This movie ruined film for me.
For a couple of weeks after seeing "La Dolce Vita" at the Bay Theatre in Seal Beach, I tried to avoid seeing movies. Because I deeply enjoy film, however, I was unable to successfully sit out two weeks of viewing, so I saw "Broken Blossoms" and "Trainspotting". Due to the inexpressionable impression "La Dolce Vita" left in my memory, I was disappointed by both films (before you start screaming, "Trainspotting" is also in my top twenty of all time). Watching "La Dolce Vita" was like eating the greatest meal of my life: nothing tasted quite as good afterward.
This film engaged me at all possible levels. It was intellectually stimulating, with endless symbols and philosophical content. Marcello descends into a fantasy world every night, only to ascend to the harsh light of reality in the morning, over and over again. Women, religion, family, work, nothing offers real satisfaction, but only a temporary escape from the dull routine of life. Whether it is Steiner or his fiancé, Marcello ultimately finds that nothing is what it appears and that, when dawn breaks, he is back where he began, searching vainly for meaning until he is left with a life of debauchery devoid of hope, an unidentifiable monster of nature, unable to even comprehend hope or innocence.
It was also technically stunning. Many of the shots are among the most gorgeous ever committed to celluloid. Of course, the scene in the fountain with the beautiful movie star stands out, but so do many others: the ascent in the tower to overlook Rome, the aristocratic party in the old mansion. The acting is flawless, from Marcello down to the smallest bit part.
It was also entertaining. In spite of the heaviness of the philosophical material, Fellini successfully injected a surprising amount of humor. I found myself, and the audience around me, laughing out loud on a number of occasions. Anyone who isn't completely charmed by the night-time dance scene with the movie star is more jaded that Marcello at the end of the film. I found myself with a giant, irrepressible grin on my face at the conclusion of that scene, and realized that I, like Marcello, had been seduced by the beauty and joy of the moment.
This movie is perfect. People have criticized it for meandering about for three hours, but this is precisely the point. We are following Marcello, who is meandering through life, looking for something that he cannot find. At the end, he is left with a life as inexplicable and unattractive as the strange sea monster on the beach, and we are left with startling memories of an unforgettable film.
For a couple of weeks after seeing "La Dolce Vita" at the Bay Theatre in Seal Beach, I tried to avoid seeing movies. Because I deeply enjoy film, however, I was unable to successfully sit out two weeks of viewing, so I saw "Broken Blossoms" and "Trainspotting". Due to the inexpressionable impression "La Dolce Vita" left in my memory, I was disappointed by both films (before you start screaming, "Trainspotting" is also in my top twenty of all time). Watching "La Dolce Vita" was like eating the greatest meal of my life: nothing tasted quite as good afterward.
This film engaged me at all possible levels. It was intellectually stimulating, with endless symbols and philosophical content. Marcello descends into a fantasy world every night, only to ascend to the harsh light of reality in the morning, over and over again. Women, religion, family, work, nothing offers real satisfaction, but only a temporary escape from the dull routine of life. Whether it is Steiner or his fiancé, Marcello ultimately finds that nothing is what it appears and that, when dawn breaks, he is back where he began, searching vainly for meaning until he is left with a life of debauchery devoid of hope, an unidentifiable monster of nature, unable to even comprehend hope or innocence.
It was also technically stunning. Many of the shots are among the most gorgeous ever committed to celluloid. Of course, the scene in the fountain with the beautiful movie star stands out, but so do many others: the ascent in the tower to overlook Rome, the aristocratic party in the old mansion. The acting is flawless, from Marcello down to the smallest bit part.
It was also entertaining. In spite of the heaviness of the philosophical material, Fellini successfully injected a surprising amount of humor. I found myself, and the audience around me, laughing out loud on a number of occasions. Anyone who isn't completely charmed by the night-time dance scene with the movie star is more jaded that Marcello at the end of the film. I found myself with a giant, irrepressible grin on my face at the conclusion of that scene, and realized that I, like Marcello, had been seduced by the beauty and joy of the moment.
This movie is perfect. People have criticized it for meandering about for three hours, but this is precisely the point. We are following Marcello, who is meandering through life, looking for something that he cannot find. At the end, he is left with a life as inexplicable and unattractive as the strange sea monster on the beach, and we are left with startling memories of an unforgettable film.