La Dolce Vita

La Dolce VIta is a 1960 film written and directed by Federico Fellini. This film is widely considered as one of the best feat in world cinema. This film pinpoints the transition between Fellini's earlier neo-realist films and his later films. La Dolce Vita shows a series of events in the life of Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroianni).

Marcello has an affair with a woman (Anouk Aimee) . He also has a girlfriend (Yvonne Furnaux) who is possessive about him. One day, he goes on duty for the arrival of Sylvia (Anita Ekberg), a popular Swedish-American actress. As Marcello moves through the city following the star, we discover that his life is empty. We see that he writes meaningless things in tabloids. One of the most important character of this film is Steiner. Steiner is Marcello's dear friend and he is someone whom Marcello respects. One day,in Steiner's house Marcello meets with a bunch of pseudo-intellectuals. Steiner feels trapped by his own circle of intellectuals. When  Marcello tells him about his admiration for Steiner, Steiner replies  " Don't be like me. Salvation doesn't lie within four walls. I'm too serious to be a dilettante and too much a dabbler to be a professional. Even the most miserable life is better than a sheltered existence in an organized society where everything is calculated and perfected."

  Marcello Mastroianni gives a great performance as a shallow tabloid reporter who struggles to find his place in the world.  Anita Ekberg is a revelation as the charming superstar. Yvonne Furnaux gave a great performance as the reporter's possessive mistress. Nino Rota's musical scoring is another plus point of this    film. 

This film is a dense,complicated portrait of modern life.  This is a harsh critic of media culture.  This is also a film about nothingness ,emptiness.   The central character Marcello is both charming and weak. He has numerous affairs in his life yet he is never happy.  During this time, he betrays his girlfriend who truely loved him.  The film shows  how the modern man has become disconnected from the natural world . It also raises questions about the purpose of life. One of the best thing about Fellini is his ability to keep audiences interested in the unsympathetic characters of this film. This film is an epic satire on modern life. It is a highly enjoyable cinema yet it is so difficult to comprehend.