Livin’ La Dolce Vita a Roma

I finished rewatching La Dolce Vita the other night and I was surprised at how various the film was from what I keep in mind right after first seeing it several years ago. Most noticeably, how critical Fellini portrays Rome. Far from the glamour and the romance so associated with the city, Fellini truly takes a negative view of Roman culture around 1960 when the film takes place, and at the same time is criticizing modernity itself, which is accentuated by the reality that the action nearly all takes place within the landscape of ancient Rome (e.g., the infamous Trevi Fountain scene where the buxom American actress played by Anita Ekberg and Marcello Mastroianni cavort just as the sun begins to rise in the morning).

That becoming said, I believe it’s not Rome itself he’s criticizing, but rather the era in which the movie takes place, which may possibly explain that despite everything that goes wrong in the story, you can’t support but want to visit Rome as soon as you can right after watching the film and the fall is one of the greatest times to head to the Eternal City as the tourists have fled the city and the hot, muggy air has given way to comfy, walking weather. Above is a superior video of some ideas and inspiration for your trip.