La Dolce Vita (1960)
I saw this about 5 years ago and after only being lukewarm to 8½, it was time to rewatch this and I was gladly reminded why it hooked me so much the first time. The very episodic nature of the film work to its advantage, as even though there is little cohesive narrative, each scene is still interesting on their own - and for very different reasons. The film never becomes boring despite its long runtime. I find incredible value simply “going with the flow” so to speak, and not trying to think too much about whatever message or themes it all is trying to convey. It will appear intuitively in the back of your mind anyway. Which to me led me into thoughts about the conflict of keeping up appearances for others and what actually matters personally. The film is full of people that are filling their days with spectacle and flashyness, but there is no emotional depth to any of it. In addition to all that, it now became even more apparent in how The Great Beauty is a massive ode to this film. This is probably the third or fourth time this year I mention that in reference, so would need to revisit that again too.
Rating: 4