La Dolce Vita

La Dolce Vita (1960) is a film directed by Federico Fellini. Usually cited as the film that signals the split between his earlier neo-realist films and his later symbolist period. Lacking traditional plot structure, the film is a series of nights and mornings along the Via Veneto in Rome as seen through the eyes of its main character, a jaded society reporter named Marcello (played by Marcello Mastroianni). Marcello is a man who commits to nothing, as in his dealings with his simple, jealous lover (Yvonne Furneaux), a sophisticated woman (Anouk Aimée) with whom he has an episodic relationship, a beautiful bombshell (Anita Ekberg) whom he follows in her wanderings through Rome (including the notable scene of her night bath in the Fontana di Trevi), and a multitude of other characters that inhabit the Via Veneto. Marcello wants to quit his job as a gossip columnist and become a novelist, but he never seems to be able to concentrate long enough to make any progress on his serious writings.

Trivia

• the character Paparazzo, the news photographer (played by Walter Santesso) who works with Marcello, is the origin of the word used in many languages (normally in the plural, paparazzi) to describe these intrusive photographers.
• One of the major scenes of the film would turn around the relationship of Marcello with an older writer living in a tower, to be played by thirties actress Luise Rainer. After many difficult dealings with Rainer, Fellini decided to scrap the scene for good, to which the actress reacted furiously, complaining that she had "spoiled a priceless piece of cloth to dress this character that will never be!"
• In the "party of the nobles", attended by Marcello in a castle outside Rome, some of the servants and waiters (as well as some of the guests) are played by real aristocrats.
• The scene in the ancient-look-alike Roman nightclub, where Marcello makes his first advances to Sylvia (Anita Ekberg) also features an appearance by Adriano Celentano, who later on became famous in Italy as a singer and actor.