Michelangelo Antonioni's L'Avventura was laughed at and booed during its premiere at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival; after a second screening, it was awarded a Jury Prize. That pretty much sums up my sequential viewings of the film as well: this is definitely not an experience that most will enjoy or admire the first time around, at least not fully. The film's deceptive structure, self-absorbed central characters, dead ends, and lack of resolution all add up to the opposite of what most folks are looking for in a drama. But once we let go and just let all the negative space sink in, L'Avventura's apparent weaknesses just remind us that we weren't paying enough attention to the real story.

At first, we follow a group of wealthy, attractive young folks in southern Italy as they set out for a leisurely boat ride in the Mediterranean. Anna (Lea Massari) is chilly and impulsive: she doesn't connect very well with her family...and her relationship with Sandro (Gabriele Ferzetti), also along for the ride, is hanging by a thread. Forever intertwined with both of them is Anna's friend Claudia (Monica Vitti), who feels obligated to keep the peace but doesn't understand her constant cries for attention. Anna's latest impulsive stunt involves an impromptu swim near an island, where she feigns a shark sighting to watch Sandro come running. They stop at the island's tall, rocky cliffs, sunbathing and soaking in the atmosphere...and soon enough, Anna goes missing. After assuming this was just another one of her stunts, they comb the island but find nothing. Before long, it's as if Anna simply disappeared into thin air.

At this point, however, the 143-minute L'avventura has barely cracked the 45-minute mark, so one could say that their fruitless island investigation is where this story actually begins. The aloof Sandro seemed protective but only casually interested in Anna when she was around, mainly due to her impulsive behavior and unwillingness to return his affections on demand. Their sheets haven't even cooled by the time Sandro shows an interest in Claudia, who's initially shaken by Anna's disappearance and flatly refuses his strong advances. More out of obligation than curiosity, she travels with him as they search for clues to Anna's whereabouts. Perhaps she slipped on a rocky cliff, or accidentally drowned. Perhaps she fled the island to start a new life, committed suicide, or is secretly following them during their search. L'avventura's mission statement is that none of these scenarios really matter all that much...so anyone hoping for a tearful reunion or twist ending will be left frustrated, disappointed, or both. These characters, or what's left of them, simply move on with their lives and struggle with the same mistakes that they did before the tragedy.

I've softened on L'avventura substantially since my first viewing more than a decade ago; even more so after watching Criterion's sparkling new Blu-ray package, which renders their 2001 DVD all but obsolete. Featuring a flawless new 4K restoration that beautifully captures the film's striking cinematography, perhaps the only real disappointment here is that most of the bonus features are recycled from Criterion's DVD and laserdisc. But overall, this is terrific treatment of a film that's already celebrated its 50th birthday and die-hard fans will certainly appreciate the effort.

L'avventura's biggest strengths are purely visual and Criterion's Blu-ray shows them off beautifully. Framed at the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio, this new 4K transfer serves up a tremendous amount of image detail with textures that really pop off the screen. From detailed clothes fabric to the rough, unforgiving rock cliffs---which will just make you look even more closely for a glimpse of the missing Anna, to no avail---there are times when you'll simply want to stare at the beautifully framed and rendered compositions instead of pay attention to the dialogue. Contrast is remarkable and black levels are controlled enough to maximize shadow detail and overall depth. This is undoubtedly the best that L'avventura has ever looked on home video and one of Criterion's strongest efforts this year.

Though limited in fidelity, this Italian PCM 1.0 audio track does what it can with the source material. Dialogue is clear and easy to follow, music cues are surprisingly strong and neither one seems to fight for attention very often. Depth is even achieved on a limited basis, especially during outdoor scenes. No obvious hiss, clicks or other audio anomalies were detected along the way, rounding out the technical presentation nicely. Removable English subtitles, which were apparently sourced from a new translation for this release, have been included for dialogue and partial credit translation only. I can't verify their complete accuracy, but I can assure you that "forte" does not mean "racing".

Otherwise, it's just the same recycled material from Criterion's 2001 DVD and earlier releases. These supplements include an Audio Commentary by UCLA film professor Gene Youngblood (recorded nearly 25 years ago for Criterion's laserdisc release, which makes it one of the oldest commentaries still in "circulation"), the 1966 documentary "Antonioni: Documents and Testimonials", several Audio Readings of Antonioni writings by one-time collaborator Jack Nicholson, and the film's original Trailer. Optional English subtitles have been included for translation purposes only.

L'avventura is half drama and half visual tour de force...and occasionally, it's both at once. Those new to the director's work may a difficult time connecting with the central characters, though, as some of their baffling actions cripple suspension of disbelief. Yet the film's stunning locates are what really engage the senses during L'avventura, and Criterion's new Blu-ray offers a flawless restoration of material that demands it. It truly enhances this film's effectiveness, enough to likely win over first-time viewers sitting on the fence. Otherwise, this Blu-ray is only a marginal improvement over Criterion's 2001 DVD with a lossless audio track and only one "new" supplement. Die-hard fans will certainly want to indulge, though less seasoned viewers may want to rent this one first. Recommended.