Pane e Tulipani

I saw this movie before, and it was just as enjoyable for the second viewing. 

I feel this movie is about love, but more importantly self-love. Rosalba had to learn how to love herself; how to become a confident, independent woman. With her husband she wasn't appreciated, and she wasn't challenged in her every-day life. As soon as she was left, and decided to hitch a way to Venice, life was put back into her body. She finally had meaning, excitement and motivation for her day other than doing everything her family wants. 

During this accidental vacation, Rosalba received a chance to learn what she wants in life. She basically learns that her old life was suppressing her needs and wants. In her marriage, she was being suffocated; she had no voice. Once she starts working at the flower shop and making her own connections in Venice, she realizes that she can make her own decisions. And that she can also be successful on her own. She doesn't need her rude, unfaithful husband. 

One of my favorite moments is when her husband asks his mistress to iron some of his shirts. Her reaction was something like, "I'm not your wife!" It's funny how when separated, he finds out how much he needs her, and she finds out how much she doesn't need him. 

She ends up becoming happy on her own, though she does miss her children and feels guilty for leaving them. But she also ends up falling or Fernando and re-kindling her love of the accordion. 

All in all, Rosalba completes her character development, and it's very rewarding to see such  happy ending where she gets everything she deserves. Love, family, happiness and self-worth. 

Caterina va in Citta

What stuck with me the most after viewing this film is all the different family dynamics represented. Caterina's parents for starters. Her mother, Agata, is a housewife, who does mindless work all day and does whatever her husband tells her to do. She has no voice for herself, no dignity. She's fed up with the lack of love she gets from her husband, and by the end of the movie we find out she's having an affair. Caterinas' father, Giancarlo, is the complete opposite. He comes on too strongly to everyone. He forces his opinions on his family and peers, and he takes all of his anger out of his wife. He also uses connections Caterina makes in school to try and move along his career as a writer. All in all, he's not the ideal role-model or father.
The friends Caterina makes at school have just as dysfunctional families. Daniela is the daughter of a right-wing politician father, and Margherita is the daughter of very liberal writers. In Daniela's home her father is absent most of the time, and her mother is unaware of her whereabouts or what she does when she goes out. It seems like Daniela's car driver and body guard is her only parental figure, which isn't saying much since she's constantly flirting with him. In Margherita's home, she has parents that care, but she is rebelling against them. Her parents also aren't very strict, which ends up effecting Caterina negatively. Margherita tattoos Caterina's arm in her very room! When Giancarlo finds out he was furious at her parents, but they did nothing to reprimand Margherita. Also, Caterina skips school for the first time because of Margherita, who wanted to visit a grave site.
Last, there is Caterina's crush, Edward( I think that was his name). His parents are divorced, which caused him to move to Rome all the way from Australia. His mother was very pleasant, and his relationship with her seemed fine, but something was strange in the way he spent most of his time in his room, alone. Also, how he liked to watch people out his window. It didn't seem very healthy. But, by the end of the movie he is moving back to Australia because his parents are trying it out again, as he says.
When Caterina's father leaves, it seemed like her mom and her will be better off. Giancarlo brought anger and hate into their lives. When he left, Agata seemed to be free and happy. That says a lot for the conventions of marriage. If people get married and become truly unhappy it probably is best to end things, instead of staying together for the sake of the children. A loveless marriage, according to this film, will only cause drama and frustration for the family instead of a happy home to grow up in. It's hard enough for Caterina to figure out her identity on her own, never mind when her father is always bullying her and Agata.

La Dolce Vita

1. I agree that this film strays from normal storytelling and character development. The characters are thrown into the mix, not properly identified. As the audience we don't know what many of the characters do, who they are, what their motive or desires are. And without that knowledge, it's difficult to connect to the characters or understand how they are changing throughout the film. There are some exceptions, but generally that is the case. Also, the way the passage of time is dealt with in this movie is very different from most. Instead of gradually changing from night to day, this movie tends to finish a night scene and go right into a day scene. It throws the audience off balance, keeping us on our toes because we never know where the next scene will take us.

2. I feel that one of the underlying themes of this movie is everything looks better from the outside looking in, or the "grass is always greener..." phrase. This is strongly emphasized by the near constant presence of the paparazzi. The paparazzi represents modern culture idolizing celebrities and famous people. They try so hard to capture a part of their lives because it seems to be so much better, it seems to be the perfect life. When in reality no ones life is perfect. None of the characters are without problems.

3. I really enjoyed the scene at Steiner's house. It may not seem like an essential part, but I believe it is. Steiner tells Emma that she needs to love Marcello more than he loves himself in order to be happy. Then Emma tries to hint at marriage to Marcello, which was unsuccessful. Steiner admits that he chose the comfortable life, becoming respectable, but not a professional. He feels like he took the safe road. And Marcello admits that he needs to change his life, that something has to give in order for him to be happy and find his passion (not in so many words, but still). For these reasons and more, Steiner's house was very important. It is the first time in the film where the desires or motivations of the characters are explained. The shot list ranged from close-ups to medium, to wide shots. 3-shots, 2-shots were also used. I don't remember any camera movement though. I don't believe there was any use of dolly, tilts, pans, zooms etc... Though the camera work wasn't special, the staging and composition of each frame was. The party guests were all placed at varying heights, which placed a person at every level. The party group was strange and diverse enough, but then to scatter them around the room, some sitting, some standing. Some slouching, some standing with  firm back. It created a successful contrast between each person, creating depth, range and flavor to the shots.

Overall, I enjoyed this film. I got used to how the narrative was disconnected and the characters had to be eased into. I also feel that I would gain a lot more if I re-watched it.