Federico Fellini

In order to research director authorship, I watched three films by director Federico Fellini. I was completely unfamiliar with Federico Fellini and randomly selected the following films: La Dolce Vita, Nights of Cabiria, and La Strada.

     Director Federico Fellini is considered one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century and has received numerous awards, such as 5 Academy Awards. His early style was based on Italian Neorealism, which was a national film movement characterized by stories based on poverty and the working class with non-professional actors. He broke away from neorealism with the film, La Strada. His work became more controversial in its themes of societal decadence, redemption, and women in the films Nights of Cabiria, Juliet of the Spirits, and La Dolce Vita. La Dolce Vita became one of his most well-known films, winning Palme d'Or at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Costumes.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053779/

     La Dolce Vita is a prime example of Federico Fellini's authorship with its focus on a flawed, discontent characters, conflict based on daily concerns and dramatic relationships, and an ending that is more bittersweet than happy. La Dolce Vita is a 1960 comedy-drama film of a journalist in Rome and his constant worries about his status in life and his relationship with women. The film is particularly interesting for its format, the entire film is divided into a prologue, seven episodes, a kind of intermission, and an epilogue. Federico Fellini takes advantage of any format in order to show the passage of time and character development. Throughout the film, the journalist Marcello forms many romantic relationships with different women. These relationships, along with his friendship with Steiner and other male characters, reveal Marcello's discontent with his status in life and his goals. In true
Fellini fashion, Marcello does not find true happiness and continues with his life. A few more themes which appear in the film are the juxtaposition of the poor and rich, the shallow concerns of the wealthy, and personal decisions.  The fourth night sequence of the film shows Marcello attending a party at his friend Steiner's home. Steiner is a wealthy intellectual with a luxurious home and the ability to practice many different hobbies. While Marcello enjoys the wealthy environment and confesses his admiration for Steiner, Steiner is discontent. Even with his wealth, Steiner wonders about a more spiritual way of life without money and his concerns for the world. As Steiner is proposed as a potential future for Marcello with a loving family, luxurious home, and the ability to pursue his own interests, the film provides a stunning twist. The end of the film reveals Marcello, appearing to have learned very little over the course of the film with a lady on his arm.  While Marcello appears to have learned very little, the main character of La Strada face a much harsher lesson.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Strada

     La Strada is the story of a strongman performer named Zampano and his assistant Gelsomina. Gelsomina is sold for 10,000 lire to Zampano and taken on the road for his street performances. Initially, Gelsomina helps by playing a drum and trumpet and clowning for tips. This companionship quickly sours as Zampano proves irritable and cruel. After Gelsomina escapes the act and encounters Il
Matto, Zampano catches her and forces her to continue their acts. Il Matto offers Gelsomina advice by suggesting that escape her servitude in a different manner and that every person has a purpose. Gelsomina proposes marriage, but Zampano refuses. In a dramatic ending, Zampano murders Il Matto and hides his body. Gelsomina's spirit, which has endured cruelty and uncertainty, finally breaks and she is inconsolable. Zampano abandons her and learns, years later, that Gelsomina died. The film ends with Zampano sobbing, drunk and alone. While Zampano learns a lesson, he discovers his answers much too late.  The last film I watched was Nights of Cabiria. This film continues the theme of the poor individual and their discontent with life, but offers a more optimistic ending.

     Nights of Cabiria focuses on Cabiria, a prostitute in search of a meaningful and lasting relationship in Rome. Fellini met trouble with financing this film since a prostitute as a heroine was a difficult concept. However, Fellini was willing to argue for his film and his incredible focus on the dregs of

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Nights_of_Cabiria

society. Throughout the film, Cabiria faces difficulties with her relationships as her lovers steal and hurt her. She manages to remain bright and optimistic until her fiance reveals his true colors. Finally in a relationship with the possibility of a future, Cabiria is faced with betrayal as her fiance steals her life savings and abandons her. Despite this betrayal, Cabiria's spirit manages to survive as she smiles with a group of cheerful parties on the streets of Rome.

     Overall, Federico Fellini's authorship reveals his daring. Fellini was willing to use controversial themes, such as dramatic relationships with women and the use of impoverished/immoral main characters, in order to reveal inner conflict and the true possibilities of a human. All three of these films reveal a different aspect of human nature, brought about by human relationships and spirit. Marcello, in La Dolce Vita, shows how personal decisions play the ultimate role in character development. Even when faced with difficult relationships and the loss of everything stable in his life, Marcello proves impossible to change. Zampano and Gelsomina, of La Strada, discuss the importance of every person and their ability to affect others. Zampano, specifically, learns about loss. Finally, Cabiria shows indomitable human optimism and spirit. Fellini takes advantage of unusual filming formats, such as La Dolce Vita's episodic style, in order to emphasize his point. The black and white format only makes the emotion and drama more dramatic. Federico Fellini is known as one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century for great reason.