La Dolce Vita (Italian: [la ˈdoltʃe ˈviːta]; Italian for "the sweet life" or "the good life") is a 1960 satirical comedy-drama film directed by Federico Fellini. The film was written by Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, and Brunello Rondi. It stars Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, a tabloid journalist who travels through Rome over seven days and nights in a search for love and happiness that does not lead to success. The screenplay is divided into a prologue, seven main episodes interrupted by an intermezzo, and an epilogue, based on the most common interpretation.

The film was released in Italy on February 5, 1960. It was praised by critics and became a popular film worldwide, even though some regions limited its showing. It won the Palme d'Or at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Costumes. It was also nominated for three other Oscars, including Best Director for Federico Fellini and Best Original Screenplay. Its success marked an important turning point for Italian cinema and European cinema as a whole. It is now considered a masterpiece of Italian cinema and one of the greatest films ever made.

In 2008, the film was added to the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage’s list of "100 Italian films to be saved," which includes films that changed Italy’s shared memories between 1942 and 1978.

The character of Paparazzo, a news photographer played by Walter Santesso, is the source of the word "paparazzi," which is used in many languages to describe photographers who take pictures without permission.

Plot

1st Day Sequence: A helicopter carries a statue of Christ over an ancient Roman aqueduct outside Rome while another helicopter, operated by Marcello Rubini for the news, follows it into the city. The news helicopter briefly stops to observe a group of women wearing bikinis sunbathing on the rooftop of a tall apartment building. Marcello, hovering above, tries to signal the women to give him their phone numbers but fails. He then shrugs and continues following the statue to Saint Peter's Square.

1st Night Sequence: Marcello meets Maddalena by chance in a fancy nightclub. Maddalena is a wealthy and attractive heiress who is tired of living in Rome, while Marcello enjoys the city. They have sex in the bedroom of a sex worker after both had been driven home in Maddalena's Cadillac.

1st Dawn Sequence: Marcello returns to his apartment and discovers that his fiancée, Emma, has overdosed. On the way to the hospital, he tells Emma he loves her, and he repeats this when she is partially awake in the emergency room. While waiting for her to recover, he attempts to call Maddalena.

2nd Day Sequence: That day, Marcello works on a story about the arrival of Sylvia, a famous Swedish-American actress, at Ciampino airport, where she is greeted by many reporters.

During Sylvia's press conference, Marcello calls home to check if Emma has taken her medication and reassures her he is not alone with Sylvia. After Sylvia confidently answers reporters' questions, her boyfriend, Robert, enters the room late and drunk. Marcello suggests to Sylvia's producer that she visit St. Peter's.

Inside St. Peter's dome, a reporter jokes that Sylvia is "an elevator" because she climbs the many stairs faster than others. Inspired, Marcello moves forward to be alone with her when they reach the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square. They almost share a kiss.

2nd Night Sequence: That evening, Marcello dances with Sylvia in the Baths of Caracalla. Sylvia's natural charm causes a lively party, while Robert, her bored fiancé, draws pictures and reads a newspaper. Robert's hurtful comment to Sylvia causes her to leave the group, followed by Marcello and his paparazzi colleagues. Alone, Marcello and Sylvia spend the rest of the evening walking through Rome's alleys and wading into the Trevi Fountain.

2nd Dawn Sequence: At dawn, Sylvia playfully splashes water from the Trevi Fountain onto Marcello's head. They drive back to Sylvia's hotel and find Robert waiting in his car. Robert slaps Sylvia, tells her to go to bed, and attacks Marcello, who accepts the hit calmly.

3rd Day Sequence: Marcello meets Steiner, a respected intellectual friend, inside a church. Steiner shows off his book on Sanskrit grammar. The two play the organ, performing a jazz piece for the priest before playing a piece by Bach.

3rd Day Sequence: Later in the afternoon, Marcello, his photographer friend Paparazzo, and Emma travel to the outskirts of Rome to cover the story of two children claiming to have seen the Madonna. Though the Catholic Church is skeptical, a large crowd of believers and reporters gathers at the site.

3rd Night Sequence: That night, the event is shown on Italian radio and television. Emma prays to the Virgin Mary to have Marcello's heart. The crowd follows the children through the rain, tearing down a small tree for its branches and leaves believed to have sheltered the Madonna.

3rd Dawn Sequence: At dawn, the crowd mourns a sick child, a pilgrim brought by his mother for healing, who was trampled to death in the chaos.

4th Night Sequence: One evening, Marcello and Emma attend a gathering at Steiner's home, where intellectuals recite poetry, play guitar, share philosophical ideas, and listen to nature recordings. The British poet Iris Tree, whose work Marcello admires, advises him to avoid "prisons" of commitment: "Stay free, like me. Never marry. Never choose. Even in love, it's better to be chosen." Emma is impressed by Steiner's home and children, telling Marcello he will one day have a home like this, but he walks away unhappily.

Outside, Marcello tells Steiner he admires him, but Steiner admits he struggles between the security of a wealthy life and his desire for a spiritual, uncertain life. Steiner talks about the importance of love and fears what his children may face in the future.

5th Day Sequence: Marcello works on his novel at a seaside restaurant, where he meets Paola, a young waitress from Perugia. She plays Perez Prado's cha-cha "Patricia" on the jukebox and hums the tune. He asks if she has a boyfriend and calls her an angel in Umbrian paintings.

5th Night Sequence: Marcello meets his father visiting Rome on the Via Veneto. With Paparazzo, they go to the "Cha-Cha" Club, where Marcello introduces his father to Fanny, a dancer and former girlfriend. Fanny likes his father, and Marcello tells Paparazzo he rarely saw his father as a child. Fanny invites his father to her flat, and other dancers invite Marcello and Paparazzo to join them. Marcello leaves the others when they reach the dancers' neighborhood. Fanny later comes out upset because his father has become ill.

5th Dawn Sequence: Marcello's father suffers what seems to be a mild heart attack. Marcello wants him to stay in Rome so they can get to know each other, but his father, weak, takes a taxi to return home. Marcello is left alone on the street, watching the taxi leave.

6th Night Sequence: Marcello, Nico, and friends meet on the Via Veneto and are driven to a castle near Rome owned by aristocrats. A party is already underway, and guests are tired and drunk. Marcello meets Maddalena again, and the two explore the castle's ruins. Maddalena sits Marcello in a large room and locks herself in another connected by an echo chamber. As a voice from another room, Maddalena asks him to marry her; Marcello says he loves her but avoids answering her proposal. Another man kisses Maddalena, who loses interest in Marcello. He rejoins the group and later spends the night with Jane, a British artist and heiress.

6th Dawn Sequence: Exhausted, the group returns to the castle at dawn and is greeted by the castle's matriarch, who is on her way to mass, accompanied by priests in a procession.

7th Night Sequence: Marcello and Emma are alone in his car on a lonely road. Emma argues, saying she loves him and tries to leave the car

Production

Federico Fellini mentioned in interviews that the film’s inspiration came from the fashionable ladies’ sack dress, which could hide things beneath it. Brunello Rondi, Fellini’s co-screenwriter, supported this idea, explaining that the sack dress’s style made a woman look luxurious and beautiful on the outside, even if she was lonely or troubled inside.

The character of Steiner, an intellectual who kills himself after shooting his children, was created by co-screenwriter Tullio Pinelli. Pinelli, who had studied with Italian novelist Cesare Pavese, believed Pavese’s intense focus on ideas made him emotionally distant, leading to his suicide in 1950. This idea of a life drained by overthinking is shown in the film when Steiner and his guests listen to nature sounds recorded on tape instead of experiencing them directly.

The term “false miracle” refers to a 1958 investigation that disproved claims that two children had been visited by the Madonna at a farm in Maratta Alta, near Terni. The phrase “dead sea monster” refers to the Montesi affair, in which the body of 21-year-old Wilma Montesi was found on a beach in April 1953.

La Dolce Vita marks the first collaboration between Fellini and Marcello Mastroianni. In 1977, Mastroianni recalled meeting Fellini, who said the film’s producer had wanted Paul Newman for the lead role. Fellini thought Newman was too attractive, while Mastroianni’s appearance seemed more “normal.” Mastroianni asked to read the script before accepting the role.

Most of the film was shot at Cinecittà Studios in Rome. Set designer Piero Gherardi built over eighty locations, including Via Veneto, the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica, and nightclubs. Some scenes, like a party at an aristocrat’s castle, were filmed at the real Bassano di Sutri palace near Rome. Real aristocrats played some of the servants and guests. Fellini combined studio sets with real locations, depending on the needs of the script. The final scenes, where a monster fish is pulled from the sea and Marcello says goodbye to Paola, were filmed at Passo Oscuro, a resort town 30 kilometers from Rome.

Fellini removed a major scene involving Marcello’s relationship with Dolores, an older writer played by Luise Rainer. Biographer Kezich noted that Fellini grew frustrated with Rainer, who often had unproductive discussions with him. As the screenplay was rewritten, the Dolores character became too exaggerated, so Fellini decided to eliminate the entire storyline.

