Bread and Tulips Review + Article Question

1.  Read the "Rascaroli passage" inside this folder which gives a definition of European road movies.  To what extent, and why, does the film Bread and Tulips fall within this genre? Are you able to discern in this film "the European reality of a mosaic of nations, cultures, languages and roads which are separated by geographical, political, and economic boundaries and customs"? 

This movie fits the European Road Movie qualities well. It follows a middle aged woman named Rosalba and her adventures she goes on through Italy. What makes this movie a particularly well fit is in part reason because Rosalba is an average Italian citizen not some sort of rebel or outcast. Another reason is due to how well this movie exsposes Italy geographically, putting heavy influence of the numerous cultures, languages, art work of different heritage influences such as Greek. This movie does a really good job at portraying all characteristics of a European Road movie.

2. Compare how the film/camera portrays the city of Venice (destination) and the city of Pescara (from which the main character has left and returns)?  What are the differences and similarities?

Pescara, Rosalba's home village or town, is portrayed in a very condisending, low level society, with a lagging image of the rise of technology. The colors used are somewhat a little more dull and less vibrant, even though the film is mostly shot in a very vibrant and extreme solor sence. Venice however, is portrayed as a very well manicured and well kept place. With well kept people, with proper speak, and a law abiding way of life. This is a great contrast the director uses to captivate what Rosalba has and what she's known her whole life, oppose to what she has been wanting, craving and looking for in her life.

3.  What discoveries does Rosalba make in the film, about her own identity and about her culture?

Rosalba slowley but surely discovers what a dull and managed life she lives. She is constantly being pushed and commanded around by her brute of a husband and her children more towards the begining show her little respect/affection. She discovers her grand past of her grandparents and what they went through living in Italy in a previous time frame. She gets much more in touch with her roots and who she is as a person. She also see's what true love feels like and how a real healthy relationship functions. Rosalba becomes one with the idea that she can live her life how she wants, and not fit into so many stereotypes about woman and what they can and cannot do.

"Caterina In The Big City" Review

The movie "Caterina In The Big City" was a very interesting film about a young girl who lived on the small wimpering outskirts of Italy and moves to the big city of Rome. Caterina moves to Rome due to her fathers out of synch job as a teacher at a small highschool. Her father, quits his job and moves to Rome to allow Caterina start school in the big city. Caterina's father is extremly over protective and tries to manipulate Caterina by always telling her whats right and wrong and what she should be doing. He also tries to develop connections of work and business through Caterina's high class friends and their parents.

For my review this week I wanted to focus on not a certain question but more so on Caterina herself and what she had to do in order to succeed amoungst her peers and to succeed overall in general.

Caterina has to face many opsticals within the movie, and to me one of the greatest troubles she faced was de aling with her father. Throughout the entire film he was constantly persistant about telling Caterina what to do in certain situations. Towards the begining her Father was even telling her what to specifically do in a certain situation. Caterina also has to deal with the demeaning girls and boys at her new school in the big city of Rome. There were two different clicks to join both controlled by the two head girls of the school, or most popular. These two girls, or two different sides for Caterina to choose at school represents the two different sides to political powers in Italy in Rome at the time. Caterina also not to mention has to deal with her father pestering her with trying to develop work connections for him through the politically envolved girls at the school. Caterina handles most of the issues in the movie, for a young teenage girl handling all of these new events happening in her life. I give her a lot of credit! Please comment or let me know your thoughts on how you thought Caterina handled what was dished to her.

Fellini's La Dolce Vita Review

1.) It is said that this film abandons traditional modes of narrative/plot, and conventional notions of characters development. Give exaples from the film to support or oppose

I do believe this to a certain degree but still feel like throughout the entire film there was little to no narration at all, and the plot jumps from place to place. Lke in the opening scene where there is a large Jesus statue hanging from a helicopter and there flying from place to place allowing people to be in "Awe" at it. Fellini does a brilliant job developing Marcello's sense of stability and sexual subduction. He has almost a James Bond feel to him, this was all put together very well.

2.) What is the underlying theme or themes of this film?

To me, the main notion or theme of this film is that everything we do is for a reason or to benefit someone in someway. The title "La Dolce Vida" or the "Sweet Life" is a minor configuration of the movies exstensive meaning. The freedom most characters show, coming and going at will, entering almost any desirable destination, this film truley captures what we would consider a sweet or lavish life, with much excessability.

3.) Choose one scene in the film that you feel is an essential moment, or a turning point. Describe the visual elements and cinematic style if you can.

I feel that the scene when Sylvia or Anita Ekinburg was in the Trevii Fountian in Marcello's dream sequence was a huge turning point in the movie and a great scene as well. Fellini shows the audiance this key turning point which allows Marcello to verify what parts of life are real and are not from here on. This visual element of Sylvia at the fountain is known as "Juxtaposition", Fellini is famous for this lovely comparison of a lovely attractive woman against  flawless beautiful backdrop. The cinematic style is that of a twist, there are some scenes that capture a sence of Neorealism but the dream sequences and ellucive landscapes allow a real creative outlook on the film.


Bondanella on Fellini 

La Dolce Vita means the Sweet Life. It refers to the exstensive accesablilty the characters have in the film to go and do what they want. The condition of Italy at the time was poor, right after the World War things were in rough shape. Italy was a decaying city.

Bondanella compares Fellini to Picaso because they are both talented artists, and view their work as art and not take it to serious or literal like an average job. They extract from within. They share the artistic vision of roman.

The importance of the term paparazzi in the film is huge. This term first came up in this film and established an exstensive vocabulary for the term now. It gave this movie a fast paced theme and even added to the effect of illusiveness or that the life these characters are living are that of fame or surreal like.

The plot of the film is very chaotic and all over the place. Mostly in Italy and Rome itself. This allows for the surrealism of Italy magnificant landscapes and romantic vistas to really show through in this film. Fellini knew all of these minor details all help everything come together.

Marcello is his own man, and will be reguardless of any mans requests. It is too late for him to change into anything he already isnt already. He is a man of distress, adventure, sex appeal and in life for the over all chase and exhilleration. His sexuality is strongly depicted through the beauty of Sylvia. And the entire movie was built off of Marcello's intellectual persuits.