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Directed by Federico Fellini, Roma is a strangely compelling film. Part travelogue and part surrealist expose, the film is very much a love letter written to the city in Fellini's own inimitable style.

Fellini's disjointed but stunningly original tribute to Rome could have been an unmitigated disaster. There's no plot, no main characters, no common thread linking the disparate parts that make the whole. It spans 40-odd years, jumps back and forward, mixes fact and fiction, gets off to a slow start and much of it doesn't seem to make any sense at all. But none of that matters because this autobiographical history of the Eternal City works brilliantly.

The entire movie is made up of unconnected vignettes of Rome today and yesterday, bound only by Fellini's eye for the bizarre and the absurd, and by his ever-present dry wit. It is a walk on the Italian wild-side; a great personal view of one of the world's great cities.

BD50 + DVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 02:00:20 | 43.2 Gb + 7.35 Gb
Language: Italiano
Subtitles: English

Director: Federico Fellini
Cast: Britta Barnes, Peter Gonzales Falcon, Fiona Florence
Country: Italy, France
Genre: Comedy, Drama

Extras:

• Commentary - in this brand new audio commentary, Frank Burke, author of Fellini's Films, discusses in great detail the narrative structure and major themes of Roma, the symbolism in key sequences, some fascinating typically Fellini-esque visual contrasts, specific framing/lensing choices, politic themes that emerge throughout the film, etc. The commentary was recorded exclusively for Criterion in 2016.

• Deleted Scenes - a collection of restored scenes that were removed by Federico Fellini when the International Version of Roma was finalized. Two of the most notable scenes feature cameos by Marcello Mastroianni and Alberto Sordi. Each scene is preceded by a text description. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (18 min).

• Paolo Sorrentino - in this brand new video interview, acclaimed dierctor Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, Youth) discusses the impact Federico Fellini's films had on him, the manner in which the legendary director balanced creative freedom with technical expertise, some specific themes that were introduced in films like La Dolce Vita that years later re-emerged and evolved in his films, Roma and its placement in the director's oeuvre, etc. The interview is moderated by New York University film professor and critic Antonio Monda. It was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2016. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (16 min).

• Valerio Magrelli - in this brand new featurette poet Valerio Magrelli, author of The Family Shaman: Homeopathy, Pornography, Directing in 77 Drawings by Fellini (2015), recalls his first encounter with Federico Fellini in Rome (which took place during the filming of Casanova), and discusses the great director's relationship with art and culture, the qualities that make his films stand out, Roma and the unique Fellini-esque image of the Italian capital it promotes, etc. The featurette was created exclusively for Criterion in 2016. In Italian, with optional English subtitles. (17 min).

• Felliniana - presented here are a selection of posters and promotional materials for Roma from collector Don Young's Felliniana Archive, followed by a selection of behind-the-scenes photographs of the production from the MGM archives. With music. (19 min).

• U.S. Trailer - original domestic U.S. trailer for Roma. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).