poor movie - La dolce vita (1961) Discussion

[–] Christianovic 14 years ago

If most of the events in the film have no meaning, than your life has no meaning which I doubt, but it's possible. Don't take that as an insult. I'm just saying you have to love and live life to appreciate this film.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] franzkabuki 10 years ago

"You have to love and live life to appreciate this film".

We`ve got some horse pucky right here...

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

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[–] EternalSummer247 10 years ago

I know this has nothing to do with the movie, but I just wanted to help you out with your signature. The full quote is "Facts are stupid things – stubborn things, I should say." Reagan was quoting John Adams, misspoke and immediately corrected himself. I'll never understand why people only give the first part of the quote. Even if you are anti-Reagan, it still makes you look uneducated.

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The more selfish you are, the more immature you are.

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[–] balthazar_bee 9 years ago

Even if you are anti-Reagan, it still makes you look uneducated.

I've always thought that being opposed to Reagan was itself suggestive of being well educated.

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[–] skiop 9 years ago

The butthurt is strong in this one.

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[–] EternalSummer247 9 years ago

No, I just don't like revisionist history.

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The more selfish you are, the more immature you are.

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[–] skiop 9 years ago

How can you love something that has nothing but contempt for you?

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[–] junklax 14 years ago

Why does it matter if they are under 30?
Im 15 and I enjoyed the film.

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[–] PhoenixPhuck 14 years ago

Seriously why does it matter how old the OP might be...old people are just as stupid as young people

Even the most primitive society has an innate respect for the insane.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Towelie_Towel 14 years ago

Well, then, in my opinion you're just stupid, no matter how old you are, really.

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[–] PhoenixPhuck 14 years ago

I don't know one person over 30 who likes this movie...I know many in their twenties...old people are stupid

Even the most primitive society has an innate respect for the insane.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] opuss-owlowl 13 years ago

Hold up there! I very much disagree with all the stereotypes concerning young people and their poor taste. I am seventeen and this is one of my favourite films. It stunned me. Only one other friend of mine has seen it, but most of my friends are interested in surrealism and watch all kinds of films from any era. I consider your opinion to be invalid as I would question the extent of your knowledge of young people's tastes. I would say that you probably suffer from knowing too many people who are over the age of thirty than people in their teens and twenties.

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[–] omar_sy 14 years ago

Thanks for the most stupid comment...

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[–] indigol 14 years ago

As a majority of yours have been?

We get it you seem to have no real sense of film appreciation and you needed to vent.

.

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[–] Towelie_Towel 14 years ago

I didn't get it. What?
Basing any person's taste in movies just because they're under 18 and, therefore, "shallow", seems pretty stupid to me.

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[–] indigol 14 years ago

Seeing that we are on a board about movies meant to discuss those movies it does include a person's taste in movies.

i_love_tatas didnt' get the movie, no problem but when others have tried to explain the movie to you, you respond like an immature person and shallow.

.

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[–] skiop 9 years ago

I don't like the taste of any film. They're all too filmy.

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[–] PhoenixPhuck 14 years ago

must be old

Even the most primitive society has an innate respect for the insane.

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[–] Last_Entrance 14 years ago

Not the point. Under 30s tend to be shallow in their tastes. If you aren't, you're the exception that proves the rule.

Well that's a massive generalisation...

"The task of art today is to bring chaos into order." - Theodor Adorno

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[–] skiop 9 years ago

It seems to be the opposite way for me. The older I get, the less patient I am toward boring movies. There are much more enjoyable ways to fill what little time I have left on Earth than to waste it watching boring movies.

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[–] BB-15 14 years ago

Some of the complainers on this Board seem to be people who took a film class and had to see this film. And these bashers of the film expected the typical popular movie plot which gets continually repeated in Hollywood.

The questions in the mind of these folks seem to be; where's the hero?, where's the villain?. A movie doesn't have to be about a secret agent or an action hero.

