''La Dolce Vita'' (;

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

for "the sweet life" or "the good life"Kezich, 203) is a 1960

satirical Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming or ...

comedy-drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed and co-written (with

Ennio Flaiano Ennio Flaiano (5 March 1910 – 20 November 1972) was an Italian screenwriter, playwright, novelist, journalist, and drama critic. Best known for his work with Federico Fellini, Flaiano co-wrote ten screenplays with the Italian director, including ...

Tullio Pinelli Tullio Pinelli (24 June 1908 – 7 March 2009) was an Italian screenwriter known for his work on the Federico Fellini films ''I Vitelloni'', ''La Strada'', '' La Dolce Vita'' and '' 8½''. Biography Born in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, Pinelli beg ...

and Brunello Rondi) by

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and most ...

. The film stars

Marcello Mastroianni Marcello Vincenzo Domenico Mastroianni (28 September 1924 – 19 December 1996) was an Italian film actor, regarded as one of his country's most iconic male performers of the 20th century. He played leading roles for many of Italy's top di ...

as Marcello Rubini, a tabloid journalist who, over seven days and nights, journeys through the "sweet life" of

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

in a fruitless search for love and happiness. The screenplay, written by Fellini and three other screenwriters, can be divided into a

prologue A prologue or prolog (from Greek πρόλογος ''prólogos'', from πρό ''pró'', "before" and λόγος ''lógos'', "word") is an opening to a story that establishes the context and gives background details, often some earlier story that ...

, seven major episodes interrupted by an intermezzo, and an

epilogue An epilogue or epilog (from Greek ἐπίλογος ''epílogos'', "conclusion" from ἐπί ''epi'', "in addition" and λόγος ''logos'', "word") is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature, usually used to bring closure to the ...

, according to the most common interpretation.Cf. Bondanella 1994, p. 143 and Kezich, p. 203 Released in Italy on 5 February 1960, ''La Dolce Vita'' was both a critical success and worldwide commercial hit, despite censorship in some regions. It won the

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

at the

1960 Cannes Film Festival The 13th Cannes Film Festival was held from 4 to 20 May 1960. The Palme d'Or went to the '' La Dolce Vita'' by Federico Fellini. The festival opened with '' Ben-Hur'', directed by William Wyler. Jury The following people were appointed as the Ju ...

and the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

for Best Costumes. It was nominated for three more

Oscars The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, including Best Director for Federico Fellini, and

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...

. Its success proved a watershed moment for Italian cinema and European cinema-at-large, and it has come to be regarded as a masterpiece of

Italian cinema The cinema of Italy (, ) comprises the films made within Italy or by Italian directors. Since its beginning, Italian cinema has influenced film movements worldwide. Italy is one of the birthplaces of art cinema and the stylistic aspect of film ha ...

and one of the greatest films of all time.

Plot

Prologue

''1st Day Sequence'': A helicopter transports a statue of Christ over an ancient Roman aqueduct outside Rome while a second, Marcello Rubini's news helicopter, follows it into the city. The news helicopter is momentarily sidetracked by a group of bikini-clad women sunbathing on the rooftop of a high-rise apartment building. Hovering above, Marcello uses gestures to elicit phone numbers from them but fails in his attempt. He then shrugs and continues following the statue to

Saint Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood ( rione) of Borgo. ...

Episode 1

''1st Night Sequence'': Marcello meets Maddalena by chance in an exclusive nightclub. A beautiful and wealthy heiress, Maddalena is tired of Rome, while Marcello finds it suits him. They make love in the bedroom of a prostitute whom they had given a ride home in Maddalena's Cadillac. ''1st Dawn Sequence'': Marcello returns to his apartment to find that his fiancée, Emma, has overdosed. On the way to the hospital, he declares his everlasting love to her and again as she lies in a semiconscious state in the emergency room. While waiting frantically for her recovery, however, he tries to make a phone call to Maddalena.

Episode 2

''2nd Day Sequence'': That day, he goes on assignment for the arrival of Sylvia, a famous Swedish-American actress, at

Ciampino airport Ciampino () is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio, Italy. It was a ''frazione'' of Marino until 1974, when it became a ''comune''; it obtained the city ( it, città) status (being therefore officially known as Citt� ...

where she is met by a horde of news reporters. During Sylvia's press conference, Marcello calls home to ensure Emma has taken her medication while reassuring her that he is not alone with Sylvia. After the film star confidently replies to the barrage of journalists' questions, her boyfriend Robert enters the room late and drunk. Marcello casually recommends to Sylvia's producer that she be taken on a tour of St Peter's. Inside St Peter's dome, a news reporter complains that Sylvia is "an elevator" because none of them can match her energetic climb up the numerous flights of stairs. Inspired, Marcello maneuvers forward to be alone with her when they finally reach the balcony overlooking

St. Peter's Square Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood ( rione) of Borgo. B ...

. ''2nd Night Sequence'': That evening, the infatuated Marcello dances with Sylvia in the

Baths of Caracalla , alternate_name = it, Terme di Caracalla , image = File:Baths of Caracalla, facing Caldarium.jpg , caption = The baths as viewed from the south-west. The caldarium would have been in the front of the image , coordinates = ...

. Sylvia's natural sensuality triggers raucous partying while Robert, her bored fiancé, draws caricatures and reads a newspaper. His humiliating remark to her causes Sylvia to leave the group, eagerly followed by Marcello and his paparazzi colleagues. Finding themselves alone, Marcello and Sylvia spend the rest of the evening in the alleys of Rome, where they wade into the

Trevi Fountain The Trevi Fountain ( it, Fontana di Trevi) is an 18th-century fountain in the Trevi district in Rome, Italy, designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini and several others. Standing high and wide, it is the lar ...

