La Dolce Vita

I was in a meeting yesterday, surrounded by much younger people, where I was using my computer to demonstrate some new software--we do this because there are many people who cannot imagine software from a description of it but must actually see it to understand it--, and up came my screen with its wallpaper of Cecilia in her black strapless evening gown wading in a fountain. None of them had ever heard of the film La Dolce Vita or seen the original of this parody. It has caused me to wonder why I am there. I don't provide anything technical any more--they are all much better at it than I am. I am there for wisdom only.

For Cecilia it may be part of her heritage as a Roman, this most Roman of Italian movies. It is, of course, forbidden to get into the fountain, forbidden as opera was forbidden in Rome when these pieces were written. This is undoubtedly the intended parallel. It's a truly wonderful picture, beautiful on its own and layered with ancient meaning.