La Terrasse

The runtime of The Terrace is seemingly frightening for a film. The two and a half hours appear menacing considering the conversational nature of the film, but I was not bored for even a second. The Terrace can be likened to Fellini's La Dolce Vita, with the difference being that Fellini aimed at the lifestyle of modern Italian nouveau riche, whereas Scola targets left-wing intellectuals from the well-off Italian middle class of the 70s. It is characteristic that the story begins at a party where well-dressed gentlemen and ladies gather, savoring a table full of exquisite delicacies and engaging in idle gossip. The film has three levels - firstly, it maps the midlife crisis of several participants in the story, when the weight of age, the risks of illness, societal and professional failures, relationship breakdown, alienation, and loneliness start to weigh heavily on the men in their early fifties. Secondly, the film outlines the emptiness of left-wing beliefs, its erosion in light of dynamic social changes, the enrichment of the middle class, and the expansion of the consumerist lifestyle. Thirdly, the film touches upon the emancipation of women, as the present gentlemen, despite their pseudo-progressive attitudes, struggle to come to terms with the fact that their wives are independent, sometimes even more successful than their exhausted partners. The film is interesting with its subtle psychological portrayal; it has several charming moments and well-crafted dialogues. It presents many excellent observations on life that transcend their time and setting. It is also excellently cast and acted. I liked Jean-Louis Trintignant, who portrays a screenwriter going through a creative crisis, trying to mask his creative impotence through lies. The character of a successful producer without broader intellectual knowledge, who is in a relationship with a typical intellectual, and naturally, his handicap is evident in their life together, is comedically intriguing. Overall impression: 85%. (19/04/2009)