. ''2nd Dawn Sequence'': Like a magic spell that has suddenly been broken, dawn arrives at the very moment Sylvia playfully "anoints" Marcello's head with fountain water. They drive back to Sylvia's hotel to find an enraged Robert waiting for her in his car. Robert slaps Sylvia, orders her to go to bed, and then assaults Marcello, who takes it in stride.

Episode 3

''3rd Day Sequence'': Marcello meets Steiner, his distinguished intellectual friend, inside a church. Steiner shows off his book of

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural diffusion ...

grammar. The two go up to play the organ, offering up a jazz piece for the watching priest before playing

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

Episode 4

''3rd Day Sequence'': Late afternoon, Marcello, his photographer friend Paparazzo, and Emma drive to the outskirts of Rome to cover the story of the purported sighting of the

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

by two children. Although the Catholic Church is officially skeptical, a huge crowd of devotees and reporters gathers at the site. ''3rd Night Sequence'': That night, the event is broadcast over Italian radio and television. Emma prays to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

to be given sole possession of Marcello's heart. Blindly following the two children from corner to corner in a downpour, the crowd tears a small tree apart for its branches and leaves said to have sheltered the Madonna. ''3rd Dawn Sequence'': The gathering ends at dawn with the crowd mourning a sick child, a pilgrim brought by his mother to be healed, but trampled to death in the melee.

Episode 3b

''4th Night Sequence'': One evening, Marcello and Emma attend a gathering at Steiner's luxurious home, where they are introduced to a group of intellectuals who recite poetry, strum the guitar, offer philosophical ideas, and listen to sounds of nature recorded on tape. The British poet

Iris Tree Iris Tree (27 January 1897 – 13 April 1968) was an English poet, actress and artists' model, described as a bohemian, an eccentric, a wit and an adventurer. Biography Tree's parents were actors Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree and Helen Maud, Lady T ...

, whose poetry Marcello has read and admired, recommends that Marcello avoid the "prisons" of commitment: "Stay free, available, like me. Never get married. Never choose. Even in love, it's better to be chosen." Emma appears enchanted with Steiner's home and children, telling Marcello that one day he will have a home like Steiner's, but he turns away moodily. Outside on the terrace, Marcello confesses to Steiner his admiration for all he stands for, but Steiner admits he is torn between the security that a materialistic life affords and his longing for a more spiritual albeit insecure way of life. Steiner philosophizes about the need for love in the world and fears what his children may grow up to face one day.

Intermezzo

''5th Day Sequence'': Marcello spends the afternoon working on his novel at a seaside restaurant, where he meets Paola, a young waitress from Perugia playing Perez Prado's cha-cha “

Patricia Patricia is a female given name of Latin origin. Derived from the Latin word '' patrician'', meaning "noble"; it is the feminine form of the masculine given name Patrick. The name Patricia was the second most common female name in the United Stat ...

” on the jukebox and then humming its tune. He asks her if she has a boyfriend, then describes her as an angel in Umbrian paintings.

Episode 5

''5th Night Sequence'': Marcello meets his father visiting Rome on the

Via Veneto Via Vittorio Veneto (), colloquially called Via Veneto, is one of the most famous, elegant, and expensive streets of Rome, Italy. The street is named after the Battle of Vittorio Veneto (1918), a decisive Italian victory of World War I. Federico F ...

. With Paparazzo, they go to the "Cha-Cha" Club, where Marcello introduces his father to Fanny, a beautiful dancer and one of his past girlfriends (he had promised to get her picture in the paper but failed to do it). Fanny takes a liking to his father. Marcello tells Paparazzo that as a child he had never seen much of his father, who would spend weeks away from home. Fanny invites Marcello's father back to her flat, and two other dancers invite the two younger men to go with them. Marcello leaves the others when they get to the dancers' neighborhood. Fanny comes out of her house, upset that Marcello's father has become ill. ''5th Dawn Sequence'': Marcello's father has suffered what seems to be a mild heart attack. Marcello wants him to stay with him in Rome so they can get to know each other, but his father, weakened, wants to go home and gets in a taxi to catch the first train to

Cesena Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and '' comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137. History Cesena was ...

. He leaves Marcello forlorn, on the street, watching the taxi leave.

Episode 6

''6th Night Sequence'': Marcello,

Nico Naftiran Intertrade Company limited (NICO) is a Swiss-based subsidiary of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC). NICO is a general contractor for the oil and gas industry. NIOC buys the vast majority of Iran's gasoline imports. NICO is a key pl ...

, and other friends meet on the Via Veneto and are driven to a castle owned by aristocrats at Bassano di Sutri outside Rome. There is already a party long in progress, and the party-goers are bleary-eyed and intoxicated. By chance, Marcello meets Maddalena again. The two of them explore a suite of ruins annexed to the castle. Maddalena seats Marcello in a vast room and then closets herself in another room connected by an

echo chamber Echo chamber of the Dresden University of Technology Hamilton Mausoleum has a long-lasting unplanned echo An echo chamber is a hollow enclosure used to produce reverberation, usually for recording purposes. For example, the producers of ...

. As a disembodied voice, Maddalena asks him to marry her; Marcello professes his love for her, avoiding answering her proposal. Another man kisses and embraces Maddalena, who loses interest in Marcello. He rejoins the group, and eventually spends the night with Jane, a British artist and heiress. ''6th Dawn Sequence'': Burnt out and bleary-eyed, the group returns at dawn to the main section of the castle, to be met by the matriarch of the castle, who is on her way to mass, accompanied by priests in a procession.

