La Dolce Vita

Watching “La Dolce Vita” was a two-fold experience for me: the experience of theatre in London and the experience of the movie itself. Prompted by Nericcio that the British prioritize the preservation of history, this was evident in the presentation of the film as a piece of art. For once, I felt that I was able to begin understanding film as art AND entertainment, rather than only entertainment. First, rather than showing the film at the 20 screen multiplex around the corner and treating it as another commodity to make a profit off of, the film is shown at the British Film Institute, just the same as museums house pieces of art. In the theatre itself where the film was playing, we had assigned seating and a curtain was drawn across the screen, just as it would be for a stage theatre. There was a full bar/restaurant in place of a concession stand and it was more similar to a lounge than any movie house I’ve been to in the States.

As for the movie itself, I had mixed feelings. I enjoyed it, but I felt there were things I didn’t understand, such as the significance of the opening scene of a helicopter carrying a statue of Jesus. The film showed the life of Marcello in scenes, rather than having an actual story line with a problem and resolution. The story presented in films rather than having a concrete story line made me think Fellini is presenting life just as it is. I think the title of the movie, which means ‘the sweet life,’ is important in understanding the film and its irony is seen in the suicide of Steine, the man Marcello looked up to as a role model. Marcello was envious of Steine’s lifestyle, family and career yet it was Steine who confided in Marcello his unhappiness with his life, killed his two children, and ended up committing suicide. Marcello, on the other hand, goes day by day living his life with a job he hates, a roller-coaster relationship, and haunted by childhood issues. Throughout the movie, we witness Marcello’s disappointments, mistakes, womanizing, and partying, but we never witness him experience triumph. It’s the irony of life that a person you think has everything is unhappy and the one who appears to be a failure is the one who chooses to keep his life.
---Marissa Verdeflor