FELLINI'S CASANOVA

Italy, 1976, 166 minutes, Colour.
Donald Sutherland, Tina Aumont.
Directed by Federico Fellini

Fellini's Casanova, with accent on Fellini - his Casanova is a symbol, finally a life-sized doll of adolescent fantasy, the futility of sexual vanity. A legend of the gilded 18th. century (and Fellini surpasses himself at gilded grotesques) Fellini’s Casanova epitomises the beautiful decay on the surface of human bankruptcy that pays lip service to culture and manners and equates sophistication with elegant licentiousness.. Is this Fellini's mood of the '70s, his commitment on our civilization, his final image of doll Casanova dancing with a beloved faithful doll is not only pessimistic, It is nihilistic. What next? For Fellini devotees only. While repaying reflection, the experience of prolonged futility demands great endurance.

1. The achievement of Fellini by the end of the '70s? Casanova as gathering together many of his themes: the origins of his film-making in ordinary stories about Italy? His moving towards symbols of Italian history, politics, society? Fellini's exploration of himself? Psychological growth? His ability to look satirically and mockingly at history and society? His love of the circus and his choosing grotesques to illustrate his themes? The growing ambition of his work? Its humour, sentimentality? The culmination of his autobiographical explorations and his purging himself of his uncertainties, fears? The question of where to move after this purging? The influences of this development in Casanova ? How much personal involvement in the screenplay and the making of this film? With the title emphasising that it was Fellini's - how much of Fellini was in the film? Was it another version of his presentation of Circus with himself as Ringmaster? Casanova as clown?

2. The technical qualities of the film: colour photography, the lavish recreation of period, the special effects? The visual echoes of his other films, e.g. The Satiricon? The deliberate contrivances? Costumes, decor. make-up? The quality of observation? The musical score echoing the music of the times?

3. The length of the film and its sustaining audience interest? The episodic nature of the film with the complications of narrative. memories, flashbacks? The complex response to the plot? The sharing of Casanova's attitude towards his career, reputation, behaviour? Sharing in his memories? Yet Casanova as a person not very well aware of himself and in touch with his feelings? The film as a memoir of Casanova? How much was Casanova's viewpoint, how much Fellini's? Questions of morality and amorality? Casanova’s serious code of behaviour within his standards? Audiences distanced from Casanova's behaviour as well as involved with it? The invitation to observe and judge? How serious was the film? How humorous? How comic and satiric?

4. Audience presuppositions about Casanova. his reputation. his sexual behaviour? Casanova as a figure of envy for men? Desire for women? Fellini's presentation of Casanova's sexual prowess - but lack of sensual involvement? Fellini's own attitudes towards sexuality and sensuality? Accusations of Fellini being puritanical? Presenting sexuality and sensuality - but with implied disapproval? Casanova as the cultured man of the 18th. century: Venice, science, economics, politics, art? A rhetorical theoretician? Audience sympathy with Casanova or not? What was the audience left with in the final futile images of Casanova and his love for the doll? The critique of the womaniser?

5. The film's exploration of sexuality: biological aspects. sexual techniques. prowess and vanity? The emphasis on the male behaviour, the male role in sexual encounters? The implied 'macho' attitudes? The difference between sexuality, sensuality, licentiousness? The situating of this exploration of sexuality in Italy. in the 18th. century, in Italian high society, in a Catholic culture? Fellini'e implied comments on religion and morality? The Catholic tradition. sin, guilt, responsibility?

6. The picture of Venice in the 18th. century? Carnival society, carnival behaviour. the emphasis on openness about sexuality and yet prurient voyeurism? The mod given by Fellini by Casanova's encounter with the nun and the French diplomat spying? The sudden change of attitude with the inquisition and Casanova's imprisonment? The shift of emphasis from Italy with Casanova's international travels and encounters: Paris and the nobility, England and the carnival atmosphere, Germany and scientific

7. Fellini's background with the circus and his drawing on these techniques: the appearance of Casanova with the heavy make-up and the implications of the serious clown? Appearances, behaviour, antics, sadness? Casanova as a clown metaphor for the age of enlightenment? The gallery of grotesques and clowns? Fellini as ringmaster orchestrating their behaviour in a spectacle? The comic and clown implications of the sciences, music, alchemy, literature, economics, politics?

8. Donald Sutherland's presence and performance as Casanova: his physical presence, style and bearing, the film made in English? The artificial style of acting? His pomposity and self-inflation? His believing his reputation and his living up to it in a gymnastic way? His desire for love but incapacity for it? Relationships as exercise and performance? His using liaisons for his own pride? Yet his concern about women? The implications of his adolescent search for the perfect woman and his not being able to find her? His comments on his emotions - and his deceiving himself about their quality? The importance of the final symbol of the doll and his ability to relate to that? A symbol summarising his career? A waste of a life?

9. Fellini's vitality in presenting Venice and spectacle, the carnival? His atmosphere of bitterness in the prison? The high society pomposity of Paris and the homes of the nobility, superstitions, toying with magic and alchemy, the women wanting to become a man? England and the differences between despair in the Thames and the carnival atmosphere? Swiss seriousness and scientific experimentation? The vulgarity of the German courts and the raucous palace scenes, the playing of the organs?

10. The gallery of women: the nun and her lascivious encounter, the haughty woman in Paris and her wanting to become a man, Henrietta and her charm, the giant lady wrestler, Isabella and the liaison in Switzerland? The competition in British society - a public spectacle of sexuality for the nobility, bets etc.

11. The encounter with his mother at the opera - and his lack of relationship with his mother, despite his protests? The relationship with his mother and the relationship with the doll?

12. Fellini's ironic choice of backgrounds for the women and the comment on 18th century society: lascivious nun, French aristocracy and necromancy, the homosexual society, the giantess, warfare and science, music and libraries? Official moral behaviour and yet interior corruption?

13. Casanova and his final memories? A summation of his life and its futility?

14. The film presenting a world view of Europe in the 18th. century? The film presenting Fellini's view of life and morals? The quality of Fellini's films and their insights?