Episode 3c

''7th Night Sequence'': Marcello and Emma are alone in his sports car on an isolated road. Emma starts an argument by professing her love and tries to get out of the car; Marcello pleads with her not to get out. Emma says that Marcello will never find another woman who loves him the way she does. Marcello becomes enraged, telling her that he cannot live with her smothering, maternal love. He now wants her to get out of the car, but she refuses. With some violence (a bite from her and a slap from him), he throws her out of the car and drives off, leaving her alone on a deserted road at night. Hours later, Emma hears his car returning as she picks flowers by the roadside. She gets into the car with neither of them saying a word. ''7th Dawn Sequence'': Marcello and Emma are asleep in bed, tenderly intertwined; Marcello receives a phone call. He rushes to the Steiners' apartment and learns that Steiner has killed his two children and himself. ''8th Day Sequence'': After waiting with the police for Steiner's wife to return home, he meets her outside to break the terrible news while the paparazzi swarm around her snapping pictures.

Episode 7

''8th Night Sequence'': An unspecified amount of time later, an older Marcello—now with gray in his hair—and a group of partygoers break into a

Fregene Fregenae ( el, ; it, Fregene), was a maritime town of ancient Etruria, situated between Alsium and the mouth of the Tiber. The modern Fregene is an Italian hamlet (''frazione'') of Fiumicino, in the Metropolitan City of Rome, Lazio. As of 2012 i ...

beach house owned by Riccardo, a friend of Marcello's. Many of the men are

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...

. Marcello is mocked for abandoning literature and reporting to become a publicity agent. To celebrate her recent divorce from Riccardo, Nadia performs a

striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper" or an "exo ...

to Perez Prado's cha-cha “

”. Riccardo shows up at the house and tells the partiers to leave. The drunken Marcello attempts to provoke the other partygoers into an orgy. However, their inebriation causes the party to descend into mayhem, with Marcello riding a young woman crawling on her hands and knees and throwing pillow feathers around the room.

Epilogue

''8th Dawn Sequence'': The party proceeds to the beach at dawn where they find a modern-day

leviathan Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...

, a bloated, sea ray-like creature, caught in the fishermen's nets. In his stupor, Marcello comments on how its eyes stare even in death. ''9th Day Sequence'': Paola, the adolescent waitress from the seaside restaurant in Fregene, calls to Marcello from across an estuary, but the words they exchange are lost on the wind, drowned out by the crashing waves. He signals his inability to understand what she is saying or interpret her gestures. He shrugs and returns to the partygoers; one of the women joins him and they hold hands as they walk away from the beach. In a long final close-up, Paola waves to Marcello and then stands watching him with an enigmatic smile.

Cast

as Marcello Rubini *

Anita Ekberg Kerstin Anita Marianne Ekberg (; 29 September 193111 January 2015) was a Swedish actress active in American and European films, known for her beauty and stunning figure. She became prominent in her iconic role as Sylvia in the Federico Fellini ...

as Sylvia Rank *

Anouk Aimée Nicole Françoise Florence Dreyfus (born 27 April 1932), known professionally as Anouk Aimée () or Anouk, is a French film actress, who has appeared in 70 films since 1947, having begun her film career at age 14. In her early years, she studi ...

as Maddalena *

Yvonne Furneaux Yvonne Furneaux (born Elisabeth Yvonne Scatcherd; 11 May 1928) is a French-British retired actress. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she worked with notable filmmakers like Peter Brook, Federico Fellini, Roman Polanski, Michelan ...

as Emma *

Lex Barker Alexander Crichlow Barker Jr. (May 8, 1919 – May 11, 1973), known as Lex Barker, was an American actor. He was known for playing Tarzan for RKO Pictures between 1949 and 1953, and portraying leading characters from Karl May's novels, notably a ...

as Robert *

Magali Noël Magali Noëlle Guiffray (27 June 1931 – 23 June 2015), better known as Magali Noël, was a French actress and singer. Biography Actress career Born in İzmir to French parents in the diplomatic service, she left Turkey for France in 1951, a ...

as Fanny *

Alain Cuny René Xavier Marie Alain Cuny (12 July 1908 – 16 May 1994) was a French actor of stage and screen. He was closely linked with the works of Paul Claudel and Antonin Artaud, and for his performances for the Théâtre national populaire and O ...

as Steiner *

Nadia Gray Nadia Gray (born Nadia Kujnir; 23 November 1923 – 13 June 1994) was a Romanian film actress. Biography Gray was born into a Jewish family in Bucharest. Her father moved to Romania from Russia, and her mother was from Akkerman (Bessarabia). ...

as Nadia *

Jacques Sernas Jokūbas Bernardas Šernas (30 July 1925 – 3 July 2015), commonly known as Jacques Sernas and sometimes credited as Jack Sernas, was a Lithuanian-born French actor with an international film career. Biography He was born in Kaunas, Lithuania, ...

as Divo *

Laura Betti Laura Betti ( Trombetti; 1 May 1927 – 31 July 2004) was an Italian actress known particularly for her work with directors Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Bernardo Bertolucci. She had a long friendship with Pasolini and made a document ...

as Laura *

Walter Santesso Walter Santesso (27 February 1931 in Padua, Italy – 20 January 2008) was an Italian film actor and director. His character name "Paparazzo" in Federico Fellini's 1960 film '' La Dolce Vita''Valeria Ciangottini as Paola * Riccardo Garrone as Riccardo *

