L’altro Casanova. Le Memorie nell’immaginario cinematografico di Fellini

The cinematographic representation of the character of Giacomo Casanova (1725-1798) by Federico Fellini can only be understood taking into account two elements: the category of great seducers and the 18th Century. As for the first aspect, this paper emphasizes the differences and similarities between Casanova and Don Giovanni. Concerning the second aspect, Casanova seems to embody the ambiguities and contradictions of “the Age of Reason”. These two aspects contribute to explain Fellini‟s work, which aims at demystifying this character by questioning the traditional model of the Italian seducer. This “other Casanova” must not be interpreted solely in a fantastic manner but also in a metaphorical one. Its current value lies in the existential behavior expressed by the modern man which can be portayed through the image of an eye flowing across reality without interpreting it, neither emotionally nor judgmentally. This is the “non-life”.