It can be about a fairly ordinary person who is trying to figure out what to do with his life. And in that journey he sees tragedy and those who lead meaningless lives. And finally, he gives up his dream for a paycheck. It's a pretty bleak look at life. But life can be that way.

BB ;-)

it's just in my humble opinion - imho -

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[–] aeneas219 14 years ago

Alright, I have said it once and I'll say it again, this movie is overrated, I'm 19, a huge film buff, and plan to go into film when I grow up, most of my favorite films are in fact art films, and the fact that people who actually are vocal in their dislike of this movie get bashed so heavily, pisses me off to no end. Why do you people have to rip apart this persons opinion, just because they don't agree with you doesn't mean their opinion is invalid, they have no soul, are dead inside etc. I wish you all could see how ridiculous you sound and how big an act of douchebaggery you are committing. opinions are like *beep* everyone's got 'em. Don't belittle someone else because their tastes don't agree with yours. For example, people like Brokencyde, I hate brokencyde with a passion, but I don't go out saying that these people are retarded for liking them. The same goes for film, being vicious on the internet is not unheard of, but to be such douchebags is really incredible to me. I try to like as many films as possible, I like Die Hard, I like Persona, I like to have stupid fun sometimes, I like to watch serious, and contemplative movies at other times. I'm going on an angry rant because it so angers me that people are such *beep* But anyway, this film isn't bad because it's boring, it's bad because it's self indulgent. Fellini tended to do that, and that makes his films incredibly hard to watch. That isn't to say that I hated this film, I'm just saying it's overrated.Feel free to bash on me now because of my age and dislike of this movie, I await your responses asswipes (and i'm aware that I contradicted myself deal with it)

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[–] Endy7 14 years ago

Yes, please, hate it people, just proves that this film is too cool for rednecks and plot-nazis.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] skay_baltimore 12 years ago

It can be about a fairly ordinary person who is trying to figure out what to do with his life. And in that journey he sees tragedy and those who lead meaningless lives. And finally, he gives up his dream for a paycheck. It's a pretty bleak look at life. But life can be that way.

I understand what you're trying to say, but I'd hardly call Marcello's life "ordinary" by any means. If anything, I'd call it elitist.

"Love isn't what you say or how you feel, it's what you DO". (The Last Kiss)

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] udippel 9 years ago

Yes, a good comment. Though there can be people who do not expect a Hollywood movie, not even a plot and neither a villain, and still see little in this movie. Like myself.
Yep, not too bad a movie on a meaningless life, a philandering author switching from party to party. Is there great cinematography? I couldn't make it out. Does it show deep insights on the development of a person? Rather superficial, everything. If this was the intention, fine, done. Though if I compare it to l'avventura of the same year, the latter in my opinion is a work of art, the former a more average description of some days of people who are trying desperately to fill at least some sense into their lives.
I could appreciate the ending though: indecisive first, the main figure tempted by about the only person showing genuine emotions considers the shallow water as too much of a distance and couldn't get himself to go and understand what the message of the girl was. Instead, he hung on to the next female lingering around, back into the dreary life of his. 'Forever', like in Sartre's huis clos ('no exit').

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[–] BlueGreen 14 years ago

What I don't understand, and probably will never understand, is why people find it so difficult to express their OPINION without applying quality-related adjectives to the work itself.

You did not like it, therefore it is "poor"?
You liked it, therefore it is "excellent"?

Maybe the reason why you did not like it - to which, needless to say, you have every right - is hidden precisely in the apparent fact that you cannot divorce your subjective views from the autonomous reality of the film itself.

Considering we're on IMDB, I feel the need to add that I am not "berating" you or anything.

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[–] Joshieboyucla 14 years ago

Age has a lot to do with it. .. sure there are exceptions here and there. . . but the majority that like older films, like this one, tend to be over twenty and older. . . It's for those that have actually lived life and can relate to the issues that are presented . . .