The scene at the Trevi Fountain was filmed over a week in winter. Some sources say it was in March, while Anita Ekberg, the actress, said it was in late January. Fellini claimed Ekberg stood in cold water for hours without difficulty, while Mastroianni had to wear a wetsuit. Even then, he got cold. He drank a bottle of vodka and became very drunk before the scene could be filmed.

The character of Paparazzo, a news photographer played by Walter Santesso, was inspired by photojournalist Tazio Secchiaroli. The word “paparazzi” is used to describe intrusive photographers. Fellini scholar Peter Bondanella suggests the name may come from “papataceo,” an Italian word for a large, annoying mosquito. Co-screenwriter Ennio Flaiano said the name was taken from a character named Signor Paparazzo in a novel by George Gissing, titled By the Ionian Sea (1901).

Themes, motifs and structure

Marcello is a journalist in Rome during the late 1950s. He writes about movie stars, religious experiences, and the wealthy people who enjoy luxury. He struggles to find a more meaningful purpose in life. Marcello faces a difficult choice between two paths: working as a journalist or becoming a writer. He lives a life filled with excess, fame, and pleasure, often distracted by women and power in Rome’s popular culture. At the same time, Marcello wants to lead a more thoughtful life among intellectuals, poets, and philosophers. In the end, Marcello chooses neither journalism nor literature. Instead, he becomes a publicity agent, focusing on the life of fame and popularity.

The main theme of the film shows the lively and colorful social life in cafes, which reflects the mix of wealth and poverty in postwar Italy. In the opening scene, a statue of Jesus, held up by cables from a helicopter, flies over the ruins of an ancient Roman aqueduct. The statue is being taken to the Pope at the Vatican. Journalist Marcello and a photographer named Paparazzo follow in another helicopter. The image of Jesus, with arms open as if blessing Rome, is soon replaced by modern buildings and the fast-growing economy of the 1950s. Many scenes in the film were filmed in Cinecittà or in EUR, a part of Rome known for its modern design. The statue’s delivery is one of many moments where religious symbols appear alongside characters showing their modern, consumer-driven lives.

The film is often described as a collection of seven separate stories connected by Marcello Rubini, the journalist. These stories include:
1. Marcello’s evening with the heiress Maddalena (Anouk Aimée).
2. A long, difficult night with the Swedish-American actress Sylvia (Anita Ekberg), ending at the Trevi Fountain at dawn.
3. Marcello’s reunion with the intellectual Steiner (Alain Cuny), shown in three parts: their first meeting, a party, and Steiner’s tragedy.
4. A fake miracle.
5. Marcello’s father’s visit and Steiner’s party.
6. An aristocrat’s party and Steiner’s tragedy.
7. An “orgy” at a beach house.

These stories are interrupted by a scene where Marcello meets Paola, a kind and angelic woman. The film begins with the statue of Jesus flying over Rome and ends with a scene of a monster fish, creating a balanced and symbolic structure. Some critics say the film uses the number seven to represent themes like the seven deadly sins, seven virtues, or seven days of creation. However, others, like Peter Bondanella, argue that the film’s structure is not strictly based on the number seven.

Robert Richardson suggests that the film’s originality lies in its unique storytelling style. Instead of a traditional plot or character development, director Federico Fellini and his writers created a story with seven unrelated events. These events show Marcello, like a traveler in a strange world, meeting many characters. The film’s structure, moving from evening to dawn, and the repeated use of stairs and ladders, symbolize Marcello’s downward spiral. The film’s style, rather than its story, highlights Rome’s moral challenges during this time.

