I absolutely loved this film. Its beauty was captivating, as well as its stories. When watching this, I was constantly being blown away by the cinematography. The types of shots that were used throughout were gorgeous. One of my favorites was a shot near the beginning which included a motorcycle, a woman, and Marcello. Each object and person is on a third of the screen (third guidelines) and for some reason just really pleased my eye. I love great composition and this film definitely showed me that it was most likely the influence used by many filmmakers who followed.
One scene that I noticed used by another filmmaker was the scene where Marcello goes home to find his wife had poisoned herself. He rushed her to a hospital. This same exact scenario was used in Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction," John Travolta's character, Vincent Vega, enters a room to find Marcia Wallace overdosed on heroin. He rushes her to get help immediately (a drug dealer, not a hospital that is). What was really interesting to see, was Quentin used an identical shot from La Dolce Vita, the scene when Marcello's car goes flying into the street. Vincent Vega pulls the same quick car move in Pulp Fiction. I know Tarantino incorporates like everything he has seen in his movies, it was just fun to take notice on how innovative and influential this film truly is.
The idea that this was the influence or what Mad Men was trying to create was evident throughout. The whole time I couldn't get Don Draper out of my mind. Marcello was the original "Mad Man"-- sharp dressed, cool and calm. womanizer, and very confident with his work and comrades. Even the women of the film reminded me so much of January Jones' character. I am a huge fan of Mad Men, and I think that is why I really enjoyed the mis en scene of this film.
The production of La Dolce Vita is very interesting. I just really enjoyed the technical aspects of it and its director's aesthetic choices.
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I could definitely see the connection between this film and Pulp Fiction not only with this particular scene but with the whole narrative structure as well. Both have this post-modern narrative that jumps between different segments and scenes that may or may not have any connections.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the film's stories did you find captivating? That's not a rhetorical question, I'm just curious. For me it was constantly wondering where the story would go next; what kind of drama the next scene would bring, and what it would all amount to in the end. These are all very generic elements that could be applied to a lot of films, but I guess I was interested in La Dolce Vita's stories because my wonderings were most often answered with curve-balls, change-ups, and runners stealing home.
ReplyDeletewhat I found captivating about all the stories is the storytelling as a whole. Tarantino probably was a huge fan of this film due to its storytelling. In a past interview, Tarantino stated how he was greatly influenced by James Dickey's novel "Deliverance," which was also turned into a film. He said how it was the storytellers who have the great job to keep the reader/viewer on the edge of their seat--constantly throwing in curve balls, redirecting or changing up any predictions the viewer may have been conjuring in their minds.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I really like watching movies with filmmakers. You guys tend to notice things that I don't--shot composition, for instance. I didn't notice that triple screen at all--good call! And good call also on the Tarantino borrowing--those are always fun to spot.
ReplyDeleteAs I think I mentioned in class, this movie left me cold the first time I saw it, and I was also captivated the second time--I think I saw more of the visual aspects of the storytelling. There's a pristine quality to Fellini's compositions, which is hard to see at first glance because his movies are always so busy and a little bizarre. Something about the core of neo-realism, and the starkness that requires.
Use your observations to come to an analysis of what it is that Fellini is aiming for with the images and composition you describe. How do these compositional elements add to the story?