La Dolce Vita (1960)

Film: La Dolce Vita

Director: Federico Fellini

Country: Italy

Released: February 1960

Runtime: 174 minutes

Genre: Drama

Studio: Cineriz

Influenced: Bernardo Bertolucci, Jim Jarmusch, Pedro Almodóvar, Lucrecia Martel, Paolo Sorrentino

Whereas Rossellini captured Rome in its war-torn disarray, Fellini would memorialise the city more than a decade later in all its glittering, debauched glory. Much of the film was shot in the studio at Cinecittà but there were also various scenes shot on location, including the famous Trevi Fountain sequence, filmed during the winter months. This was Fellini's first time collaborating with Marcello Mastroianni and the actor, playing the lead role of journalist Marcello, was so cold shooting the scene that he had to drink a bottle of vodka to give him the courage to get into the fountain. His co-star Anita Ekberg, who plays Sylvia, was apparently absolutely fine with the water temperature.  

Ekberg splashing around in the Trevi Fountain is one of the film's many iconic scenes & set pieces, with Fellini capturing the essence of Rome in stunning black-and-white visuals. Another classic scene is right at the opening of the film, a long take that follows a helicopter as it carries a statue of Christ over the city of Rome. The shot immediately establishes the film's setting and its at times surreal tone, and is the first of many long, unbroken takes which create a real sense of immediacy with the action. One of my favourite examples of the film's surrealistic style is the scene where Marcello hallucinates that the party guests have turned into a group of frenzied demons.

Marcello is like a Dantesque pilgrim journeying though the moral wasteland of elite Roman society and the film's structure can be seen as loosely based on that of The Divine Comedy, with each of the film's seven episodes corresponding to one of the seven deadly sins. There are also several explicit references to Dante's work in the film, such as the scene in which Marcello and his friend climb into the empty shell of a statue of Jesus, which is reminiscent of the "empty shells" of the souls in the Inferno, while the group of women dressed in white are reminiscent of the white-robed souls in Paradiso. What makes Fellini's La Dolce Vita so groundbreaking is its innovative approach to storytelling, and its fragmented structure would be highly influential and inspire many filmmakers to experiment with non-linear narratives.

Another reason for La Dolce Vita's classic status is that it explores themes that are still relevant today, including the tension between traditional values and the modern world, the search for meaning and purpose in life and the corrupting influence of fame and celebrity (it gave rise to the term "paparazzi"). Marcello is a complex and flawed character whose journey is not straightforward, and whose actions are often contradictory, reflecting the complexities of human nature. The film was also groundbreaking at the time in its portrayal of sex and nudity, and pushed the boundaries of what was considered acceptable for mainstream cinema. Marcello's pursuit of pleasure is just as entertaining as his bouts of existential despair and boredom and we couldn't ask for a better guide on his journey than Fellini's camera.