La Dolce Vita

For the last month I have been in the world of Federico Fellini. You are probably wondering why. Well I plan to do some stories that could be turned into movies and some other types of writing. That is my goal and yes be successful at it as well. I can see why Fellini is a movie screened generously in classes on the art of movie making. I was blown away by the first movie I saw, La Dolce Vita. Now I must admit the images and personalities of women in a Fellini film is romanticized, some might say sexist, some might say primitive. I think Fellini's women represent the era they were projected in, Italy in the 1950's. Seeing them after the turn of the century, they look remarkably limited and in some cases desperate, but also the men sometimes are. The philosophical themes in his films are great. He really does challenge the viewer both intellectually, visually and sometimes spiritually. For instance, the themes of men and persons who are losing themselves as their dreams for a better life, a meaningful life seems to become even more and more distant. This type of crisis applies to today no doubt, even though its made even more brutal by the assumptions that so many of us have that the world we are in is possibly the most emancipated the world has known for some time. All the media images show how easy it is, how accessible it is and still there are many who have identity struggles and conflicts between the social mask and the authentic self that lies quietly beneath. I also saw the Fellini film -81/2. This, upon first screening was not impressive. But after some brief research and watching it a second time, this is supposedly one of his greatest films earning an oscar for best foreign film in 1963. This films shows Fellini, or the character that is Fellini struggling to make a film. But the real struggle is not the film but the director's insecurities about love, women and finding his true inner voice. Its great the dream sequences in the film which you have to pay attention to because it shifts from dream to reality with not much notice. Many of Fellini films are wonderful in that he plays well with Jungian archetypes and symbols found in the Catholic church. His movies are rich with life even in black and white, their vitality is still quite strong. I like also that in La Dolce Vita he hints at a divine Mother Goddess. In one scene, children are thought to see an image of the Virgin Mary in a tree on a vacant lot. Another scene shows the protagonist and his friends at a party discussing Afro-Asiatic women and their unique spiritual culture. I was amazed to see it but Fellini was obvious to me familiar with divine manifestations of women in eastern cultures and even in Italy as well. Seeing a Fellini film is one of the many ways I plan to strengthen and expand my creative muscle. I highly recommend the two films I saw.