Ciao Patriarchy: Fellini Beyond Neorealism

“There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life.” -Federico Fellini

Italian director Federico Fellini remains one of the most prolific filmmakers of the 20th century. He is primarily associated with Neorealism, a postwar cinema movement focusing around stories of everyday hardship played by unprofessional actors. However, in the years after the movement, Fellini’s filmmaking style gradually evolved into something more progressive and dreamlike. Many of his lesser-known artistic films confront taboo topics of postwar Italy, such as sexuality, gender roles, and personal independence, and continue to hold cultural relevance in the 21st century. Beyond La Dolce Vita (1960) and 8 1/2 (1963), here are some of Fellini’s lesser known, but socially relevant works.

L’Amore in Citta [Love in the City] (1953)

Love in the City is an anthology film featuring shorts by Fellini contemporaries Michaelangelo Antonioni, Alberto Lattuada, Carlo Lizzani, Francesco Maselli and Dino Risi. Fellini contributes a short that walks the line between neorealism and fiction, exploring the emotional fragility of women in a patriarchal society, and specifically how societal expectations trap them in cycles of emotional dependency. 

This segment, titled “Marriage Agency,” follows Fernando (Antonio Cifariello), a journalist who visits a marriage agency under the pretense of researching an article, but unexpectedly witnesses the vulnerability of those seeking companionship through unconventional means. With a mix of documentary realism and narrative, the segment captures the vulnerability of love and yearning. "Marriage Agency" hints at Fellini’s emerging interests in gender roles, human desire, and identity in his films. 

Available on Kanopy.

La Strada [The Road] (1954)

Perhaps the most sardonic of Fellini’s early films, La Strada, which translates into “The Road”, serves as a segue for Fellini as he dips his toes in waters beyond neorealism. Set against a bleak postwar Italian landscape, the film tells the story of Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina), a meek young woman who is purchased to be the wife of Zampano (Anthony Quinn), a brutish traveling performer. 

As the two journey from town to town performing comedic acts for local townspeople, their relationship slowly reveals each of their own internal struggles. Gelsomina must navigate Zampano’s aggression and abuse as a soft-spoken woman. Zampano must relearn to share space with another person after being closed off for so long. Along the way, they encounter Il Matto (Richard Basehart), whose name translates to “The Fool”. Il Matto is a whimsical tightrope walker whose presence intrigues Gelsomina to grow closer to him, a situation in which Zampano seeks to intervene.

La Strada is a complex story about loneliness, purpose, and independence. Masina’s performance as Gelsomina, is comparable to actors of the silent era, forcing the audience to rely solely on her physicality to understand her emotions. From a modern perspective, La Strada speaks volumes about emotional abuse, manipulation, and endurance demanded of women, which still rings true today.

Available on Kanopy and Max.

Boccaccio ’70 (1962)

Boccaccio ‘70 is another anthology film featuring work from Vittorio De Sica, Mario Monicelli, and Luchino Visconti. The film is named in honor of Giovanni Boccaccio, an Italian renaissance writer known for his short stories about women. Boccaccio ‘70 pays homage to his work by unique vignettes of women, but with a modern twist.

Fellini contributes a segment called “The Temptation of Doctor Antonio.” The story centers around Dr. Antonio Mazzuolo (Peppino De Filippo), a modest middle-aged man who takes it upon himself to enforce public decency and conservative Italian values. A billboard of actress Anita Ekberg sensually laying down is built across the street from Antonio’s apartment. The billboard is promoting milk, but Ekberg’s promiscuity goes against all of Antonio’s beliefs. 

Fellini uses exaggerated surrealism and comedy to highlight the repressive sexual standards of Italian society in the early 1960s. In the short, there is a part in which a billboard-sized Anita Ekberg comes to life and chases Antonio throughout the streets of Rome. The scene successfully demonstrates how her liberation is more important than his conservatism. In the early 1960s, Italy was torn between Catholic tradition and the sexual revolution, so Fellini’s critique of authority and male hysteria around female sexuality was timely then, and proves just as timely in the resurgent conservatism of today.

Available on Kanopy.

Giulietta Degli Spiriti [Juliet of the Spirits] (1965)

Juliet of the Spirits follows Giulietta (Giulietta Masina), a woman who suspects that her husband is being unfaithful. While searching for herself, she embarks on an inner journey where she encounters a world of spiritual and eccentric figures. The film delves into themes of self-worth, marital conventions, and societal expectations placed on women. Unlike many films of its era, it centers entirely on the subjective experience of a woman. Her fears, desires, and fantasies exclusively guide the plot. 

The vibrant aesthetic embodies Giulietta’s inner struggle as well as her journey toward reclaiming her voice. Around this time, Fellini began to dabble in blurring the lines between reality and dream-like sequences. Through Masina’s performance and Fellini’s unique visual style, the film remains a powerful exploration of autonomy, spirituality, and female independence.

Available on Max.

La Citta delle Donne [City of Women] (1980)  

Often considered to be one of Fellini's most controversial films, City of Women can be read both as a critique of and a self-aware reflection on men during feminist movements. The film follows Snaporaz (Marcello Mastroianni), modeled after Fellini himself, on a journey through a dreamlike world populated entirely by women, each embodying the different facets of femininity. The film doesn’t pretend to understand women by any means. Rather, it honestly portrays the curiousity and bewilderment that many men had during the burgeoning the feminist movement.

The movie features several memorable characters who each represent a different aspect of Italian society at the time. Snaporaz meets Dr. Katzone (Ettore Manni), an eccentric old man whose mansion becomes a grotesque display of male desire. He also encounters Donatella (Anna Prucnal), the progressive leader of a feminist group. The two characters serve as contrasting mentors in Snaporaz’s journey through this bizarre world.

Fellini doesn’t attempt to offer answers about the female condition in City of Women. Instead, he immerses viewers in Snaporaz’s confused and comical confrontation with a society no longer centered around men.

Available on Kanopy. 

Fellini’s work shows how film can explore deeper questions about life, society, and identity. While he started out in the Italian Neorealism movement, his style quickly became more unique. Films like Love in the City, La Strada, Boccaccio ‘70, Juliet of the Spirits, and City of Women all reveal Fellini’s interest in how people, especially women, navigate societal expectations. He didn’t try to find answers; instead, he created comedic, relatable, and emotional stories that reflect the real challenges everyday people face. Watching his work today reminds us that film can still inspire us to think, feel, and question the world beyond the screen.

-Sophie