"La Dolce Vita" is the kind of movie you can sit down and analyze ever scene and find terrific meaning. It may vary in significance, but it's all there. It's so entrancing, intoxicating, and mesmerizing that it would take something radical (That 70's Show Dancing Naked Bubble Kiss Time would be one) to get me away from the screen.
The story is a trip. It tells us the story of Marcello. He is man who can't find happiness, no matter how hard he tries. It's not that he just isn't given it. He ruins it sometimes. He wanders around Rome and the country side going from party to party and woman to woman. He could accept his existence, he's well respected to some, has friends and the limitless love of his girlfriend Emma. Marcello won't accept it though but won't condemn it either. He almost believes in the pathology of happiness. Where he wants it, but will never accept what he can get. The film is set up like several short stories about Marcello, each one a new plot, but with familiar characters. He'll follow a beautiful movie star around, drive around model who picks up a prostitute, visit religious ceremonies, take a look around a ghost house with several parties, have a terrible fight with his girlfriend, try to start an orgy and much more. Every story is great, some better then others, but a story of an possible orgy is a bit more interesting then going to a party at his idol Steiner's house. Marcello moves from story to story and meets the most interesting people. Each one has their own story and something fun to do.
The film starts with a statue of Jesus being flown over the city toward the Vatican. Is it try to suggest Jesus watching his people? Or maybe that Rome is God's kingdom? The thing is that this film has so much to interpret that one can come up with all their own meanings and everyone is true. It's as much a cautionary tale as it fable on the seven deadly sins or maybe even some bit of purgatory. No character (expect one) is all that good, but neither all that bad. If you want to make a rapture analogy go right ahead, there's more than enough room for it.
You will never see a movie like this again (I don't think so at least). It's so original that to duplicate it would just be a disaster. The film contains scenes of pure magic that blinking seems foolish. It flows with elegance and life. A real dreamy movie. It's one of those movies that you'll remember forever. The ending... wow... it's one of the best I've ever seen and so is the entire film.
10/10
Recommendation: It's a work of art, something to remember always. It's very long, black and white, multiple languages, little mainstream plot and is confusing at times. That is no reason to miss this, in fact it just makes it better than ever.
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