La Dolce Vita or 8 1/2?

[AaronJ]

La Dolce Vita and 8 1/2 are both, IMO, some of the best films ever made. And while I certainly wouldn't argue with anyone who chooses 8 1/2, I find La Dolce Vita so absolutely perfect every time I watch it.

I think it's particularly (or maybe peculiarly) relevant today, with its themes of a decaying society, the vulgar and vapid nature of so many of society's "elite," and how their lives -- so beautiful on the outside while empty on the inside -- are built on the backs of those they oppress.

Marcello's journey is partly a search for something more, and partly an admission that there isn't anything more.

And Fellini's able to touch on and investigate all these themes while still creating a very entertaining and often funny film. It could have been very heavy handed given the subject matter, yet it's anything but. It's simply brilliant on every level.