narrative of Attraction is enlivened by spellbinding cinematography, setting into motion an extravagant visual cosmos. From the soft-focus shots and close-ups to abnormal camera angles, each frame is meticulously conceptualized and executed. The use of bright and contrastive colours breathes life into scenes, making them splendidly vibrant and kitschy, adding an element of pop art to its stylistic repertoire.

Equally gripping is the film's musical score that weaves well with its rhythmic visual storytelling. The Freedom, a British pop-rock band of the time, envelops the movie with tracks oscillating between moody and electrifying. The music's engaging rhythm builds an authentic 60s ambience that resonates with the story's central theme of love, loss and the wonder of life.

Furthermore, the intricate edit techniques manifest the film's disruptive approach, as scenes flit effortlessly from one to another, creating a bewildering yet oddly satisfying sense of discontinuity. It flaunts fragments, freeze frames, repetitions, inter-cutting, and other nonconforming techniques that amplify the film's invigorating visual language.

Straddling a fine line between reality and imagination, Attraction tiptoes around its narrative, obscuring the line between what is happening and what might be happening. It's an influential ballet of contrasts, underscored by magnificent visuals, evoking a sense of awe and confusion in harmonious symphony.

Brass's Attraction is a groundbreaking film, one that defies conventional movie making. For those with a taste for the experimental, this tantalizing piece of cinematic art continues to intrigue and inspire. The film explores human experiences, anxieties, and dilemmas with a magnifying glass, all while maintaining a firm grip on its distinctive style.