La Notte is another of Michelangelo Antonionis cinematic interrupted journeys. Just as no one solved the central mystery in Antonionis LAvventura, neither does anyone truly enjoy the literary party that is La Nottes centerpiece. The party is being thrown to celebrate the publication of author Marcello Mastrioannis new novel. But before he even reaches the door of the house, Mastrioannis evening is ruined when his wife Jeanne Moreau announces suddenly she is disgusted with him--this reaction evidently triggered by an earlier visit to a dying friend. Moreau skips out on the party to wander the streets of Rome, searching for...for what? Meanwhile, Mastrioanni tries to inaugurate an empty affair with Monica Vitti, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. The very elements that drive Mastrioanni and Moreau apart at the beginning of the film reunite them at the end. Maybe. LAvventura and La Notte were the first two chapters in Antonionis barreness and alienation trilogy; the third, LEclisse, was released two years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide