Based on a novella by Cesare Pavese, this is Antonioni's first venture with an important literary source. However, the screenwriters, Suso Cecchi D'Amico and Alba de Cespedes, expurgated much of the amorous, along with the utter bleakness of Pavese's tone. Le Amiche follows the lives of four young women as observed by Clelia, who has returned to her native city, Turin, to open a fashion salon. She throws in with a group of wealthy women, and their assorted mates, and discovers life among the advantaged to be a meaningless affair. Only Rosetta, an unhappy daughter of rich parents, succumbs to the social vacuum and commits suicide. Le Amiche marks the last time that Antonioni conceived of the script as an impregnable structure. Following this film, he incorporated improvisational techniques into his direction and staging. This is not to say that Le Amiche is stodgy in construction. Assisted by cinematographer Gianni di Venanzo, the film thrives on detailed composition and careful groupings of the characters within their milieu, establishing strong thematic resonance through visual movement. The interplay of characters is consistently fascinating, and the film has an ironic edge that makes it a true tragi-comedy of morals. One can still find something to die for in this film, the loss of love or the lack of meaning in life. In Antonioni's later films, life just was.