Essay Questions

What was going on politically in Italy in the late 1950s and early 1960s?

Allied forces (comprised of the U.S., Britain, France, and Canada) invaded Italy in September 1943, leaving the country physically and economically destroyed. Once a member of the Axis powers (Japan and Nazi Germany), Italy became a member of the Allies. But after World War II ended in 1945, their country was destroyed and their longtime dictator, Benito Mussolini was dead.

As Italy emerged from the destruction of World War II, Italian society began to change significantly. After World War II, Italy began to transition from a poor, agrarian society into one of the powerhouse countries of Europe. As Italian economic prospects changed, so did Italian society. And that change provides the backdrop for La Dolce Vita, which shows how some (like Marcello) have embraced the societal change and how others have not. At that same time, Italian birth rates dropped precipitously in the late 1950s and early 1960s, which also colors many of the characters in the film.

How does Fellini portray religion in La Dolce Vita?

In what was a very remarkable shift from other films that portrayed religion in a positive light, La Dolce Vita looks at religion in a very different way. In La Dolce Vita, Fellini makes the argument that society prior to the early 1960s was grounded in religion and the morality associated with religion.

In the film, Fellini aims to show just how ambiguous the Catholic church—and the rules of the Catholic church—are. La Dolce Vita is a decidedly Catholic film, but it takes a rather negative (almost mocking) view of the church and some of its adherents. Religion, Fellini also argues in his film, is awkward and strange and perhaps not conducive to life in the modern world.