Critical reception

Alberto Moravia, an Italian novelist, wrote for L'Espresso and noted the film's changes in tone. In Filmcritica XI, Pier Paolo Pasolini, an Italian poet and film director, said "La dolce vita was too important to be discussed as one would normally discuss a film." Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, a film critic and co-founder of Cahiers du cinéma, shared his opinion about the film. Bosley Crowther, a film critic for The New York Times, praised Fellini's work. Roger Ebert called "La Dolce Vita" Fellini’s best and favorite film, and he included it in his top ten films in the Sight & Sound Greatest Films poll every ten years. Ebert's first review of the film, published in October 1961, was nearly his first film review before he became a film critic in 1967. The film was important to Ebert, as his views on the movie and his life changed over time, as he wrote in his 1997 Great Movie review. Kevin Thomas of Los Angeles Times wrote about the film. He praised Fellini's direction. Review website Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 95% approval score based on 81 reviews, with an average rating of 9.10/10. The consensus said the film is an epic, stylish landmark that remains exciting because of its long length. On Metacritic, the film has a 95/100 rating based on 13 critics, showing "universal acclaim." The film was very popular in Europe, with 13,617,148 tickets sold in Italy and 2,956,094 tickets sold in France, totaling 16,573,242 tickets in both countries. It was the second most watched Italian film, behind "War and Peace," and among the top 10 most watched films in Italy. The film earned $6 million in rentals in the United States and Canada during its original release and was the highest-grossing foreign language film in the U.S. It was re-released in North America in 1966 by American International Pictures and earned $1.5 million in rentals. The total gross was $19,516,348. The Catholic Church saw the film as a parody of the second coming of Jesus, and the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano condemned the film in 1960. Umberto Tupini, the Italian Minister of Culture, censored the film and other "shameful films." Due to widespread censorship, the film was banned in Spain until the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975. In Portugal, the film took ten years to be allowed to be shown because of censorship during the authoritarian Estado Novo regime. "La Dolce Vita" was nominated for four Academy Awards and won one for Best Costume Design: Black-and-White. It also earned the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival. The film won the best foreign language film award at the New York Film Critics Circle and National Board of Review awards. It was also nominated for a BAFTA award in the best film from any source category. The New York Times described "La Dolce Vita" as "one of the most widely seen and acclaimed European movies of the 1960s." Entertainment Weekly ranked it the 6th greatest film of all time in 1999. The Village Voice placed it at number 112 in its Top 250 "Best Films of the Century" list in 1999. The film was included in "The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made" in 2002. In 2010, it was ranked #11 in Empire magazine's "The 100 Best Films of World Cinema." In the British Film Institute's 2002 Sight & Sound polls, "La Dolce Vita" ranked 24th in critics' poll and 14th in directors' poll. In the 2012 version, it ranked 39th in critics' poll and 37th in directors' poll. In January 2002, the film was listed on the "Top 100 Essential Films of All Time" by the National Society of Film Critics. It was ranked No. 59 on Cahiers du cinéma's list of "100 Greatest Films" in 2008. In 2007, it was ranked No. 19 by The Guardian's readers poll on "40 Greatest Foreign Films of All Time." In 2010, The Guardian ranked it 23rd in its list of 25 greatest arthouse films. In 2016, The Hollywood Reporter ranked it 2nd among 69 Palme d'Or winners, noting Fellini’s view that modern life hides emptiness. In 2018, BBC ranked it 10th in its list of The 100 greatest foreign language films. In 2021, Time Out magazine ranked it No. 6 on its list of The 100 best movies of all time, and it continues to appear on lists of essential films to watch.

In popular culture

• A character named Paparazzo inspired the term "paparazzi," which is a nickname for photographers who take pictures of celebrities without permission.
• The 1961 Italian film Totò, Peppino e… la dolce vita copies scenes from Fellini's film and was filmed on the same sets.
• In Divorce Italian Style (1961), a character named Daniela Rocca runs away with her lover during a movie screening of La Dolce Vita. At the cinema, the audience watches an actor named Anita Ekberg dance in a famous scene.
• The 1964 song "Motorpsycho Nightmare" by Bob Dylan mentions La Dolce Vita in the lyrics, describing a character who looks like someone from the film.
• In We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974), two actors meet during a scene filmed at the Trevi Fountain, where Fellini and Marcello Mastroianni appear as themselves.
• Cinema Paradiso (1988) includes scenes that honor Fellini, such as a helicopter carrying a statue of Jesus over a city and the Trevi Fountain appearing in the background as a character grows up to become a filmmaker.
• The 1991 film L.A. Story begins with a scene similar to Cinema Paradiso, where a helicopter carries a giant hot dog over Los Angeles.
• In Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), a character enters the Trevi Fountain to copy a scene from La Dolce Vita with a villa owner.
• The German film Good Bye Lenin! (2003) includes a scene where a statue of Lenin is carried over East Berlin, inspired by the Jesus statue in Cinema Paradiso.
• In Lost in Translation (2003), a character’s interview scene mirrors one from La Dolce Vita. Later, two characters watch the Trevi Fountain scene while drinking sake.
• In a 2004 episode of The Sopranos titled "Marco Polo," a character watches La Dolce Vita and comments on the helicopter scene.
• A 2010 episode of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations titled "Rome" was filmed to honor La Dolce Vita, using black-and-white visuals and referencing the film directly.
• The Italian film The Great Beauty (2013) follows a writer who moves through social events in Rome while deciding his future.
• The 2014 song "Froot" by Marina and the Diamonds includes the phrase "living la dolce vita," referencing the film.
• The 2019 Ferrari Roma model uses the slogan "la nuova Dolce Vita," which honors La Dolce Vita.