Scandal film of the 60s
Fellini’s cult film “La Dolce Vita” back in the cinema
Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Eckberg and the Trevi Fountain. Photo: Universum Film/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In “La Dolce Vita” Federico Fellini exposes the meaningless life of wealthy society. Now the classic is coming to German cinemas again. Why it’s still worth looking today.
Some films change the way we look at the world. For many, La Dolce Vita, a black-and-white film by legendary Italian director Federico Fellini (1920-1993), falls into this category.
62 years after its release, the film is now coming back to German cinemas in a restored version. Why does the film enjoy such cult status today?
First of all, Fellini draws a bitterly angry portrait of society in “La Dolce Vita”, which also teaches us things about wealth or the media business in 2022. In addition, the film is a rush of images. He comes up with breathtaking shots that look like artistically arranged photographs. A play with light and shadow, image sections and perspectives.
At the center of the story is Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni), a Roman tabloid journalist who is fascinated by the lifestyle of the rich and beautiful and who is also heavily involved in this world. We follow him at his infidelities, at parties or as he attends a candlelit séance with nobles at night. We accompany him with a glamorous actress who strolls through the streets of Rome at night and finally bathes in the Trevi Fountain. This bathing scene with Anita Ekberg became legendary.
torn
Again and again Marcello experiences the superficiality of these joys and strives for something higher – which he would see realized in a life as a writer. The camera picks up on this tornness. For example, when Marcello is standing in a villa, just sipping expensive cold drinks, then stepping onto the stairs and suddenly appearing imprisoned between the bars of the banister.
Once Marcello is on his way to a supposed miracle. Two children claim that Mary appeared to them. Arriving at the location, Marcello is, as always, surrounded by a huge crowd of obtrusive photographers. Incidentally, the term paparazzo comes from Fellini and this film. One of the photographers in «La Dolce Vita» bears this name. After that, the term became generally accepted for this particular type of press photographer.
The Vatican is said to have condemned the film for its offensive approach to sexuality at the time. Interestingly, many years later, according to a report in the newspaper “Il Messaggero”, Pope Francis named a film by Fellini as one of his favorites.
La Dolce Vita – The Sweet Life (Arthaus Classics), Italy/France 1960, 177 minutes, FSK from 12, by Federico Fellini, with Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée, Yvonne Furneaux and Alain Cuny