Why is Fellini so boring? For the past few days Cata and I (and sometimes Juanito) have been trying to digest Fellini. We started with “Lo Sceico Bianco”, and then moved on to “E la Nave va”. I have to say that the latter was much more enjoyable than the former. But still boring. Furthermore, I have to say I really loved the second one. The whole idea of paying honors to a former friend, a great friend that past away, and to do so by having a whole opera set up in a transatlantic journey, can really touch some inner chords. But still, it is still boring. Why is Fellini so boring? Here are some ideas:
There are two main sources of boredom. Boredom comes from situations which we either (a) already understand (or believe to understand) so well, from top to bottom, that no questions come afore; or (b) something so utterly distant, obscure, and difficult that it is difficult to even imagine what is the use of it and, of course, no questions come afore either. They both tend to be inoffensive, but sometimes (b) gets too close to arrogance.
I think Fellini’s problem is the second one. It seems to me that he is so immersed in complicating things, in trying to show how difficult everything is, how senseless, how incomprehensible, that he actually manages to reach the top of boredom. Ok! I agree, experience is a difficult thing and we are made in such a way as to simplify things. Otherwise we die, either out of stress, boredom, or radical inability to do anything (which results from both). But this is something that not even Fellini can change, and his intent to show how cumbersome things are is just another futile way to give a story – and, therefore, a simplification – of what human experience is. Even to say that this makes no sense is a simple way to put things. So why not accept this fact? Why be so arrogant and insist in spitting out a relentlessly cumbersome story that may last forever?
There is still much of value here. I’m just complaining about the boring side of it. It is always nice to see that, in spite of Fellini’s obscurity, la nave va!
