“Iconic” is a word that suffers gross misuse these days, but the Trevi Fountain scene in Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita is a rare example of its appropriate use. Marcello Mastroianni plays disillusioned journalist Marcello Rubini, who finds himself squiring a Swedish-American film star named Sylvia, played by Anita Ekberg, alone through the deserted streets of late-night Rome.
After Sylvia dispatches Marcello to find milk for a street kitten, he returns to find her wading into the Trevi fountain. She insists he join her, so Marcello removes his shoes and socks and finds himself sloshing thigh-deep through the water towards Sylvia, statuesque beneath a cascade, head back, eyes closed.