And being an older film; black and white and in another language, makes it even more challenging for those feeble minds of today that cannot digest anything unless it's action-packed and bleeding with color and graphics. . . It's only natural, for when one is conditioned to appreciate garbage as cinema, a film like this seems boring, dull and poorly made. . .

.;*We Live Inside A Dream*;.

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[–] Endy7 14 years ago

For me it works the other way, with the massive amount of crappy movies which are too similar to each other, something with different pacing and non-standard narrative is like a breath of fresh air. Random, typical garbage movie would be boring as you've seen the same thing hundreds of times before. In fact I still watch a lot of crap, it make the good flicks seem so much better than they already are.

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[–] jgarber4444 11 years ago

Very well said BlueGreen.

However, I think that there are actually good films and bad films, and most films have people that like them and people that dislike them (or even hate them). Most films are good or average, some are indeed poor and some are in fact brilliant. Who gets to decide a films quality definitively, the professional film critics? Well, most people would rather make their own minds up, which makes us all film critics and frankly unable to agree on the overall merits of a movie, beyond obvious criteria such as direction, acting, pace, plot issues, etc. Consensus gets you so far but there will always be dissent. Some like movies for the precise reason that others dislike them. What should we make of all that? Not much really...there are plenty of opinions matching the multiplicity of reactions to a movie. There are also plenty of types of movies out there, even I, an inveterate and hardcore filmfan, I don't like them all. It's a shame that film fans and movie buffs contributing to the Imdb forum discussions bringing film fans from all corners of the world together, don't always realise this. Personal attacks, vitriolic abuse, arrogant putdowns/windups, and sweeping generalisations, don't lead to interesting debate, just embarrassing petty scraps, which I try to steer clear of. I mean whats the point, zzzzz....

Imho, LDV is an enjoyable film. Indulgent, felliniesque certainly but full of life, vivacity, pretension,wit,and humour. The height of 60s chic, cool and celebrity culture. The glamour of Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, Ekberg plus assorted artistes and personalities, aristocrats and attendant paperazzi and ordinary folk milling about in some fantastic locations in one of the most beautiful cities of the world. Mastroianni is the central focus of the meandering lifestyle exhibited by many, what is life about beyond earning enough to live, to preen oneself, to party, and to love. A hip 60s-style Italian slice of life delivered in a masterly and enjoyable fashion by Fellini. It is not a poor movie, though I understand why it won't appeal to everyone.

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[–] scorsese-1 12 years ago

Poor idiot.One of the greatest films ever.Fellini is a genius.

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[–] skiop 9 years ago

Thanks for your convincing opinion.

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[–] markscosmiclight-303-329341 12 years ago

What can be said about a great movie like this that hasn’t already been said? That it is possibly the greatest film-work ever made about human relationships and life in general.
The film work and technical direction is a visual masterpiece in itself. The scripts are some of the best writing ever in the history of man. I believe the original statement here “The film is boring, very long, the events in it have no meaning”; this is a sign of an uneducated person or the statement was simply made up by the site monitors to generate conversation to the IMDB site.

The comments here about those who are bored with life falling asleep at the wheel, too young to understand or just too ignorant to know or appreciate what real life and artistic achievement is about will always complain that they are not entertained by real life’s experiences that they will not ever appreciate. Of course, what child under 30 that only likes watching corny Disney Films, cheap prime time TV cartoons and action flicks with CGI effects has not been stigmatized with the American wasteland of computer games and stained with and patience and such immaturity, that they will never appreciate any great artistic film work such as Fellini, Kubrick, Hitchcock or Bergman? Can they at least bend their lack of persuasion to watch a few of the better Eastwood or Leone films such as Once Upon a Time in the West, and appreciate them?

