A highly acclaimed film of
Federico Fellini about some days in the life of gossip journalist Marcello Rubini, who has to deal with apparitions of the Madonna, a friend’s existential anguish, problems with his girlfriend, a lot of lovers and a highly annoying photographer friend.
The movie is famous for being considered “immoral” for its presentation of the Roman lifestyle and the obvious
Fanservice Fellini provides with the women (though if you were to look at it,
you’d probably raise an eyebrow about it), for its scene of the actress Anita Ekberg bathing in a public fountain, for being the
Trope Namer for the term
Paparazzi, and for being the first film that
Roger Ebert ever reviewed.
This film provides examples of:
- Break the Cutie: Marcello. By the end, the poor guy has just given up, but Steiner killing both his own kids and himself is really what sealed it.
- The Casanova: Marcello, though he is technically more of a subversion, considering he's manipulated by the women instead of the opposite.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Sylvia.
- Cool Shades: Marcello and Paparazzo wear ones so cool that they get to the Logical Extreme of wearing them at any time.
- The Danza: Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, Riccardo Garrone as Riccardo.
- Distracted by the Sexy: Marcello and Paparazzo are distracted of a statue of the Christ (the news they’re covering) by a group of women sunbathing.
- Fanservice: All over it.
- Fetish Fuel Station Attendant: Depending on your tastes, any of the main women could be this, but Sylvia is by far the most obvious.
- Jade-Colored Glasses: Marcello slips them on around the time Steiner commits murder/suicide.
- Large Ham: Frankie and the rock singer of the same scene.
- Like Father, Like Son: Marcello’s father is as womanizer as him.
- Mood Whiplash: The movie is fairly comical… and suddenly Steiner decides to kill himself and his children.
- Ms. Fanservice: Sylvia.
- Offing the Offspring: Steiner does it before killing himself. Made even sadder by the fact that he really loved them.
- Paparazzi: Paparazzo is the Trope Namer.
- Pretty in Mink: Sylvia.
- Sexy Backless Outfit: Most of the women of the movie, especially the ones Marcello courts, like Maddalena or Sylvia.
- Striptease: Nadia does one. She ends conveniently covered by a fur.
- Sunglasses at Night
- Tear Jerker: Marcello watching his dead friend and children.
- Urban Legend Love Life: For the film that launched Mastroianni's career on The Casanova ticket, he never really played any character of the sort; Mastroianni himself said that all his characters billed as such were in fact the exact opposite. In La Dolce Vita, he allows himself to be used by the women he pursues.
- Vitriolic Best Buds: Marcello and Paparazzo. Mainly from Marcello’s part.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The kitten Sylvia found.
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