Annibale Ninchi Annibale Ninchi (20 November 1887 - 15 January 1967) was an Italian actor, playwright and drama teacher. He was the progenitor of a well-known family of actors. Life and career Born in Bologna, the son of an army colonel, Ninchi trained at t ...

as Marcello's father *

Ida Galli Ida Galli is an Italian film actress best known for her roles in Spaghetti Western and giallo films in the 1960s and 1970s. Galli has appeared under several pseudonyms, including Arianna, Evelyn Stewart and Isli Oberon. Extremely prolific, som ...

as Debutante of the Year * Audrey McDonald as Jane * Alain Dijon as Frankie Stout *

Enzo Cerusico Enzo Cerusico (22 October 1937 – 26 November 1991) was an Italian film actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1951 and 1984. Career in the United States Cerusico's first role on American television was in a 1966 episode of ''I ...

as News Photographer * as Pierone *

Giulio Questi Giulio Questi (18 March 1924 – 3 December 2014) was an Italian film director and screenwriter.Marco Giusti, Dizionario dei film italiani stracult, Roma, Frassinelli, 2004. Questi was born in Bergamo. He wrote short stories and filmed se ...

as Don Giulio Mascalchi *

Sondra Lee Sondra Lee (born September 30, 1930) is an American former actress and dancer who performed on Broadway, on television, and in films. Early years Lee was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up there. As a child, she received growth hormone shot ...

as Ballerina * as Drag Queen * Ferdinand Guillaume as Pagliaccio * Oretta Fiume as Lisa *

Harriet White Medin Harriet White Medin (March 14, 1914 – May 20, 2005) was an American actress and dialogue coach who worked in Italian and American films. She appeared in the cult film '' Death Race 2000''. Early life Born to Dr. and Mrs. Edward P. White of Wi ...

as Edna *

John Francis Lane John Francis Lane (1 December 1928 – 15 January 2018) was an English journalist, critic and actor. He was known for being a small-part actor in many Italian films, and as a contributor to ''The Guardian'' writing obituaries for Italian cultural ...

as John *

Umberto Orsini Umberto Orsini (born 2 April 1934, in Novara) is an Italian stage, television and film actor. Born in Novara, Orsini gave up his career as notary to attend the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico. In the late 1950s, he emerged ...

as Man in Shades *

Archie Savage Archie Savage (April 19, 1914 — February 14, 2003) was an American dancer, choreographer, and film and theatre actor.

as Dancer *

as Herself *

Adriano Celentano Adriano Celentano (; born 6 January 1938) is an Italian musician, singer, composer, actor, and filmmaker. He is dubbed "''il Molleggiato''" (the springy one) because of his dancing. Celentano's many albums frequently enjoyed both commercial and ...

as Himself *

as Herself * Desmond O'Grady as Himself

Production

Costumes

In various interviews, Fellini said that the film's initial inspiration was the fashionable ladies' sack dress because of what the dress could hide beneath it. Brunello Rondi, Fellini's co-screenwriter and long-time collaborator, confirmed this view explaining that "the fashion of women's sack dresses which possessed that sense of luxurious butterflying out around a body that might be physically beautiful but not morally so; these sack dresses struck Fellini because they rendered a woman very gorgeous who could, instead, be a skeleton of squalor and solitude inside."

Writing

Credit for the creation of Steiner, the intellectual who commits suicide after shooting his two children, goes to co-screenwriter

. Having gone to school with Italian novelist

Cesare Pavese Cesare Pavese ( , ; 9 September 1908 – 27 August 1950) was an Italian novelist, poet, short story writer, translator, literary critic, and essayist. He is often referred to as one of the most influential Italian writers of his time. Early lif ...

, Pinelli had closely followed the writer's career and felt that his over-intellectualism had become emotionally sterile, leading to his suicide in a Turin hotel in 1950. This idea of a "burnt-out existence" is carried over to Steiner in the party episode where the sounds of nature are not to be experienced first-hand by himself and his guests but in the virtual world of tape recordings. The “false miracle” alludes to the 1958 investigation discounting the claims of two children to have been visited by

the Madonna In art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent in ...

in a farm at Maratta Alta, near Terni. The "dead sea monster" alludes to the Montesi affair, in which the dead body of 21 year old

Wilma Montesi Wilma Montesi (3 February 1932 – 9 April 1953) was an Italian woman whose body was discovered near Rome. The finding of her lifeless body on a public beach near Torvajanica, on Rome's littoral, led to prolonged investigations involving s ...

was discovered on a beach in April 1953.

Casting

''La Dolce Vita'' marks the first collaboration between Fellini and Mastroianni. On November 4, 1977 in an interview on

The Dick Cavett Show ''The Dick Cavett Show'' was the title of several talk shows hosted by Dick Cavett on various television networks, including: * ABC daytime, (March 4, 1968–January 24, 1969) originally titled ''This Morning'' * ABC prime time, Tuesdays, We ...

, Mastroianni recalled their first encounter. According to Mastroianni, Fellini told him that the producer wanted Paul Newman for the lead role, but that Fellini considered Newman too beautiful, while Mastroianni was "the face of normal."Cavett, Dick (host) (4 November 1977). “Sophia Loren & Marcello Mastroianni”. ''The Dick Cavett Show.'' PBS. Mastroianni, somewhat embarrassed, requested to read the script before agreeing to the role:

I said, "Well, ok, I would like to read the script please." He ellinisaid, "Why not? Ennio, come with the script"...I opened the script and there was nothing written...blank pages...then I saw a sketch of the sea and a man swimming with an enormous... astroianni indicates a large phallus..and around his element there was a dance of mermaids. I became green, red, yellow. I said, "Well, it seems very interesting...Where do I sign? And that's how I met Fellini."