We have seen the comments time and again from these uneducated children. Conversely, I run into young people quite frequently that are educated by parents who were artists, and these intellectual young people under 30 today love the La Dolce Vita movie. Who would blame them? What’s right with this scenario? People who understand and appreciate life and great art will obviously appreciate the great accomplishment in Fellini’s movies. We would have to suppose that these uneducated youth today would find 8 ½ even more disturbingly long and boring to them. God forbid they might have to think a little as they watch. Never mind that they cannot read subtitles! Imagine what might happen to them if they watched Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey or Eyes Wide Shut. Of course you can answer that- they’d complain about falling asleep because they cannot relate to life yet without any experience by age 30- some today at 40 still rely on their parents to spoon feed them. They may also be born within a bad gene pool- so we cannot blame them or their parents for a lack of intellect. In watching these great films, they might get their first lesson in a brain exercise of scientific methods and the artistic process.

Please learn to enjoy and participate in life. You’ll find it one day in these great movies when you have become experienced. It may take you till age 40, 50 or even 60 to gain this experience. Good luck.

Mark Seibold, Retired IT Specialist, Artist-Astronomer, Portland Oregon

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] markscosmiclight-303-329341 12 years ago

phoenix714

You’ve made some very interesting and valid points and I agree with you on much of your points. It would be further interesting to know your age and background. I am guessing that you are a young person under age 35.

The only point you make here that I tend to disagree with is the final one, that age does not have much to do with it.

I am a 58 year old male that has been somewhat successful in the art and media world and at times I feel that I have lived the life that is depicted by Marcello in this film. I have been married twice, the first 20 years marriage to an atypical American and we have a beautiful daughter that is almost a copy of Nico in this film. My second marriage later to a dark Hindu, an Asian woman and I was the surrogate father to mentor her two teen sons for some time. This scene about Asian woman is discussed in the film, the party at Steiner’s if you remember it. The elder Frenchman talks of the Eastern world women and how different they are than the Western world women. Listen to the conversation and try to imagine that a young person today in America of say 25 ~ 40 drugged on Grand Theft Auto video games and McDonalds hamburgers in America would not get it.

However, it is not so much my life as it is my age. I would not have experienced all this without age and the opportunity to participate in many art venues to achieve my art being seen in NASA websites as an accomplished astronomer, nor would I have been featured in the news but I saw La Dolce Vita the firsts time when I was about 32 and I already related to it then after several years of marriage and becoming the father of a beautiful daughter, yet my wife did not seem so interested in the movie. She might see it differently today after so many years of new experiences.

La Dolce Vita has much in life’s rich experiences that will become more apparent as you watch it again later with age.

Mark Seibold, retired IT Specialist 30 years, artist-astronomy educator, Portland Oregon

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[–] coolbrett 12 years ago

I saw this movie the other day and while I didn't get it or appreciate it, I don't doubt it was great. Mainly because critics and many film-makers praise the hell out of it, so it must be good. The themes and messages were just lost on me, but it seemed interesting while I was watching it. I'm 25 and maybe I just haven't lived a full or proper life yet (as someone pointed out) so I just didn't get it. I'll definitely watch it again sometime

No expectations, no disappointments.

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[–] PhoenixPhuck 11 years ago

markscosmiclight-303-329341

"The elder Frenchman talks of the Eastern world women and how different they are than the Western world women. Listen to the conversation and try to imagine that a young person today in America of say 25 ~ 40 drugged on Grand Theft Auto video games and McDonalds hamburgers in America would not get it"

Just because some one is a young american who plays video games and eats fast food doesn't mean they aren't educated.

Even the most primitive society has an innate respect for the insane.

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[–] 11 years ago

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[–] live4coffee 10 years ago

Given the hype, I was expecting this film to inspire a deep spiritual awakening. I quite liked the somewhat non sequitur storyline, but the dialogue, when it existed, was stilted and clunky.

Much as I wanted to embrace this film and bore everyone about how wonderful it is, I just couldn't

"The dead do not suffer the living to pass"
"You will suffer me"

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