Fellini's loose, semi-autobiographical portrait of Rome mixes memories of his 1930s arrival with scenes of a film crew shooting in the 1970s. There is no main plot, just episodes. Worth watching for the church fashion show and the frescoes that fade the moment they are uncovered.
At a glance
Fellini's Roma is a 1972 comedy and drama film directed by Federico Fellini. This breakdown covers 5 techniques (2 narrative, 2 cinematography and 1 sound), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, Fellini Satyricon uses several of the same techniques.
Cutting back and forth between 2 timelines, often past and present. Each one helps explain the other as the film goes on.
How this film uses it
The film alternates between the young Fellini's journey to Rome and a film crew making a movie about the city decades later. Each period helps explain the other.
Where to see it
The two Romes: scenes of a young man's first boarding house are cut against the crew's 1970s shoot.
Telling the story as a loose string of separate adventures, often following a low-status hero through different levels of society. With no single plot, the episodes add up to a portrait of a world.
How this film uses it
Roma moves through a string of unconnected episodes with no single plot. They include a guesthouse with odd residents, two brothels and a vaudeville theater.
Where to see it
The vaudeville and brothel episodes: each is its own little world, and together they form a portrait of Rome.
Designing wardrobes that carry character, status or change as much as the acting does. Clothes tell you who someone is or has become before they speak.
How this film uses it
An elderly noblewoman stages a fashion show for a Cardinal with priests and nuns in bizarre outfits. The clothes tell you what Fellini thinks of the church's pomp.
Where to see it
The ecclesiastical fashion show: models parade religious costumes before an audience of clergy.
Showing a precious image appearing and then fading within seconds of being uncovered. It reminds you that history cannot be held or kept.
How this film uses it
Workers break into an ancient space and find a catacomb with frescoes. The paintings begin to decay once the air reaches them.
Where to see it
The catacomb frescoes: excavators find old paintings that decay soon after exposure to air.
Letting a particular composer's or musician's style define the film's sound. The music has a recognizable voice that shapes mood and character.
How this film uses it
Nino Rota's score gives the film its warm, slightly carnival tone. The music keeps the loose episodes feeling like parts of 1 memory.
Where to see it
The vaudeville theater: Rota's music supports the lively crowd and gives the scene a nostalgic feel.
Questions
Keep watching
Same director
Same era