Filming

Most of the film was shot at the

Cinecittà Cinecittà Studios (; Italian for Cinema City Studios), is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studio ...

Studios in Rome. Set designer

Piero Gherardi Piero Gherardi (20 November 1909 – 8 June 1971) was the Costume and Set Designer of Federico Fellini's '' La Dolce Vita'' and ''8½'', winning an Oscar for each film in the category of Best Costume Design. Born in Poppi, Tuscany, Piero Ghera ...

created over eighty locations, including the

, the dome of Saint Peter's with the staircase leading up to it, and various nightclubs. However, other sequences were shot on location such as the party at the aristocrats' castle filmed in the real Bassano di Sutri palace north of Rome. (Some of the servants, waiters, and guests were played by real aristocrats.) Fellini combined constructed sets with location shots, depending on script requirements—a real location often "gave birth to the modified scene and, consequently, the newly constructed set." The film's last scenes where the monster fish is pulled out of the sea and Marcello waves goodbye to Paola (the teenage "Umbrian angel") were shot on location at Passo Oscuro, a small resort town situated on the Italian coast 30 kilometers from Rome. Fellini scrapped a major sequence that would have involved the relationship of Marcello with Dolores, an older writer living in a tower, to be played by 1930s

-winning actress

Luise Rainer Luise Rainer ( , ; 12 January 1910 – 30 December 2014) was a German-American-British film actress. She was the first thespian to win multiple Academy Awards and the first to win back-to-back; at the time of her death, thirteen days shy of her ...

. If the director's dealings with Rainer "who used to involve Fellini in futile discussion" were problematic, biographer Kezich argues that while rewriting the screenplay, the Dolores character grew "hyperbolic" and Fellini decided to jettison "the entire story line." The scene in the

was shot over a week in winter: in March according to the BBC, in late January according to Anita Ekberg. Fellini claimed that Ekberg stood in the cold water in her dress for hours without any trouble while Mastroianni had to wear a wetsuit beneath his clothes - to no avail. It was only after the actor "polished off a bottle of vodka" and "was completely pissed" that Fellini could shoot the scene.

Paparazzo

The character of Paparazzo, the news photographer (Walter Santesso), was inspired by photojournalist

Tazio Secchiaroli Tazio Secchiaroli (26 November 1925 – 24 July 1998) was an Italian photographer known as one of the original paparazzi. He founded the agency Roma Press Photo in 1955. Secchiaroli was the inspiration for the Paparazzo character in Fellini's ...

and is the origin of the word ''

paparazzi Paparazzi (, ; ; singular: masculine paparazzo or feminine paparazza) are independent photographers who take pictures of high-profile people; such as actors, musicians, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities, typically while subjects ...

'', used in many languages to describe intrusive photographers. As to the origin of the character's name itself, Fellini scholar Peter Bondanella argues that although "it is indeed an Italian family name, the word is probably a corruption of the word ''papataceo'', a large and bothersome mosquito.

, the film's co-screenwriter and creator of Paparazzo, reports that he took the name from a character in a novel by

George Gissing George Robert Gissing (; 22 November 1857 – 28 December 1903) was an English novelist, who published 23 novels between 1880 and 1903. His best-known works have reappeared in modern editions. They include '' The Nether World'' (1889), ''New Gru ...

." Gissing's character, Signor Paparazzo, is found in his travel book, ''By the Ionian Sea'' (1901).

Themes, motifs and structure

Marcello is a journalist in Rome during the late 1950s who covers tabloid news of movie stars, religious visions and the self-indulgent aristocracy while searching for a more meaningful way of life. Marcello faces the existential struggle of having to choose between two lives, depicted by journalism and literature. Marcello leads a lifestyle of excess, fame and pleasure amongst Rome's thriving popular culture, depicting the confusion and frequency with which Marcello gets distracted by women and power. A more sensitive Marcello aspires to become a writer, of leading an intellectual life amongst the elites, the poets, writers and philosophers of the time. Marcello eventually chooses neither journalism, nor literature. Thematically he opted for the life of excess and popularity by officially becoming a publicity agent. The theme of the film "is predominantly

café society Café society was the description of the "Beautiful People" and "Bright Young Things" who gathered in fashionable cafés and restaurants in New York, Paris and London beginning in the late 19th century. Maury Henry Biddle Paul is credited with ...

, the diverse and glittery world rebuilt upon the ruins and poverty" of the Italian postwar period. In the opening sequence, a plaster statue of

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label= Hebrew/ Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and relig ...

the Labourer suspended by cables from a helicopter, flies past the ruins of an ancient Roman aqueduct. The statue is being taken to the Pope at the

Vatican Vatican may refer to: Vatican City, the city-state ruled by the pope in Rome, including St. Peter's Basilica, Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum The Holy See * The Holy See, the governing body of the Catholic Church and sovereign entity recognized ...

. Journalist Marcello and a photographer named Paparazzo follow in a second helicopter. The symbolism of Jesus, arms outstretched as if blessing all of Rome as it flies overhead, is soon replaced by the profane life and neo-modern architecture of the "new" Rome, founded on the economic miracle of the late 1950s. (Much of this was filmed in

or in EUR, the Mussolini-style area south of Rome.) The delivery of the statue is the first of many scenes placing religious icons in the midst of characters demonstrating their "modern" morality, influenced by the booming economy and the emerging mass-consumer life.

