In one of the most widely seen and acclaimed European movies of the 1960s, Federico Fellini featured Marcello Mastrioanni as gossip columnist Marcello Rubini. Having left his dreary provincial existence behind, Marcello wanders through an ultra-modern, ultra-sophisticated, ultra-decadent Rome. He yearns to write seriously, but his inconsequential newspaper pieces bring in more money, and he's too lazy to argue with this setup. He attaches himself to a bored socialite (Anouk Aimée), whose search for thrills brings them in contact with a bisexual prostitute. The next day, Marcello juggles a personal tragedy (the attempted suicide of his mistress (Yvonne Furneaux)) with the demands of his profession (an interview with none-too-deep film star Anita Ekberg). Throughout his adventures, Marcello's dreams, fantasies, and nightmares are mirrored by the hedonism around him. With a shrug, he concludes that, while his lifestyle is shallow and ultimately pointless, there's nothing he can do to change it and so he might as well enjoy it. Fellini's hallucinatory, circus-like depictions of modern life first earned the adjective "Felliniesque" in this celebrated movie, which also traded on the idea of Rome as a hotbed of ****** and decadence. A huge worldwide success, La Dolce Vita won several awards, including a New York Film Critics CIrcle award for Best Foreign Film and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Genre: Comedy Drama
- Category Satire, Ensemble Film, Media Satire, Urban Comedy
- Theme: Crisis of Conscience, Playing the Field, Members of the Press
- Studio: Koch Lorber Films
- Run Time: 02 hr 54 min
- Edition: Restored / Remastered
- Language: English, Italian
- Subtitle Language: English, Spanish
- Picture Format: widescreen
- Format: DVD
- Release Date: September 21, 2004
- Lead Actor: Alain Cuny, Marcello Mastroianni, Yvonne Furneaux, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée
- Supporting Actor: Enzo Cerusico, Daniela Calvino, Cesarino Miceli Picardi, Jacques Sernas, Adriano Celentano, Renee Longanni, Walter Santesso, Valeria Ciangottini, Annibale Ninchi, Lex Barker, Carlo Musto, Archie Savage, Antonio Jacono, Leo Coleman, Alain Dijon, Angela Wilson, Franca Pasut, Sandra Lee, Nadia Gray, Polidor, Rina Franchetti, Tito Buzzo, Vadim Wolkonsky, Giulio Questi, Gino Marturano, Nico, Marianna Leibl, Enrico Glori, Alfredo Rizzo, Leonardo Botta, Riccardo Garrone, Laura Betti, Mino Doro, Ida Galli, Haniet White, Enzo Doria, Magali Noël
- Director: Federico Fellini
awards
- Awards: Academy Awards (1)
- Winner: Academy Awards, Best Black and White Costume Design, 1961, Piero Gherardi
- Nominations: Academy Awards (3)
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Original Screenplay, 1961, Federico Fellini, Ennio Flaiano, Tullio Pinelli, Brunello Rondi
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Black and White Art Direction, 1961, Piero Gherardi
- Nominee: Academy Awards, Best Director, 1961, Federico Fellini