"You are the first woman on the first day of creation." Marcello Rubini
La Dolce Vita (1960) is an intoxicating tale of life in the fast lane.
Directed and written by Federico Fellini.
Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimée.
From the moment I saw the opening helicopter shot of La Dolce vita I was in love with the dark humor of Fellini's mad genius. Federico's directing and story telling style reminds me most of Luis Buñuel's brilliant satirical social commentary on mans most noble and selfish acts. Luis' Viridiana (1961) shares Fellini's love of pointing out man's doomed compulsive desires. These two film makers were in hot water throughout their careers with film censors, Catholic church, politicians and the moral police.
Anita is mesmerizing, portraying and making fun of herself in an Iconic, memorably reckless performance. Marcello subtly captures the cool, lonely, bored playboy who participates in the debauchery and decadence he is documenting for his publishers. The real star of the film is Fellini's directing. Federico manages to visually capture the hopeless search man has for meaning in life while desperately trying to fulfill his never ending materialistic desires.
The scene below is my favorite. It brilliantly captures and satirizes mans duality of good and evil. The helicopter pilot and the paparazzi accompanying him are trying to pickup girls sunbathing on a rooftop. It isn't until the end of the scene that Fellini reveals they are transporting a large statute of Christ with his arms wide open to the Vatican. Christ is eternally forgiving and accepting man's flawed nature.
Trivia - Federico Fellini conceived the idea for the film when one year he saw how the fashions made the women in Rome look like big flowers.