Seven episodes

The most common interpretation of the film is a mosaic, its parts linked by the protagonist, Marcello Rubini, a journalist. The seven episodes are: # Marcello's evening with the heiress Maddalena (

) # His long, frustrating night with the American actress Sylvia (

) that ends in the Trevi fountain at dawn # His reunion with the intellectual Steiner (

) their relationship is divided into three sequences spread over the film: a) the encounter, b) Steiner's party and c) Steiner's tragedy # The fake miracle # His father's visit/Steiner's Party # The aristocrat's party/Steiner's tragedy # The "

orgy In modern usage, an orgy is a sex party consisting of at least five members where guests freely engage in open and unrestrained sexual activity or group sex. Swingers' parties do not always conform to this designation, because at many swin ...

" at the beach house Interrupting the seven episodes is the restaurant sequence with the angelic Paola; they are framed by a prologue (Jesus over Rome) and epilogue (the monster fish) giving the film its innovative and symmetrically symbolic structure. The evocations are: seven deadly sins, seven sacraments, seven virtues, seven days of creation. Other critics disagree, Peter Bondanella argues that "any critic of ''La Dolce Vita'' not mesmerized by the magic number seven will find it almost impossible to organize the numerous sequences on a strictly numerological basis".

An aesthetic of disparity

The critic Robert Richardson suggests that the originality of ''La Dolce Vita'' lies in a new form of film narrative that mines "an aesthetic of disparity". Abandoning traditional plot and conventional "character development", Fellini and co-screenwriters

and

forged a cinematic narrative that rejected continuity, unnecessary explanations and narrative logic in favour of seven non-linear encounters between Marcello, a kind of Dantesque Pilgrim and an underworld of 120 characters. The encounters build up a cumulative impression on the viewer that finds resolution in an "overpowering sense of the disparity between what life has been or could be, and what it actually is". In a device used earlier in his films, Fellini orders the disparate succession of sequences as movements from evening to dawn. Also employed as an ordering device is the image of a downward spiral that Marcello sets in motion when descending the first of several staircases (including ladders) that open and close episodes. The upshot is that the film's aesthetic form, rather than its content, embodies the theme of Rome as a moral wasteland.

Critical reception

Writing for ''

L'Espresso ''L'Espresso'' () is an Italian weekly news magazine. It is one of the two most prominent Italian weeklies; the other is ''Panorama''. Since 2022 it has been published by BFC Media. History and profile One of Italy's foremost newsmagazines, '' ...

'', the Italian novelist

Alberto Moravia Alberto Moravia ( , ; born Alberto Pincherle ; 28 November 1907 – 26 September 1990) was an Italian novelist and journalist. His novels explored matters of modern sexuality, social alienation and existentialism. Moravia is best known for his de ...

highlighted the film's variations in tone, In ''Filmcritica XI'', Italian poet and film director

Pier Paolo Pasolini Pier Paolo Pasolini (; 5 March 1922 – 2 November 1975) was an Italian poet, filmmaker, writer and intellectual who also distinguished himself as a journalist, novelist, translator, playwright, visual artist and actor. He is considered one of ...

argued that "''La Dolce Vita'' was too important to be discussed as one would normally discuss a film. Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, film critic and co-founder of ''

Cahiers du cinéma ''Cahiers du Cinéma'' (, ) is a French film magazine co-founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca.Itzkoff, Dave (9 February 2009''Cahiers Du Cinéma Will Continue to Publish''The New York TimesMacnab ...

'', felt that ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' film critic

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

praised Fellini’s

Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...

considered ''La Dolce Vita'' as Fellini’s best film, as well as his favorite film of all, and listed it consistently in his top ten films for the ''

Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (also spelled ''Sight & Sound'') is a British monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). It conducts the well-known, once-a-decade ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time, ongoing ...

'' Greatest Films poll every ten years. Ebert's first review for the film, published in October 1961, was nearly the first film review he wrote, before he began his career as a film critic in 1967. The film was a touchstone for Ebert, as his perspective on the movie and his life evolved over time, summarized in his 1997 '' Great Movie'' review: Kevin Thomas of

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

wrote Praising Fellini's direction he wrote Review aggregator website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

gives the film a 96% approval score based on 76 reviews, with an average rating of 9.10/10. The consensus states: "An epic, breathtakingly stylish cinematic landmark, ''La Dolce Vita'' remains riveting in spite of—or perhaps because of—its sprawling length". On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the film has a 95/100 rating based on 13 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

Box office

The film was a big hit in Europe with 13,617,148 admissions in Italy and 2,956,094 admissions in France, for a combined tickets sold in both countries. The film had the second most admissions for an Italian film behind ''

War and Peace ''War and Peace'' (russian: Война и мир, translit=Voyna i mir; pre-reform Russian: ; ) is a literary work by the Russian author Leo Tolstoy that mixes fictional narrative with chapters on history and philosophy. It was first published ...

'' and was one of the top 10 most watched films in Italy. The film earned $6 million in rentals in the United States and Canada in its original release and was the highest-grossing foreign language film at the US box office. The film was re-released in North America in 1966 by

American International Pictures American International Pictures (AIP) is an American motion picture production label of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. In its original operating period, AIP was an independent film production and distribution company known for producing and releasing fi ...

and earned $1.5 million in rentals. The total gross was $19,516,348.

Censorship

Perceived by the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

as a parody of the second coming of

, the opening scene and the film were condemned by the

newspaper ''

L'Osservatore Romano ''L'Osservatore Romano'' (, 'The Roman Observer') is the daily newspaper of Vatican City State which reports on the activities of the Holy See and events taking place in the Catholic Church and the world. It is owned by the Holy See but is not ...

