The film La Dolce Vita is about a "Journalist and man-about-town Marcello struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer. Written by Jeff Lewis" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053779/plotsummary)
From what we were able to watch of the movie in class today I believe showcased what it is and was to be a paparazzi photographer in the 1960's. I think it also holds some relevance to today's paparazzi and how they act and are stereotyped. We watched one scene from the movie where the paparazzi were chasing the American celebrity down a small road crazily trying to capture that image of her for whatever publication they happen to be working for. That scene for me brought back memories for the car chase from paparazzi that killed Princess Diana a few years ago. Another scene that we watched had the female American movie star sitting in a room full of photographers and press reporters asking questions and snapping photographs as she flirted and moved around the room answering those questions. In that particular scene she reminded me of how many of the celebrities today act in front of the press when they know they are being photographed or filmed and are wanting the attention, Paris Hilton is a prime example of that behavior. All in all there are many scenes within the film that relate to today as well as what was going on back then.
In looking up reviews on this movie there are a lot of mixed reviews about the film itself, somewhere good, some were bad and most of them you could tell were very bias. The following are excerpts of some persons reviews of the film.
Complex And Rambling, 22 May 2009
Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas
Mostly because of the terrific high contrast, B&W visuals, and the evocative music, this is the only Fellini film I have seen that I have somewhat enjoyed. I recommend it, but not without reservations. It's a complex film with many textured layers of meaning. And, in typical Fellini fashion, it rambles and it meanders. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053779/reviews)
A sprawling epic satire on what Fellini considered the spiritual malaise of modern society…, 12 August 2005
Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
Long considered a major filmmaker, Federico Fellini established his reputation through an insistence on the interest-value of his own fantastic and idiosyncratic vision of the world… In so doing, however, he repeatedly lays himself open to charges of egomania, self-indulgence and superficiality; certainly much of his work, if visually extraordinary, is hyperbolic, naïve and incoherent…
I'm with 'The Emperor', 16 July 2005
Author: Slocum from United States
For this film to work, it seems to me that it has to be able to seduce you. You have to feel the appeal of the 'sweet life'. But I found nothing that did that--the homes of the 'rich' seem pretty mundane and tattered and the party guests not particularly attractive or witty. Nothing glitzy or fabulous. And Anita Ekberg? She seems less like a free spirit than someone trying to fake it. Has there ever been a scene performing musicians that were more obviously not actually playing their instruments than the band in the Rock and Roll dance scene? The aliens in the 'Star Wars' bar scene were much more convincing. I found myself trying to figure out if it was *supposed* to look fake and ridiculous--and had to conclude that it wasn't.
No comments:
Post a Comment