'La Dolce Vita' | Critics' Picks | The New York Times

A. O. Scott reviews one of his favorite movies of all time, "La Dolce Vita," directed by Federico Fellini.
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'La Dolce Vita' | Critics' Picks | The New York Times
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[@prashunpcchakraborty70]

The ending always gets to me, the girl represents angelic, good virtues and true happiness but Marcello's hand gestures speak louder than words ever could "I guess this is my lot in life".

[@TheTMKF]

I'm pretty horrified to hear Scott say that you walk away from La Dolce Vita wishing you could enter the world of the film. Many critics have conjectured that each episode in the film is a descent further into hell. Marcello is not a role model. He's a womanizer who's ultimately drawn down and corrupted by a weakness in him. The final scene assures us that he is incapable of communicating with women, that he will never reach the innocent ideal on the opposite shore, that he is forever lost.

[@TheCinemaPixel]

Fortunately over symbolism is not the only way to appreciate a movie

[@beltranpons]

Finally! Thank you

[@brucejackson6451]

Scott isn't exactly the first person to want to emulate a less-than-worthy character in a movie. You put somebody up on an enormous screen, they leave an effect on you. For awhile in the '80s I wanted to be Michael J. Fox's character in "Bright Lights, Big City" more than anything, which would not have been a good idea. That's the movies; they touch something inside you that you didn't even know was there.

[@NathanLucas5]

How anyone watches the film and comes away thinking Marcello is a good person is beyond me. He's hopelessly flawed, he wants to be the intellectual Steiner but refuses to do what is necessary to accomplish that. He's weak, and as such never achieves what he wants, when it's well within his grasp. Not to mention he's a horrible person

[@bolso66]

NathanLucas5 it's well within his grasp if you read the self help books that you find in all good airports bookstores

[@BaringtonFilms]

If Marcello is your role model, you obviously didn't get the movie

[@FetaCheese222]

Totally agree. Marcello is the villain of this movie, and the world of the film itself is full of deceit, exploitation, and alienation. I'd rather live in Eraserhead's world than this one.

[@ramencurry6672]

True but you can also find these themes in the Incredible Hulk and Spider Man movies too.

[@capricosm8086]

FEDERICO FELLINI is a true genius of the Cinema.

[@DALILABOECHAT]

This is a masterpiece. It explores deeply every part of human nature.

[@slyslaughter5115]

Yes yes and yes

[@ramencurry6672]

No. It’s over rated. It’s not a bad movie but a lot of stuff is gimmick filler. There’s nothing wrong with that though. It has style that’s good.

[@dawson6196]

@@ramencurry6672 It's arguably the greatest movie ever made, far from overrated.

[@kimmr100]

A truly outstanding film and remarkable piece of cinema which has lost none of it power with the passage of time. Felini's magical compositions, the camera work and sets are true masterpieces. This is an astonishing film that reaveals more and each time you view it. Scott's review says it all - take a second look. The last few minutes of the film are hauntingly beautiful.

[@slyslaughter5115]

Doesn't it, though! have watched it every other year for 3 almost 4 decades. It reveals YOU everytime you revisit, too.

[@SoCalFreelance]

The new remastered and restored Criterion 1080p version is truly stunning. It looks like it was shot with a modern digital cinema camera.

[@kingkunta3800]

agreed ! bellisimo

[@wlouisharris]

This movie is so cool and chic. I'm surprised I didn't see this movie up until now. Very intoxicating movie. All the scenes are well orchestrated and gorgeous.

[@chochmah]

I taught myself italian just for La Dolve Vita & 8 1/2

[@isakdahl7054]

Wow.

[@luke9947]

Bravo hai fatto bene

[@leoinsf]

Great review! La Dolce Vita is my absolute favorite movie of all times. I can look at it 50 times a year and each time I am totally involved and find some truth about life I hadn't seen before. Fellini was the great destroyer of illusion: starting with the facile Italian dependence on the Catholic Church, but the inevitable lack of real involvement with it. Fellini was a fallen-away Catholic who battled in his films the kind of helplessness the Catholic Church gave its Italian followers as having all the answers when the reality is that just like Marcello (Everyman), we must attempt to find the answers on our own. The episode of the two little children who claim to see the Virgin is a perfect summation of Fellini's disgust with the superstitious hold the Church has on the Italian people. There is something about "eyes" that Fellini has grafted on this movie. In the opening we have the "eyes" of Christ peering at His lost children as his statue flies over Rome. There were the closed eyes of Marcello's friend (can't remember name) after he has shot his children and himself. The dramatic eyes of the two oriental dancers whose eyes are so dramatically portrayed. I could go on and on, but in closing: in my own interpretation: the eyes of the sea monster at the end of the movie were the eyes of Christ looking at His lost children and the eyes of the young girl who waves to Marcello is an angel who attempts to pull Marcello away from his "road to perdition." Finally, there are the eyes of Marcello that perfectly illustrates how "lost" Marcello is and how nothing is going to deviate him from his path to destruction.