'' in 1960. Subject to widespread censorship, the film was banned in Spain, until the death of

Franco Franco may refer to: Name * Franco (name) * Francisco Franco (1892–1975), Spanish general and dictator of Spain from 1939 to 1975 * Franco Luambo (1938–1989), Congolese musician, the "Grand Maître" Prefix * Franco, a prefix used when ref ...

in 1975.

Umberto Tupini Umberto Tupini (27 May 1889 – 7 January 1973) was an Italian politician. He was minister of public works (1947–1950) in the Government of Italy. He was the mayor of Rome (1956–1958). He served in the Senate of Italy in Legislature I (1948� ...

, the Minister of Culture of the Tambroni government censored it and other "shameful films". In

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...

, the film took ten years to pass through its censors and be released in the country (this was due to the censorship that the country suffered during the years of Estado Novo).

Awards and recognition

''The New York Times'' described ''La Dolce Vita'' as "one of the most widely seen and acclaimed European movies of the 1960s". It was nominated for four

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

, and won one for Best Costume Design: Black-and-White. ''La Dolce Vita'' also earned the ''

'' (Golden Palm) at the

. The film won best foreign language film award at

New York Film Critics Circle The New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC) is an American film critic organization founded in 1935 by Wanda Hale from the New York ''Daily News''. Its membership includes over 30 film critics from New York-based daily and weekly newspapers, magaz ...

awards and

National Board of Review The National Board of Review of Motion Pictures is a non-profit organization of New York City area film enthusiasts. Its awards, which are announced in early December, are considered an early harbinger of the film awards season that culminat ...

awards. It was also nominated for a

BAFTA award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cer ...

in best film from any source category. ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' voted it the 6th Greatest film of all time in 1999. ''

The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture paper, known for being the country's first alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf, Ed Fancher, John Wilcock, and Norman Mailer, the ''Voice'' began as a platform for the cr ...

'' ranked the film at number 112 in its Top 250 "Best Films of the Century" list in 1999, based on a poll of critics. The film was included in "''The New York Times'' Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made" in 2002. In 2010, the film was ranked #11 in ''

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

'' magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema". In the

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

's 2002 ''

'' polls of the greatest films ever made, ''La Dolce Vita'' ranked 24th in critics' poll and 14th in directors' poll. In the 2012 version of the list ''La Dolce Vita'' ranked 39th in critics' poll and 37th in directors' poll. In January 2002, the film was voted at No. 28 on the list of the "Top 100 Essential Films of All Time" by the

National Society of Film Critics The National Society of Film Critics (NSFC) is an American film critic organization. The organization is known for its highbrow tastes, and its annual awards are one of the most prestigious film critics awards in the United States. In January 2014, ...

. The film was Voted at No. 59 on the list of "100 Greatest Films" by the prominent French magazine ''

'' in 2008. In 2007, the film was ranked at No. 19 by

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

's readers poll on the list of "40 greatest foreign films of all time". In 2010,

ranked the film 23rd in its list of 25 greatest arthouse films. In 2016, ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large ...

'' ranked the film 2nd among 69 counted winners of the ''

'' to date, concluding "What’s eternal is Fellini’s melancholy realization that behind modern-day sin, redemption, distraction and the come-hither facade of the sweet life, there lurks only emptiness." The film ranked 10th in BBC's 2018 list of The 100 greatest foreign language films voted by 209 film critics from 43 countries around the world. In 2021 the film was ranked at No. 6 on

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an engine ...

magazine's list of ''The 100 best movies of all time''.

In popular culture

* One of the characters, Paparazzo, is the inspiration for the popular

metonym Metonymy () is a figure of speech in which a concept is referred to by the name of something closely associated with that thing or concept. Etymology The words ''metonymy'' and ''metonym'' come from grc, μετωνυμία, 'a change of name' ...

", a word for intrusive photojournalists. *'' Totò, Peppino e... la dolce vita'' is a 1961 Italian film parodying Fellini's and shot on the same sets. * In

Pietro Germi Pietro Germi (; 14 September 1914 – 5 December 1974) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor, noted for his development of the neorealist and commedia all'Italiana genres. His 1961 film '' Divorce Italian Style'' earned him a ...

's ''

Divorce Italian Style ''Divorce Italian Style'' ( it, Divorzio all'italiana) is a 1961 Italian dark comedy film directed by Pietro Germi. The screenplay is by Germi, Ennio De Concini, Alfredo Giannetti, and Agenore Incrocci, based on Giovanni Arpino's novel '' Un de ...

'' (1961),

Daniela Rocca Daniela Rocca (12 September 1937 – 28 May 1995) was an Italian actress, model and writer. Biography Rocca was born and raised in Acireale, a small town near Catania. She became Miss Catania in 1953, and was discovered by talent scouts after ...

chooses to flee the little town with her lover

Leopoldo Trieste Leopoldo Trieste (3 May 1917 – 25 January 2003) was an Italian actor, film director and script writer. Trieste was born in Reggio Calabria. He worked with directors such as Pietro Germi, Francis Ford Coppola, Giuseppe Tornatore, Mario Bava, ...

the night her husband, Marcello Mastroianni, their relatives and neighbors are all at the opening screening of ''La Dolce Vita''. In a packed cinema hall, an ecstatic audience watches Anita Ekberg performing her famous rock'n'roll dance. * Tributes to Fellini in the "Director's Cut" of ''

Cinema Paradiso ''Cinema Paradiso'' ( it, Nuovo Cinema Paradiso, , literally "New Paradise Cinema") is a 1988 coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Set in a small Sicilian town, the film centers on the friendship between a young ...

