La dolce vita (1960)
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A tabloid journalist navigates the decadent nightlife of Rome over seven days in a search for meaning.
The story
Marcello Rubini, a tabloid journalist, navigates the decadent and sprawling 'sweet life' of Rome over a period of seven days and nights. His journey takes him through various social circles, from high-society parties and elite intellectual gatherings to the bustling streets and glamorous world of film stars. Amidst the allure of fame, pleasure, and the fleeting connections of the city's nightlife, Marcello finds himself caught in a search for love and a more meaningful existence. The narrative unfolds as a series of vignettes, capturing the atmosphere of the Italian capital during the late 1950s, where the line between the sacred and the profane often blurs in the pursuit of the 'good life.'
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows Marcello Rubini, a journalist in Rome during the late 1950s. The narrative is structured as a series of seven episodes. It begins with a prologue of a religious statue flying over Rome, followed by Marcello's encounters with a wealthy heiress, a famous Swedish-American actress, and his intellectual friend Steiner. He covers a 'false miracle' involving the Madonna and spends time with his father and various socialites. The story culminates in a chaotic party at a beach house where he eventually becomes a publicist. The final sequence features a girl named Paola on a beach, where their communication is lost to the wind. The film explores the contrast between his life as a journalist and his aspirations as a writer, ultimately showing him choosing the life of publicity.
- Runtime (minutes)
- 174
- Production countries
- Italy
- Original languages
- Italian
- Directors
- Federico Fellini
- Writers
- Federico Fellini · screenplay; Ennio Flaiano · screenplay; Tullio Pinelli · screenplay; Brunello Rondi · screenplay; Federico Fellini · story; Ennio Flaiano · story; Tullio Pinelli · story
- Cast and characters
- Marcello Mastroianni · Marcello Rubini; Anita Ekberg · Sylvia Rank; Anouk Aimée · Maddalena; Yvonne Furneaux · Emma; Lex Barker · Robert; Magali Noël · Fanny; Alain Cuny · Enrico Steiner; Nadia Gray · Nadia
- Genres
- satirical comedy-drama
- Themes
- existential struggle; modernity vs. tradition; the emptiness of fame; sacred vs. profane
- Tone and mood
- satirical; melancholy; dreamlike
- Premise and plot tags
- journalism; tabloid journalism; Italian cinema; romance
- Reception
- The film was a critical success and worldwide commercial hit, regarded as a masterpiece of Italian cinema and one of the greatest films ever made.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 81; Metacritic · score: 95 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Awards and nominations
- Palme d'Or · Cannes Film Festival · 1960 · win; Academy Award · Best Director · 1960 · nomination; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · 1960 · nomination; New York Film Critics Circle · Best Foreign Language Film · 1960 · win; National Board of Review · Best Foreign Language Film · 1960 · win; BAFTA · Best Film from any source · 1960 · nomination
- Production trivia
- The 'dead sea monster' refers to the 1953 Montesi affair.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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