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Rome in The Sweet Life by Federico Fellini
The Sweet Life (1960), directed by Federico Fellini (1920 - 1993), is a classic of Italian cinema and a strong critique of Roman high society at the time. For a week, Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroianni), a writer and tabloid journalist, searches for some purpose amidst Rome's decadent elite while trying to catch celebrities in compromising or embarrassing situations, especially when they are beautiful women.
Marcello becomes romantically involved with Maddalena (Anouk Aimee) and Swedish superstar actress Sylvia (Anita Ekberg) despite being engaged to Emma (Yvonne Furneaux), a clingy, insecure, and melodramatic woman. The narrative, fragmented into episodes, reflects Marcello's disorientation and existential emptiness. Sylvia's iconic scene at the Trevi Fountain symbolizes desire and unattainability.
The Sweet Life won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, popularizing a lifestyle and giving rise to the term "paparazzo," inspired by the surname of a photographer friend of the protagonist Marcello. The film addresses themes such as the search for happiness, spiritual emptiness, the superficiality of fame and moral decadence. It combines realism and surrealism, with highlights including Otello Martelli's photography and Nino Rota's soundtrack.
Rome was founded in 753 BC by Romulus and ruled by a series of seven kings during the monarchy. In 509 BC, Rome became a republic. In 27 BC, Octavian Augustus inaugurated the Roman Empire. To think of the Roman Empire is to think of Nero, the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty.
Nero, the Cruel, Tyrannical and Incendiary Emperor. Really?
Nero, emperor of Rome from 54 to 68, is often remembered as a cruel, murderous tyrant, accused of killing his mother Agrippina and his wives Claudia Octavia and Poppaea Sabina. However, a 2021 BBC report on the exhibition Nero: The Man Behind the Myth at the British Museum challenges this negative view of Nero. Drawing on previously unpublished documents and correspondence, the exhibition presents a much more complex image of Nero than the one that has survived.
Nero came to power at the age of sixteen, conducted popular reforms, improved the food supply, and enjoyed a great popularity. However, his political and artistic extravagances angered the elite. According to the exhibition curator, historians such as Tacitus, Cassius Dio and Suetonius, Nero's political opponents, contributed to the construction of his negative reputation by distorting the emperor's image. Federico Fellini's positive reputation increased tremendously after The Sweet Life, which does not mean that the world was rosy for the producers.
The Sweet Life, Not So Sweet
The Sweet Life is widely recognized as one of the most beloved films in the history of cinema; however, the perspective of the producer, an essential figure in the making of any film, is rarely considered. On the centenary of Fellini's birth, the documentary The Truth About The Sweet Life reveals, for the first time, the behind-the-scenes story of the film, anchored in previously unpublished documents, such as correspondence between Fellini and producers Giuseppe Amato and Angelo Rizzoli.
The detailed reconstruction of scenes and testimonies allows us to investigate the genesis and challenges of producing one of cinema's greatest masterpieces. The documentary tells the story of a passion for cinema and the commitment of producer Giuseppe Amato, who risked almost everything to realize his dream of transforming an initially discredited film into an eternal icon of the seventh art. The truth about The Sweet Life is to Fellini's film what the Exhibition at the British Museum is to Nero.
The Bitter Life of Nero
Nero was the first Roman emperor to perform publicly on stage. He organized shows to increase his popularity, which generated criticism from the elite. His mother, Agrippina, had enormous influence in the government, but tensions between them led to Agrippina's death, which was attributed to Nero. Claudia Octavia, his first wife, was executed for adultery, and his second wife, Poppaea Sabina, died during pregnancy, with Nero once again suspected of murder.
One of the biggest myths about Nero is his alleged responsibility for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, but research shows that he was out of the city when the fire started and returned to Rome to help fight the fire. Nero blamed the Christians for the fire and began the persecution of the early followers of Christ. He was forced to commit suicide in 68 AD, thus ending the Julio-Claudian Dynasty. With this current information, perhaps the definition of Nero as a tyrant can be reconsidered. For now, everything is still a mystery and mystery leads to Alfred Hitchcock.
