Britta Barnes, Federico Fellini, Cassandra
Peterson , Stefano Majore, Marcello Mastroianni,
Marne Maitland
Federico Fellini's 1972 ode to the city
of Rome is far from a coherent narrative, but as a selection of
images and sounds celebrating the famed Italian capital, it's dazzling
and hugely enjoyable. Stylistically, it's a perfect bridge between
the excesses of Satyricon and the nostalgia of Amarcord, and it
showcases the true love that Fellini had for the Eternal City. Mixing
autobiographical flashbacks with the travails of a present-day movie
company making a film about the city (headed up by Fellini himself),
Roma is an impressionistic tour de force, delivered via Fellini's
unique cinematic vision. If you can't tolerate Fellini's larger-than-life
approach, the sometimes-garish colors, or the circus atmosphere,
you'll probably find Roma insufferable. But fans of Fellini will
be in seventh heaven, especially during some of the wonderful set
pieces--a music dance hall performance that's interrupted by bombing
during World War II; a papal fashion show that's so surreal it must
be seen to be believed; and a breathtaking sequence in which the
film crew, tagging along with an archaeological dig, happens upon
an ancient Roman catacomb and watches as the beautiful murals disintegrate
before their eyes. Through it all, Fellini's passion for Rome (and
moviemaking) shines through, especially in the film's climax, a
dialogue-free sequence of motorcycles roaring through the city at
night, a tour that ends at the magnificent Colosseum. At that marriage
of past and present, Roma is about as perfect as cinema can get.
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