[@MarcoBizzarro-po5ku]

Bravo la penso come te...alla fine il pesce è Cristo è la ragazza penso sia la figura della madonna che con un sorriso invita marcello a oltrepassare l acqua che li divide. ( BATTESIIMO)..infatti l attrice che interpetra la ragazza ha 16 anni come la madre di Cristo quando lo mise al mondo

[@robertprestoni2731]

It's difficult to take the critic seriously when he claims Marcello's meaningless life is desirable.... his choice at the end seems so utterly tragic to me

[@a.e.jabbour5003]

I would argue that Marcello's awareness of his emptiness and lack of a real port, it is an acknowledgement of the despair-ridden nature of human existence, We are ALL Marcello. We all battle with how and when and whether to come to grips with it. But the innocent, unviolated perfection signified by the girl at the end represents what life itself strips from each of us. The more we study and come to comprehend humanity, our status, our potentials (or lack thereof) -- all of that leads to not more knowledge, but to less and less being there for the taking. In my opinion, anyways, the more I've learned about people, about the world, about anything, the less existence itself has meaning whatsoever. I believe this is why we expend so much energy in making heroes, lifting them up, creating vast mythologies around them. Maybe if we have something to strive for, to worship, to admire, maybe then we can provide some sort of meaning to what is, otherwise, a meaningless, potinless, empty, short life.

[@mashtali1]

in this 3 hours you see the whole world and life.

[@stewartjones5624]

A O Scott relating himself to Marcello just made my day

[@joshmaxin7188]

my favorite too. More important than 8 1/2

[@Mr-ep2qi]

maybe

[@bucklakelukie]

Marcello is a terrible role model though. Look at how he treats Emma in that scene on the road

[@cristiandonadi1561]

he's not supposed to be a role model. He is vile, he is a concentrate of toxic masculinity and he is drowning in a rotten elite, with a beautiful facade tho

[@hofmannwaves1525]

yawn

[@YoungNino2017]

@@cristiandonadi1561 There's no such thing as toxic masculinity, only toxic femininity

[@Sabathela]

Anita is so beautiful...

[@Marco-tf4xk]

Capolavoro della nostra nazione

[@catandpiddle]

great post, thank you!

[@dynjarren7523]

Aaah! The Fountains of Rome! A Great Place for a Baptism! Where Christians were thrown to the Lions and the Roman Gladiators used to Fight to the Death. Fellini perfectly captured early Sixties Italy in this 3 Hour Slice of Life from that Era!💋💃🏼👠🍝 I wonder how much it has changed in the last 50 years and whether the changes are for better or for worse? A Great Film!

[@luke9947]

Now rome is like gotham city

[@pulx1481]

"la grande bellezza" will answer your question of how it changed over 50 years

[@real_Gi]

beautiful movie :)

[@65g4]

This is a great film

[@Ponyboy_Curtis]

"story of my life"

[@petrfrizen6078]

Sweetly lively commented. Sweet lively language and phrases! Mille grazie!🐳🌻🐬

[@nickstoli]

"He's a would be sophisticated intellectual slumming it in the tawdry world of entertainment journalism. It's the story of my life."

[@petrfrizen6078]

It is a very very very impressive fountain, indeed!

[@sarcasmo57]

That beautiful white kitten is probably dead by now.

[@jay1jayf]

probably?

[@kakenetit2]

Deader than a door nail.

[@nach0s]

Thanks, Alice

[@MrBillcale]

well duh it was 60 years ago they are all dead mastriani ekberg fellini long gone

[@cip5949]

@@MrBillcale Anouk Aimée is not

[@BirdArvid]

I was half-expecting a pay-wall on this video..

[@jasonbates217]

The purpose of an AO Scott is to corrupt the viewer's understanding of a movie that is about AO Scott and the hollow world of empty spectacle terrified by nature and innocence that he inhabits. What else could this straw headed scarecrow do?

[@EvertonRodrigues]

with all due respect, Marcelo is a misogynistic character and he is not supposed to be anyone's role model.

[@DITTOE]

relax you big baby

[@louiscampos9606]

In search of the perfect family

[@josephroma8300]

Anche io sono un po felliniano Lo capisco : anche io mi interesso per capire la realta', la donna il suo mistero ecc.

[@abcdefh1992]

@MsBarbarella1986 Don't forget Sergio Leone.

[@film-efundaaz7706]

After this the novel based literatures reinvent their Art??Julian Barney's style is influenced by this movie???God knows...

[@josephroma8300]

Anche io sono un po felliniano Lo capisco anche io mi interesso per capire la realta', la donna il suo mistero

[@dolcefarniente2702]

La Dolce

[@shellanon4212]

When u don,t know the premise Anita just looks drugged.

[@vershilpatel3813]

The film is a masterpiece except the last episode, i just didn't get it

[@franklarosa2570]

Loss of innocence that's out of his reach

[@RomyIlano]

❤️❤️❤️

[@JEntertainmentPictures]

Italian Uttam Kumar

[@jamesgarcia3555]

As an evil f-boy womanizer I realized as much as most of us womanizers want to leave w the blonde girl and have a pure simple clean life, start over. We’re like hopeless drug addicts. We can’t change and never will. Even as we age our expectations or caliber of women might go down but the mindset stays the same. That ending was heartbreaking and true. He wishes he could change but at least deep down he ultimately realizes it’s his destiny. Great tragedy..

[@ornellaguidotti3072]

Ma quanto fece scandalo quando usci'!

[@henkgroenen]

I did not like this film at all and at 3 hours very boring. I find it interesting that so many say it is the best movie ever. Beautiful filmed yes, but it bored me so much that i did not care anymore. What is the fun at looking at those parties without a connecting story? I loved "the nights of Cabiria" though, that had a great plot. But this movie is boring. Even more boring than Citizen Kane.

[@matteot.f4872]

Go see fast and furious type of film. You have to feel the scene, understand what you are seeing, that type of cinema isn t directm

[@sealife12]

@@matteot.f4872 fast and furious sucks butt. So does a lot of Italian cinema. Get over it.

[@Hritik9000]

@@matteot.f4872 bruh.....just because someone doesn't like a specific movie doesn't mean he is dumb I love all of Fellini films except La DolceVita, said that 8 ½ is one my favourite films.