A week in the life of an aimless and disaffected gossip columnist (Marcello Mastroianni) as he
goes from story to story and woman to woman throughout a decaying and decadent
Rome, a lifestyle that, despite his dissatisfaction, he continues to cling to. La Dolce Vita contains so many themes, ideas, and notions (modernity vs.
tradition, an amoral culture in a ruinous city, paternal sins being passed
on, and the benefits of a normal life
compared to a "nightlife" [just to name a few]) and Italian master Federico Fellini does a
masterful job of weaving them into a simultaneously beautiful and repulsive
web. It features an unforgettable performance from Mastroianni and contains a final scene that belongs in the pantheon of great final scenes. This is difficult material to be sure, with some segments that are a little too protracted, but is as deep, layered, beautiful, and complex as the movies can get.
