MovieChat Forums > Il Casanova di Federico Fellini (1977) Discussion > About the bird...

About the bird...

posted 17 years ago by Glucee
8 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone know the meaning of the bird that would appear in some of the sex scenes?

something about the robot bird (a rooster i think) represents the mechanical nature of libido. At the end of the movie Casanova looks like a dancing robot, so there is some free-will vs determinism in this movie.

[–] [email protected] 17 years ago

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[–] frequency-2 17 years ago

The bird represents Cassonova's sexuality in that it's devoid of true love and is "mechanical" and only carnal. Cassonova is a sex machine. Cassonova protests he loves but he only lusts. Fellini said Cassonova represented much that was wrong with Roman society and Cassonova contributed nothing to civilisation at all.

[–] TheJabberwocky 16 years ago

Actually the bird meaning is way simpler than all that...

In italian we use the word "uccello" ("bird") as a rather obscene way to call the male genital organ.

[–] crisotto 15 years ago

And that, Mr Jabberwocky sir, is what we call a slam dunk. Bravo.

[–] zigistardusted 15 years ago

hmm could it be that it has both levels of meaning ?

[–] smarques5 15 years ago

Check out the last scene in the film with a very old Casanova alone in his room reminiscing about happier times. Amongst his possessions scattered there's the magic bird, broken down. The symbolism is obvious.

[–] jeebusenroute 14 years ago

I'm watching "Casanova, Fellini and me" with an interview of Donald Sutherland talking about the bird right now on the Sundance channel.

He makes mention of both theories, calling it a "cock" and him falling in love with a mechanical doll. That the sex acts were not supposed to be sensual, but to represent the mechanical-ness and temporality of sex.

It's a great interview!