I have say, I overlook my own prejudices when I view films by Italian filmmakers, at least in the golden era. Marcello and Jeanne are so dark, from the makeup used to accentuate the sadness in her eyes, to the bleakness of making it from one day to the next. Apparently, going to lavish parties with other depressed people isn't helping much. The illness and death of a friend brings things down further. Marcello seems to have the same presence in many films. He is on the surface a cad, but an artistic one. He is submerged in existential depths and enjoys nothing. Jeanne Moreau almost never smiles. She knows that to keep her husband, she has to go along with his games, and even then, he accepts her on his own terms. How can we really relate to these rich, selfish people who have nowhere to go. They make mundane seem desirable. The film is lavish and the cinematography stunning. The performances are just right and yet the characters they play are not very sympathetic.