Sweet Suspense and Sweet Mystery by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980) was a British filmmaker, recognized as a head of suspense and psychological thrillers. He began his career in British cinema and later made a name for himself in Hollywood. His films, such as Psycho (1960), Rear Window (1954), The Birds (1963) and Vertigo (1958), are known for creating tension with complex plots and ambiguous characters.
Hitchcock's cinematic style is marked by visual and narrative techniques that build suspense until its conclusion. Hitchcock innovated with camera angles and movements, as in Psycho and The Birds, where shadows and colors intensify the mood. Hitchcock built tension by giving more information to the audience than to the characters and used the "MacGuffin" to move the plot forward.
A concept popularized by Alfred Hitchcock, the MacGuffin is a term used in film and literature to describe an object, event, or goal that serves as motivation for the characters and drives the plot, but which may have little or no real importance to the story. His complex characters and themes of guilt and paranoia, combined with his appearances in films, left a lasting impact on suspense cinema.
Federico Fellini's Sweet Surrealist and Fantastical Style
Fellini was known for his surrealist and fantastical style, with fragmented narratives that explore the human condition, vanity, and social decay. Fellini used lush colors and inventive visual compositions to create surreal atmospheres. His films reflect stream of consciousness and feature exaggerated archetypal characters to represent universal themes in a cartoonish way.
Fellini impacted modern cinema with his unique visual style and innovative narrative approaches. In a career spanning nearly fifty years, Fellini won the Palme d’Or for The Sweet Life, was nominated for twelve Academy Awards, and won four in the category of best foreign language film.
How would Hitchcock analyze The Sweet Life?
Here, imagination comes into play. If Alfred Hitchcock were able to analyze The Sweet Life today, his observations might reflect his cinematic style. A fan of well-structured, suspense-focused narratives, Hitchcock might criticize the fragmented, episodic nature of The Sweet Life. He would feel that the lack of a cohesive central plot weakens the emotional impact and audience involvement. Who knows, Hitchcock might suggest a more linear, focused narrative to increase the tension and engagement in the film.
Since Hitchcock was an expert at developing the psychology of his characters, he would consider Marcello Rubini ambiguous and very prone to his psychological study in characterization. As for the superficiality of the secondary characters, Hitchcock could consider them more archetypes than complex figures, preferring a deeper and more motivating development.
In some scenes, Fellini's visual aesthetic could seem to Hitchcock to lack technical precision. Hitchcock might have seen Fellini’s dreamlike and surrealist style as disorganized in comparison to his more restrained style focused on building tension. Hitchcock might find Fellini's critique of superficiality and hedonism interesting, but he would question whether the approach used in the film is in fact effective. A more cohesive narrative could have been more impactful in criticizing the superficiality and hedonism of Roman society.
How Would Federico Fellini Analyze Psycho?
When analyzing Psycho, Federico Fellini would highlight distinct aspects of Hitchcock's work. Fellini would admire the way Hitchcock creates an atmosphere of suspense and tension with a more restrained and meticulous approach. He would find it interesting how Hitchcock uses lighting and photography to build a sense of unease and anticipation.
Fellini would consider Psycho’s narrative to be ingenious and innovative for its unconventional structure and unexpected twists. Although Fellini often used fragmented and dreamlike narratives, he would recognize and respect the way Hitchcock manipulates the plot to keep the audience intrigued and surprised. The psychological depth of the characters, especially Norman Bates, would be seen by Fellini as a fascinating representation of human complexity, with a subtlety that contrasts with Fellini’s archetypal and exaggerated characters.
The symbolism in Psycho could be analyzed as the connection between the character of Norman Bates and his mother and how this reflects universal themes of identity and repression. Fellini would find parallels with his own themes of the human condition and duality, albeit expressed differently.
Fellini would find Hitchcock’s approach to suspense and psychological fear both intriguing and restrictive. He would acknowledge Hitchcock’s mastery of creating tension, but he would also find Hitchcock’s style to be more linear and restrained compared to his own more expansive and visual approaches. These are all hypotheses, however. Hypotheses are not certainties, but rather fertile ground for creativity. Sweet or bitter, life is meant to be lived֎
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