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Das süße Leben (1960)

La dolce vita (original title)
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A series of stories following a week in the life of a philandering paparazzo journalist living in Rome.

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story), Ennio Flaiano (story) | 5 more credits »
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Popularity
3,795 ( 488)
Won 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Marcello Mastroianni ... Marcello Rubini
Anita Ekberg ... Sylvia
Anouk Aimée ... Maddalena (as Anouk Aimee)
Yvonne Furneaux ... Emma
Magali Noël ... Fanny (as Magali Noel)
Alain Cuny ... Steiner
Annibale Ninchi ... Il padre di Marcello
Walter Santesso Walter Santesso ... Paparazzo
Valeria Ciangottini Valeria Ciangottini ... Paola
Riccardo Garrone ... Riccardo
Evelyn Stewart ... Debuttante dell'anno (as Ida Galli)
Audrey McDonald Audrey McDonald ... Jane
Polidor ... Pagliaccio
Alain Dijon Alain Dijon ... Frankie Stout
Mino Doro Mino Doro ... Amante di Nadia
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Storyline

Journalist and man-about-town Marcello struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer. Written by Jeff Lewis

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

The Roman Scandals - Bound to shock with its truth! See more »

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

Certificate:

18 | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Italy | France

Language:

Italian | English | French | German

Release Date:

22 June 1960 (West Germany) See more »

Also Known As:

Das süße Leben See more »

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Box Office

Gross USA:

$19,516,000
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Show more on IMDbPro »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (premiere) | (re-release) | (premiere)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1
See full technical specs »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The Italian catholic party Democrazia Cristiana and the Vatican were deeply against this movie for the portrayal of the city of Rome and its vicious aristocracy (which is historically very close to the Church). One article against the movie, "La schifosa vita" (The filthy life) was probably written by Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, in 1992, President of the Republic. See more »

Goofs

At the top of St. Peter's dome the wind blows Sylvia's hat off. The wire on her hat used to achieve this effect is clearly visible trailing off to the right during the scene. See more »

Quotes

Paola: Come home, I'll make Ravioli! I want to make love!
See more »

Alternate Versions

In the original American release, distributed by American International Pictures, the titles open with the AIP logo and appear over a shot of the sky with clouds. In the current release on DVD - and as shown on TCM - the title sequence is over a black background. When originally released, censors in several countries trimmed certain scenes, including the orgy near the end of the film. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Der Komponist Nino Rota (1993) See more »

Soundtracks

Ma! He's Making Eyes At Me
(uncredited)
Written by Sidney Clare and Con Conrad
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more »

User Reviews

About as interesting as empty box
18 May 2001 | by grahamdavidhughesSee all my reviews

Frank Capra once said that there are no rules in film-making, only sins, and the cardinal sin is Dullness. And I'm sorry to say that Dullness is something that La Dolce Vita has in spades. The story is uninspiring, the plot non-existent, the characterisation flat and the dialogue is about as profound as a fortune cracker. Maybe something got lost in the translation, maybe I'm low-brow and uncouth, maybe I expect too much. Then again, maybe I just want to be entertained.

I'm sure La Dolce Vita has its adoring fans who would defend this title to the hills and go on about how intelligent it all is, and how my generation has been 'dumbed-down' by Hollywood. But please, let's be honest, it's simply not that good. Watch Cinema Paradiso instead.


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