'' (1988) include a helicopter suspending a statue of Jesus over the city and scenes in which the Trevi Fountain is used as a backdrop while Toto, the main character, grows up to be a famous film director. * The 1964

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

song " Motorpyscho Nightmare" contains a reference to the film with the lyrics, "Then in comes his daughter whose name was Rita, she looked like she stepped out of ''La Dolce Vita''." * In

Ettore Scola Ettore Scola (; 10 May 1931 – 19 January 2016) was an Italian screenwriter and film director. He received a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Film in 1978 for his film '' A Special Day'' and over the course of his film career was nominated for fiv ...

's movie ''

We All Loved Each Other So Much ''We All Loved Each Other So Much'' ( it, C'eravamo tanto amati) is a 1974 Italian comedy-drama film directed by Ettore Scola and written by Scola and the famous screenwriter duo of Age & Scarpelli. It stars Stefania Sandrelli, Vittorio Gassman, ...

'' (1974), the accidental meeting between former lovers

Stefania Sandrelli Stefania Sandrelli (born 5 June 1946) is an Italian actress, famous for her many roles in the ''commedia all'Italiana'', starting from the 1960s. She was 14 years old when she starred in '' Divorce Italian Style'' as Angela, the cousin and love i ...

and Nino Manfredi takes place during the filming of the Fontana di Trevi scene with Fellini and Mastroianni acting as themselves. * In

Sofia Coppola Sofia Carmina Coppola (; born May 14, 1971) is an American filmmaker and actress. The youngest child and only daughter of filmmakers Eleanor Coppola, Eleanor and Francis Ford Coppola, she made her film debut as an infant in her father's acclaimed ...

's film '' Lost in Translation'' (2003), Kelly's interview for ''LIT'' resembles Sylvia's interview scenes in ''La Dolce Vita''. Charlotte and Bob later meet in the middle of the night and watch the famous Trevi Fountain sequence while drinking sake. Coppola said, "I saw that movie on TV when I was in Japan. It's not plot-driven, it's about them wandering around. And there was something with the Japanese subtitles and them speaking Italian—it had a truly enchanting quality". * The Italian film ''

The Great Beauty ''The Great Beauty'' ( it, La grande bellezza ) is a 2013 art drama film co-written and directed by Paolo Sorrentino. Filming took place in Rome starting on 9 August 2012. It premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival where it was screened in co ...

'' (2013) features a former writer who wanders through the parties of the Roman high society trying to decide what to do with his life. * The song "

Froot ''Froot'' (stylised in all caps) is the third studio album by Welsh singer Marina Diamandis and her last under the stage name Marina and the Diamonds. It was originally scheduled to be released on 3 April 2015 by Neon Gold Records and Atlan ...

" by Welsh singer

Marina and the Diamonds Marina Lambrini Diamandis (; el, Μαρίνα-Λαμπρινή Διαμάντη; born 10 October 1985), known mononymously as Marina (often stylised in all caps), and previously by the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh singer and ...

mentions the line "living la dolce vita" as a reference to the film. * The 2019

Ferrari Roma The Ferrari Roma (Type F169) is a grand touring, high performance Italian sports car created by automobile manufacturer Ferrari. It is a two-door, 2+2 hardtop coupé. It has a front mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Based on the Ferrari Por ...

uses the slogan "la nuova Dolce Vita" as a reference to the film. *The 2003 film '' Under the Tuscan Sun'' has a female character wading into the Trevi Fountain to reenact the scene from ''La Dolce Vita'' with the landlord of an Italian villa. * In ''

The Sopranos ''The Sopranos'' is an American crime drama television series created by David Chase. The story revolves around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, portraying his difficulties as he tries to balance ...

'' 2004 episode titled, “Marco Polo", Bobby enters Junior’s room to find him watching ''La Dolce Vita''. Junior references the opening scene, in which the statue of Jesus is flown across Rome by helicopter, with the comment: "You could tell it was a dummy!"

Notes

References

Bibliography

* Bondanella, Peter (1978). ''Federico Fellini: Essays in Criticism''. New York:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

* Bondanella, Peter (1992). ''The Cinema of Federico Fellini''. Princeton:

Princeton University Press Princeton University Press is an independent publisher with close connections to Princeton University. Its mission is to disseminate scholarship within academia and society at large. The press was founded by Whitney Darrow, with the financial ...

. * Costantini, Costanzo (ed.)(1994). ''Fellini on Fellini''. London: Faber and Faber. * Fava, Claudio, and Aldo Vigano (1985). ''The Films of Federico Fellini''. New York: Citadel Press. * Fellini, Federico (1976). ''Fellini on Fellini''. London: Eyre Methuen. * —, and

Damian Pettigrew Damian (also Damien) Pettigrew (March 10, 1963) is a Canadian filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, author, and multimedia artist, best known for his cinematic portraits of Balthus, Federico Fellini, and Jean Giraud. Released theatrically in fif ...

(2003). '' I'm a Born Liar: A Fellini Lexicon''. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. * Kezich, Tullio (2006). ''Federico Fellini: His Life and Work''. New York: Faber and Faber.

External links

* * * * *
''La Dolce Vita'' text
by

.
''La dolce vita: Tuxedos at Dawn''
an essay by

Gary Giddins Gary Giddins is an American jazz critic and author. He wrote for ''The Village Voice'' from 1973; his "Weather Bird" column ended in 2003. In 1986 Gary Giddins and John Lewis created the American Jazz Orchestra which presented concerts using a ...