La Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita is not a film for everyone. It is a three-hour long portrait of the era and life of the high society. And it is of course quite good at that. It features certain scenes and musical themes that influenced the entire film industry, and have not grown old in decades. Some moments are a real pleasure to watch. But it’s still not enough for me to give it more than three stars. I understand that the message lies in the atmosphere of the times, but the filmmaking craft is not enough when the film lacks a soul and a story that would draw me in. Here I just watch people I don’t care about wasting their lives. They are of course unaware of it, and that’s why the film is called the way it is. (01/14/2020)

Sometimes I struggle with these long-standing acclaimed films because I don't see their merit, and they don't entertain me. However, Federico Fellini directed a film that is narratively engaging, even though it's nearly three hours long. This opus about society, with its beautifully biting critique, is just something you have to appreciate. (03/27/2015)

Some people don’t know what the three hours of La Dolce Vita are about, and yet it’s evident in every elaborate shot, in every sweet sounding Italian line packed with multiple meanings, and in every facial gesture that the bohemian, doomed paparazzo Marcelo Mastroianni conjures up on his charismatic face. A brilliantly constructed and harmonic story, where Fellini manages to turn countless bitterly symbolic scenes into iconic and often quoted moments of world cinema thanks to their visual perfection and universally accessible melodramatic character. The blonde diva bathing in the fountain while the blinded Marcello fetches milk for a stranger's kitten at her request, the hordes of journalists circling the social elite like annoying flies, the abuse of a drunken girl for a humiliating dance and finally the ending itself, when the hero, despite the sea surf and the screams of his companions, does not understand the words of the unspoiled young girl and turns his back on her, facing his moral doom. All of these are wonderful cinematic and unforgettable scenes that of course make for a delightful, or rather, sweet viewing experience. 95% (10/04/2015)

After Nights of Cabiria and 8 1/2, I had the opportunity to see La Dolce Vita, a film praised in all the reviews, and I expected something special and memorable, but I was also worried that this film would miss its mission by a large arc. And actually, I was not wrong about either. Fellini's directorial talents can be felt in many scenes, and some passages are absolutely legendary, the Trevi Fountain or the final "orgy", for example. Unfortunately, I got quite lost in the plot in places and some scenes were incomprehensible to me. So I'm on the fence about the rating. It's an incredibly long film and at times hard to digest, but on the other hand it's a truly fine piece of art. In short, a film that I can appreciate, but unfortunately not value. (08/27/2011)

While some scenes and the fates of some of the characters probably appealed to me exactly as they should have, I was rather bored for most of the drawn-out, gigantically overblown runtime. Not enough to keep me from making it to the end, but still enough. I will gladly give La dolce vita another chance, because it definitely needs it, but I won't be in a rush to do it.__P.S. Beautiful music by Rota. (07/17/2011)