The analogy presented several times in this film is that Proust wanted to write a book about nothing. That is also what the director of this film has done, and what the main character has done with his own life. This is a film about nothing, but of course still about something – the main character Jep. The film is simply just about this character and how he spends his time.
Jep has self-reflection, he's honest, doesn't take things so seriously, and he doesn't try to convince himself that he's something that he's not. Although one of his snobbish, bitter and self-righteous acquaintances annoys him, he doesn't let it bother him too much, and he doesn't say anything about it until she asks him to. He lives a happy, carefree life and is not consumed with worries. Unlike the most of us who "spends the summer making plans for September" as one of the characters say, Jep "looks for the great beauty" by living in the present an enjoying everything beautiful around him – paintings, food, birds, churches, trees, the ocean, etc. He finds joy in this moment and not in the future. It is actually quite inspiring to watch. But there is nevertheless something missing. Life basically has two missions: Accomplish your dream (whether through work or through raising a family) and find companionship (whether with a partner or with friends), and while Jep has certainly enjoyed his time in Rome, he hasn't achieved any of those two goals. Sex with someone new is not something beautiful shared with another person for him, but simply an everyday thing that's part of his lifestyle. I found this to be one of the key themes in the film. Jep tries to find "the great beauty" in life but hasn't found the greatest one of them all: love. He has gone through life partying, shagging, smoking and enjoying, but has never found the woman he loves, nor had any children.
All of these characters are trying to find a place where they belong, but none of them are really successful. Most of them want to be accepted by the right crowd or the right woman, but fails in a hierarchy where you can never reach the top. As the movie progresses, more and more people leave Rome as they haven't found the great beauty of love either. One doesn't even want to bring his furniture but just leaves everything behind. Apparently, he hasn't accomplished or accumulated anything there that he would want to remember. So, it's also a critique of modern day Rome and all its citizens' love of being hip. It's elegantly done, and especially the dialogue is beautiful, poetic and well-written.
Another reference to literature I found was that the main character and some of the other characters remind me of the three main characters in Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (the character in this film who wants to stage a play would be Basil Hallward).
The biggest drawback of this film is its length. A film about nothing that lasts almost two-and-a-half hours is simply too long. Had it been 30 or 45 minutes shorter it would have been a more pleasant view. The film starts out as a beautiful feel-good film, but ends up as a sad tragedy – with some hope though. It's never too late to make a change.
Jep has self-reflection, he's honest, doesn't take things so seriously, and he doesn't try to convince himself that he's something that he's not. Although one of his snobbish, bitter and self-righteous acquaintances annoys him, he doesn't let it bother him too much, and he doesn't say anything about it until she asks him to. He lives a happy, carefree life and is not consumed with worries. Unlike the most of us who "spends the summer making plans for September" as one of the characters say, Jep "looks for the great beauty" by living in the present an enjoying everything beautiful around him – paintings, food, birds, churches, trees, the ocean, etc. He finds joy in this moment and not in the future. It is actually quite inspiring to watch. But there is nevertheless something missing. Life basically has two missions: Accomplish your dream (whether through work or through raising a family) and find companionship (whether with a partner or with friends), and while Jep has certainly enjoyed his time in Rome, he hasn't achieved any of those two goals. Sex with someone new is not something beautiful shared with another person for him, but simply an everyday thing that's part of his lifestyle. I found this to be one of the key themes in the film. Jep tries to find "the great beauty" in life but hasn't found the greatest one of them all: love. He has gone through life partying, shagging, smoking and enjoying, but has never found the woman he loves, nor had any children.
All of these characters are trying to find a place where they belong, but none of them are really successful. Most of them want to be accepted by the right crowd or the right woman, but fails in a hierarchy where you can never reach the top. As the movie progresses, more and more people leave Rome as they haven't found the great beauty of love either. One doesn't even want to bring his furniture but just leaves everything behind. Apparently, he hasn't accomplished or accumulated anything there that he would want to remember. So, it's also a critique of modern day Rome and all its citizens' love of being hip. It's elegantly done, and especially the dialogue is beautiful, poetic and well-written.
Another reference to literature I found was that the main character and some of the other characters remind me of the three main characters in Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" (the character in this film who wants to stage a play would be Basil Hallward).
The biggest drawback of this film is its length. A film about nothing that lasts almost two-and-a-half hours is simply too long. Had it been 30 or 45 minutes shorter it would have been a more pleasant view. The film starts out as a beautiful feel-good film, but ends up as a sad tragedy – with some hope though. It's never too late to make a change.