Fellini's Roma
"Positively Stunning!" -The New York Times
Acclaimed director Federico Fellini (Fellini's Satyricon, La Dolce Vita, 8 1/2) brilliantly demonstrates why he is regarded as "the last of the great epic filmmakers," delivering "a thrilling personal memoir" (Newsweek) with this monumental and outlandish tribute to his beloved Rome - The Eternal City.
This lavish autobiography, full of "lush fantasy sequences and monumental pageantry," (Los Angels Times) begins with Fellini as a youngster living in the Italian countryside. In school he studies the eclectic but parochial history of ancient Rome and then is introduced as a young man to the real thing -- arriving in this strange new city on the outbreak of World War II. Here, through a series of "visually stunning" (Los Angeles Times) vignettes brimming with satire and spark, the filmmaker comes to grips with a "sprawling, boisterous, bursting-at-the-seams portrait of Rome" (Interview), reinterpreting with his inimitable style an Italian history full of "rich sensual imagery and extravagant perception" (Playboy).
Member Reviews
Chill out people, it's Fellini! - RobBC
Fellini’s decidedly skewed homage to the Eternal City , circa WWII to 1972, is less a love letter than a collection of outrageous postcards. Through a series of disjointed narratives and giddy flashbacks he presents us with a city full of spectacles and absurdities, where silent monuments to past glory stand cheek to jowl with raucous images of contemporary excess. But even as Romans lose touch with their past they seem doomed to repeat it with images of “Il Duce” standing in for Julius Caesar and drunken revelers taking part in modern bacchanals. In one sobering scene ancient frescoes in a newly discovered catacomb fade and disappear upon being exposed to “modern air”...but as the last painted face turns to dust we see that some of the ancient Romans bore an uncanny resemblance to their modern counterparts. In another episode, my personal favourite, an ecclesiastical fashion show meant to highlight the latest in Vatican wardrobes begins as an hysterical satire on the church’s affluence but gradually turns into something far more caustic with the pope himself becoming an object of pagan idolatry. There is no doubt that Fellini loves his city with all its illusions and chaos. Scenes of debauchery and hedonism are offset by quiet moments of contemplation and innocent humour. The final scene in which a mob of young people on motorcycles circle the city like a plague of locusts brings the whole work to a satisfying, if somewhat abrupt, conclusion. Loud, crass and self-indulgent for sure, but an exhilarating trip nonetheless.Nonsense - sal33
I love many of FF's films but this was a rambling pointless mess that went nowhere and said nothing.
It had absolutely no story and left me wondering what I missed. I know I really don't get it.
To put it very simply: I was bored. I can not express any stronger my dislike for this film.Viva a Roma! - rlivne
A must seem movie for those who love italian cinema.
Fellini is the most interesting film directors that I have heard of. It is such a poetic film. The film basically wants to show you the multi-faces of Rome. It is formed by a series of loosely connected episodes which takes place in that wonderful italian city. It is a must-seen movie for those who appreciate the poesy behind the italians monuments and history. Fellini makes a darker and more absurd comparison between the parade of prostitutes at wartime brothels and a fantasy runway fashion show featuring clerical garb and a papal audience.Very very controversil movie.
Member Reviews
Read All...
Chill out people, it's Fellini! - RobBC
Fellini’s decidedly skewed homage to the Eternal City , circa WWII to 1972, is less a love letter than a collection of outrageous postcards. Through a series of disjointed narratives and giddy flashbacks he presents us with a city full of spectacles and ...Nonsense - sal33
I love many of FF's films but this was a rambling pointless mess that went nowhere and said nothing.
It had absolutely no story and left me wondering what I missed. I know I really don't get it.
To put it very simply: I was bored. I can not express ...Viva a Roma! - rlivne
A must seem movie for those who love italian cinema.
Fellini is the most interesting film directors that I have heard of. It is such a poetic film. The film basically wants to show you the multi-faces of Rome. It is formed by a series of loosely connected ...