Previous

Quote 5

Guido:   “What is this sudden happiness that makes me tremble, giving me strength, life? Forgive me, sweet creatures. I hadn’t understood. I didn’t know. It’s so natural accepting you, loving you. And so simple. Luisa, I feel I’ve been freed. Everything seems so good, so meaningful. Everything is true.”

Guido thinks these words toward the end of the film, immediately after he gives the order to begin the destruction of the launch pad. As Daumier rattles on about the futility of attempting to make a decent film, Guido’s magician friend Maurice inspires the director. Guido stops listening to Daumier and begins to think. In the scene immediately preceding this one, Guido imagines that he shoots himself, and judging by his order to destroy his set, it’s clear that he has given up his film. This quotation, however, marks Guido’s first steps toward a new film without flawless women like Claudia or fantastic themes like space travel. Guido’s decision to be artistically honest immediately moves him to improve his personal life as well.

This moment is a grand one for Guido because he recognizes that he can make his film describe his life truthfully, no matter how confused his life is. He wants to translate the honesty to his personal life and to tell Luisa the truth about his cheating. Moreover, he wants Luisa to accept him as he is. The “sweet creatures” are Luisa and Rossella, and as he addresses them with his internal monologue, he focuses on Luisa and the sad but composed expression on her face. Luisa has always wanted Guido to be honest with her, but Guido’s revelation is considerably demanding of her. To admit freely to Luisa that he’s been unfaithful and that he has no intention to change seems like a beautiful idea to Guido. However, Luisa’s stoically pained expression indicates that Guido’s revelation will not be easy for her, no matter how perfectly it solves Guido’s troubles.

Previous page Important Quotations Explained page 4

Popular pages: 8 1/2

Take a Study Break