For some odd reason the omnibus tradition got hot during 60's European cinema. I've never quite understood the appeal. In worst case scenarios, the results are almost always disappointing, while in best cases, the most rewarding episodes always deserve more screen time. Even when there's a unifying theme to bind each episode together, the whole often feels less than the sum of its parts. 

Such is the case with BOCCACCIO '70. 

It's a collection of postwar tales loosely tied together around love, lust, money, and morality, brought to life by some big-hitting Italian filmmakers (Fellini, Visconti, De Sica, and lower on the celebrity pole, Monicelli). Apparently inspired by the allegorical sex tales of Italian author Giovanni Boccaccio, the film is largely futile, forgettable, and not very interesting, with one very strong exception for Fellini's short, "Le Tentazioni Del Dottor Antonio." 

Not only is it Fellini's first foray into color filmmaking (which I'm super excited to see where he goes with this, btw) but the story is so wildly entertaining and surrealistically rich. It's worth the price of admission (your time) alone. 

A giant milk-advertising billboard of Anita Ekberg, the voluptuous beauty of LA DOLCE VITA (1960), drives a hopeless, puritanical bigot insane as he crusades around town trying to censor every instance of suspected immorality he sees. When the dazzling Ekberg comes to life and terrorizes the old prude, you can see Fellini's imagination come vividly alive, almost like he's trying to respond to his goody-goody critics who trashed LA DOLCE VITA as obscene and irreverent. The surreal quality of the storytelling is a perfect vehicle for him to tackle the censorship complaints he faced in his own country. I loved every. single. moment. It’s way good. And quite frankly feel this short should've been expanded into a full-length feature. 

Watch this film for Fellini's segment alone.

Oh, and drink more milk!!!

Fellini Ranked