There are some really breathtaking scenes in this film. I think some episodes are better than others. I was particularly entranced by the first few episodes. The physical emptiness of the Roman streets, and the now-iconic Trevi Fountain, is striking. It provincial-izes the city in a way that I think actually probably reflects reality. When I roamed the streets of Venice at night, it was similarly empty. I tried to capture that emptiness in words in my blog, but obviously film does that a little better.
It's the episodic structure that is so unique about this film. Seemingly non-linear moments in Marcello's life. Characters come and go, some recur and some never return. I thought Anita Ekberg would be in more of the film being top-billed, but she actually features in only one episode. It is not immediately obvious how each episode relates. And I think for me to really understand and fully appreciate this masterpiece, it will take additional viewings and more life experience.
