Set #4 takes us to London in 1966 for this edition of Auteur Tennis as both directors explore a murder mystery. They also enlisted jazz giants to handle the soundtracks: Herbie Hancock (Antonioni) and Quincy Jones (Lumet). And they each cast a Redgrave sister, although Vanessa’s role is much larger than Lynn’s. London. Jazz. Murder. Redgraves. This should be interesting.

Antonioni strolls out quickly, looking hip and stylish. Antonioni pretends to serve as the crowd waits for Lumet, who arrived on a court in a different region. After finally getting Lumet in the right region, Antonioni yanks Blow Up out of his bag, while Lumet introduces The Deadly Affair, adapted from a John Le Carre novel. The DVD for The Deadly Affair is unfortunately not available in a US format.

Antonioni establishes his characteristic style early while having some fun with the world of fashion photography. The seemingly long setup allows us the chance to experience the photographer Thomas’s (David Hemmings) life before it is changed, but if you’re running late, pop in at about the 25-minute mark and you’ll still be able to follow along. Even after seeing the film a few times, I have trouble remembering anything of importance during those first 25 minutes, while the rest of the film sticks with me.

Lumet gets off to a quick start, having his murder (or the possibility of it) happen right off the bat. The viewer doesn’t see the death, but hears about it from Charles Dobbs (James Mason), a secret agent who had been interviewing the now-deceased for a high security post. Charles has a strange relationship with his wife Ann. They, or rather he, have intimacy issues. It could have been an interesting element in the film but the way their relationship is introduced is akward rather than intriguing. Point goes to Lumet, however, for jumping right into the action.

Lumet’s next serve is a bit too neat. He sets up the affair but then has Charles go off in full pursuit of the mysterious death for the bulk of the film. There is little reason to care about the affair, and to call it deadly is a bit of a stretch. The deadly doesn’t modify the affair, unless you use affair in the broadest way possible, as in the whole affair of these characters in this situation. Fortunately, for the viewer, a new character is introduced that helps carry the film the rest of the way. Harry Andrews as Inspector Mendel adds freshness to this otherwise dull story. He alone made the film worth watching.

Antonioni fires right back by getting in the thick of his mystery. Thomas stumbles upon a romantic walk in the park involving Jane (Vanessa Redgrave) and an older man. After unsuccessfully trying to hide while clicking photos of the couple from behind trees, Jane runs over to Thomas and demands the roll of film. She eventually teases the roll of film out of him, but he was smart enough to swap rolls. He spends a good deal of time developing the photos and looking at them. Enlarging them and looking at them. Romping nude with young, mod women. Looking at the photos again. Point goes to Antonioni for building the suspense and adding variety, all while looking stylish.

Antonioni’s final shot takes Thomas back to the park at night, where he finds the dead body of the older man. Upon his return to his hip urban loft, he discovers all the photos have been taken. He hops in his car and spots Jane, who disappears into a crowd. By the time Thomas returns to the park the next day, the body is gone. Like any good Antonioni film, the point isn’t solving the mystery, it is opening the door to a new way of seeing things, such as a pretend tennis match (extra bonus points to Antonioni for including a tennis scene).

Lumet attempts to get back in the game with gunfire and rain in the dark but it’s not enough to counter the unsolved mystery that Antonioni put on the line. While the mystery of The Deadly Affair is solved and life goes on, it doesn’t leave much to ponder other than what other films has Harry Andrews appeared in. Point and set go to Antonioni, tying the match at 2-2.

Next up: Set #5, The Passenger and Dog Day Afternoon