Roma (1972)

A fluid, unconnected and sometimes chaotic procession of scenes detailing the various people and events of life in Italy's capital, most of it based on director Federico Fellini's life.

Director:

Federico Fellini

Writers:

Federico Fellini (story), Bernardino Zapponi (story)

Stars:

Britta Barnes, Peter Gonzales Falcon, Fiona Florence

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Peter Gonzales Falcon	...	Fellini, Age 18 (as Peter Gonzales)
Fiona Florence	...	Dolores - Young Prostitute
Britta Barnes
Pia De Doses	...	Princess Domitilla
Marne Maitland	...	Guide in the Catacombs
Renato Giovannoli	...	Cardinal Ottaviani
Elisa Mainardi	...	Pharmacist's wife / Cinema spectator
Galliano Sbarra	...	Music Hall Compere
Anna Magnani	...	Anna Magnani
Ginette Marcelle Bron
Stefano Mayore	...	Fellini as a Child

Storyline

A virtually plotless, gaudy, impressionistic portrait of Rome through the eyes of one of its most famous citizens. blending autobiography (a reconstruction of Fellini's own arrival in Rome during the Mussolini years; a trip to a brothel and a music-hall) with scenes from present-day Roman life (a massive traffic jam on the autostrada; a raucous journey through Rome after dark; following an archaeological team through the site of the Rome subways; an unforgettable ecclesiastical fashion show)

---

Plot Keywords:

brothel | panties | female nudity | orgy | nudity | 

---

Taglines:

The fall of the Roman Empire 1931-1972.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

This film is part of the Criterion Collection, spine #848.

---

Goofs

One of the engineers says, "We merely wanted to resolve the traffic problem with a subway like Munich's or Dublin's." But Dublin had no subway in 1972 and still doesn't have one; the current plan is to have one operational by 2027.

---

Quotes

Gore Vidal: You ask me why an American writer would want to live in Rome. First of all, because I like Romans. They don't give a damn if you're dead or alive. They're neutral, like cats. Rome is the city of illusions. It's not merely by chance that you have the church, the government, the cinema. They each produce illusions, like you do and like I do.

---

Alternate Versions

Scenes featuring appearances by Marcello Mastroianni, Alberto Sordi as themselves (being interviewed during the "Trastevere" segment) have been removed from most non-Italian versions and from the Italian TV version. They are also missing from the R2 DVD published in Italy by Istituto Luce but have been included as additional features along with 11 other deleted scenes on the 2014 UK Masters of Cinema Blu-ray and DVD release.

---

Connections

Referenced in Butterfly (2004)

User Reviews

With Fellini there is no need for a "plot".

Fellini's films are a collection of unforgettable images, rather like reading through a photo magazine in a foreign language - you don't need to know the language to understand the pictures. The subtitles can be turned off and you can still follow one stunning vignette after another. Best of all, this film can be watched over and over because you will see something new or interpret it a different way each time.

Rome is seen as a carnival and the people are the freaks, carneys and revellers. Rome has been a great city for over 2,000 years and was once THE city - the center of the world. One cannot imagine New York in 1,800 years time, and certainly not Washington. The film shows the evolution of that great city into a noisy, overcrowded, modern-day nightmare of chaotic traffic, circling around the ancient ruins. Life goes on. We all turn to dust, but others come to take our place.

The most unforgettable image for me was the ecclesiastical fashion show as gaudy and vulgar as anything Ken Russell could dream up. My biggest problem was with the subtitles. Somehow I doubt that the viewers of Fellini's film choose to use vulgar American slang.

Details

Country:

Italy France

Language:

Italian German English French Latin Spanish

Release Date:

15 October 1972 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fellini's Roma

Filming Locations:

Piazza Lovatelli, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Gross USA:

$732,326

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ultra Film, Les Productions Artistes Associés

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1