Red Desert (1964): Cast, Box Office & Plot
Red Desert is a 1964 drama directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, starring Monica Vitti as Giuliana, Valerio Bartoleschi and Bruno Scipioni. It runs 1 hour 57 minutes and earned $19,333 worldwide.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 57m (117 min)
- Director
- Michelangelo Antonioni
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
Italian - Studio
- Federiz
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Red Desert About?
The premise of Red Desert without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Set in an industrializing Italian town, the film follows a married woman whose life unravels after a traffic accident leaves her mentally fragile. Beset by hidden cravings and unspoken longings, she begins a clandestine affair with her husband’s friend, exploring the limits of desire and devotion.
Red Desert Themes & Keywords
· 42 tags- factory
- ship
- color in title
- extramarital affair
- depression
- existentialism
- loneliness
- young woman
- psychic
- fog
- sea
- mother son relationship
+30 more Show fewer
- hypochondriac
- drug use
- beach
- man and woman naked in bed
- electronic music
- italy
- anxiety
- car accident
- dream
- husband wife relationship
- neurosis
- labor strike
- disillusionment
- downward spiral
- siren
- nuclear power plant
- existential loneliness
- existential poetry
- self image
- transcendence
- minimalism
- slow cinema
- oil rig
- petrochemical factory
- husband
- pollution
- psychological drama
- attempted suicide
- very little dialogue
- adultery
Red Desert Cast & Characters
Monica Vitti leads the cast as Giuliana, with Valerio Bartoleschi as Valerio and Bruno Scipioni. Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni; 19 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Michelangelo Antonioni
-
Monica Vitti as Giuliana - Valerio Bartoleschi as Valerio
- Bruno Scipioni
-
Richard Harris as Corrado Zeller
Also Starring in Red Desert
· 15 more- Carlo Chionetti Ugo
- Xenia Valderi Linda
- Aldo Grotti Max
- Rita Renoir Emilia
- Lili Rheims Telescope Operator's Wife
- Emanuela Pala Carboni Girl in Fable
- Giuliano Missirini Radio Telescope Operator
- Carla Ravasi Jole
- Bruno Borghi
- Beppe Conti
- Giulio Cotignoli
- Giovanni Lolli
- Hiram Mino Madonia
- Arturo Parmiani
- Ivo Scherpiani
More from Michelangelo Antonioni
More films directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, best-rated first: Blow-Up, Beyond the Clouds, Eros and Red Desert (1964).
Red Desert Plot Summary
What happens in Red Desert from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In Ravenna, Italy, Giuliana Monica Vitti walks with her young son, Valerio Bartoleschi, toward the petrochemical plant run by her husband, Bruno Scipioni. The scene unfolds among striking workers, towering vats, and debris that cast a disorienting, almost mechanical chorus of images and sounds. Inside the plant, Ugo is talking with a visiting business associate, Corrado Zeller Richard Harris, who hopes to recruit workers for a binary, far-off project in Patagonia, Argentina. The two men chat amid the factory’s clamor, and Giuliana arrives to be introduced; she departs to wait in Ugo’s office, a small distance that feels like a crossing between worlds.
Full summary
The whole story of Red Desert, scene by scene
Red Desert Box Office
Red Desert grossed $19,333 worldwide.
Worldwide gross
$19.3K
- International
- $18.6K
Red Desert Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette Three Reasons: Red Desert - The Criterion Collection
How Well Do You Know Red Desert?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actress portrays Giuliana in the film?
Red Desert Also Known As
23 alternative titles, including “El desierto rojo” and “O Deserto Vermelho”.
- Also known as
-
- El desierto rojo
- O Deserto Vermelho
- The Red Desert
- 붉은 사막
- Le désert rouge
- Deserto Vermelho
- Die rote Wüste
- Красная пустыня
- Den röda öknen
- Kızıl Çöl
- Червената пустиня
- Czerwona pustynia
+11 more Show fewer
- Vörös sivatag
- 红色沙漠
- Červená pustatina
- Raudonoji dykuma
- Rdeča puščava
- Червона пустеля
- 赤い砂漠
- Η Κόκκινη Έρημος
- Červená pustina
- 紅色沙漠
- Crvena pustinja
Seen Red Desert?
Movies Like Red Desert
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Red: The Dark Side, Red Sky and Rojo.
Red Desert FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of Red Desert, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Red Desert?
Red Desert runs 1 hour 57 minutes (117 minutes).
When was Red Desert released?
Red Desert was released on September 4, 1964.
Who directed Red Desert?
Red Desert was directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.
More films by Michelangelo Antonioni Who is in the cast of Red Desert?
Red Desert stars Monica Vitti as Giuliana, Valerio Bartoleschi as Valerio and Bruno Scipioni, among 19 credited actors.
How much did Red Desert make at the box office?
Red Desert grossed $19,333 worldwide.
Does Red Desert have a post-credit scene?
No. Red Desert has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Red Desert in?
The original language of Red Desert is Italian.
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