La Dolce Vita (1960)
A never-ending party you can’t wait to leave.
Presentation:
Federico Fellini brings Italian cinema to the international radar with a party of epic proportions. The film is split into about 7 chapters covering a man’s experiences trying to find his way in a socialite culture. The cinematography is mostly people centric occasionally mixed with Sergio Leone level framing. There is a massive amount of dialogue in this film to really convey Italian culture. As an introvert, I found the constant chatter mind-numbing and if you are an introvert, this feels like a party you can’t want to leave. This is because there are barely any moments to breathe throughout the arcs, bombarding you with nonstop dialogue, dancing and debauchery. If you like The Wolf of Wall Street or Babylon, this matches that energy for 1960. Parts of this film are not enjoyable, but that is also part of the design.
Analysis:
There are a few key moments in this film, which illustrate its purpose. The conversation with Steiner reveals that though he has a seemingly perfect live, he doubts his materialistic comfort and worries he doesn’t have spiritual fulfillment. He eventually kills his two daughters and takes his own life, illustrating that the life of meaningless partying is pointless. Marcello struggles to find purpose and connection as well through his love life, fiancé and most touchingly his absent father. This was the most powerful point the film for me and what makes it great. The paparazzis are also such a great touch to juxtapose with privacy, intimacy and connection.
Conclusion:
The best parts of the film are when there are finally moments of intimacy in contrast with the superficial commotion. If you are like me you may feel tired by the constant partying, but this is what makes the film effective albeit not something I’d want to watch twice. It was so long and though it’s good, it was no where near the level of Cinema Paradiso.
Recommendations
A never-ending party you can’t wait to leave.