La Dolce Vita is perhaps Federico Fellini’s most famous film, and it will certainly leave you with much to think about. The film follows tabloid journalist Marcello Rubini (played by Marcello Mastroianni) in a series of episodes of his encounters with the rich and famous of Rome.
Marcello is painted as a conflicted man, who has come to a point where he needs to choose between two very different lives – one of glamour, mingling with the social elite, or a quieter life as a writer. The film also explores the nature of fame and wealth, and the difference between the illusion of it and the reality.
Whilst it is never explicitly said, Marcello unfortunately becomes increasingly involved with the rich but superficial celebrities, and by the end of the film he has been completely taken in by their shallow existence, unable to see past the illusion of glamour. His obsession with the celebrity lifestyle is shown in a number of ways. Most obviously, his job is as a ‘paparazzo’ journalist and therefore by nature he enjoys nosing into the private lives of aristocrats and actors. However, it is his relationships with two women: Maddalena and Sylvia that reveal a more comprehensive insight into Rubini’s mind.
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